Engineering Management & Systems Engineering

John N. Wood, PhD(Program Alumnus)

• BS in Electrical Engineering (U.S. Naval Academy)• MS in Systems Engineering (The George Washington

University)• PhD in Systems Engineering (The George Washington

University)• Completed MS & PhD programs while working full-time

in San Diego• First time on GWU campus was for PhD hooding ceremony

About me…

• Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering• Master of Science in Systems Engineering or Engineering

Management• Doctor of Philosophy in Systems Engineering or Engineering

Management• In person programs available in VA & MD• Special arrangements with corporations can bring professors to

the workplace (even in CA!)• Online programs offered worldwide

Programs Offered

• Graduate Certificate earned in conjunction with Master’s Program following completion of core courses

• 12-course (36 credit-hour) program explores the seven essential tasks of systems engineering defined by INCOSE: State the problem, Investigate alternatives, Model the system, Integrate, Launch the system, Assess performance, and Re-evaluate

• Requires:– Bachelor’s degree with a minimum grade average of B in the last

two years of undergraduate study from a recognized institution– Grades of C or better in two college calculus courses

Grad Cert & Master’s Program

• Accelerated program can be completed in less than 3 years• Consists of 4 milestones:

– Completion of course work (10 classes, 36 credit-hours)– Presentation at professional conference– Acceptance for publication in scientific journal– Successful dissertation defense

• GRE or GMAT not required

PhD Program

• Master’s program met in person every other week for two consecutive nights (4:30 – 7:30 Wednesdays and Thursdays)

• Great camaraderie with fellow employees/classmates• Immediate application in the workplace• Minimal disruptions to work and family life

Life During Master’s Program

• Called accelerated for a reason!• First 15 months required full-day sessions every Saturday

– Sundays mainly spent doing homework– Significant reading and prep-work throughout the week

• Independent research phase less intense (at least for me)– Schedule largely driven by external influences (conference timing

and publication timelines)– Meetings with advisors held about every 6 weeks

• Required dedication of student and family

“Life” During PhD Program

• Master’s program provided me with essential SE tools• Confidently and competently led engineering efforts for nuclear

weapon infrastructure program• Promoted within the company

• PhD program provided me with in-depth, cutting-edge skill set• Interfaced with and provided direction to other PhDs (engineers

and scientists) working on V-22 Osprey program• Enabled career move to applied medical research organization

Life After

• Application information and course descriptions can be found here: http://nearyou.gwu.edu/em-dl/index.html

• Additional questions should be directed to:

Tammy Miller, Senior Marketing & Recruitment Specialist twm@gwu.edu or (757) 269-2209

• I can be reached at:dr.john.n.wood@gmail.com or (760) 659-0115

Additional Information