Ph.D. Programs in Systems Engineering Prepared by James Rodenkirch and Michael Harper

Ph.D. Programs in Systems Engineering

Prepared by James Rodenkirch and Michael Harper

Introduction

This presentation provides a cornerstone for a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering at Southern Methodist University by benchmarking various top programs in the United States. Included for clarification purposes are universities that offer a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering in conjunction with other fields. These universities do not offer what SMU is seeking in a Ph.D. in SE.

Schools Researched Boston University Georgia Tech MIT Rutgers Stevens Institute of Technology University of Alabama, Huntsville University of Pennsylvania University of Southern California University of Virginia

Synopsis of Ph.D. Programs

Schools with Ph.D. in SE: Boston University MIT Stevens Institute of Technology University of Virginia

Schools with Ph.D. in SE combined with other fields

Georgia Tech Rutgers University of Alabama,

Huntsville University of Pennsylvania University of Southern California

PhD Systems EngineeringUniversity

Boston College

Boston MA

http://www.bu.edu/systems/phd.html

The Doctor of Philosophy Degree The Systems Engineering PhD is available to students interested in focusing their research on interdisciplinary work that transcends a specific engineering application domain to include areas such as information and control systems, optimization and mathematical programming, stochastic dynamic systems, applied probability and discrete event dynamic systems.

Okay

http://www.gatech.edu/

School and Department College of Engineering Center for Information and Systems Engineering

FacultyFull Time: 20

Areas of Student Research• Discrete Event and Hybrid Systems

• Information and Control Systems

• Optimization and Mathematical Programming

• Service Systems

• Stochastic Dynamic Systems

• Transportation and Energy Systems

• Wireless and Computer Networks

• Supply Chain Management and Control

Boston University

Unique FeaturesFaculty from all College of Engineering departments participate in the PhD interdepartmental systems engineering committee which administers the interdepartmental Ph.D. degree program in that field. In addition, the graduate students with a strong research interest in information, decision, and control sciences may select to pursue the PhD in systems engineering degree by gaining admission into an individual College of Engineering department.

Information and systems engineering research at Boston University is strong and accomplished, but it is spread across departments and Colleges within the University.

Boston University

Admission Requirements• Normally requires a bachelor's or master's degree in engineering or its

equivalent in a closely related field

• Concise statement of personal and research goals

• Official transcripts of previous study

• Scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test

• At least two letters of recommendation

• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for international students whose native language is not English

• Students seeking a PhD degree in Systems Engineering must earn admission to any of the departments in the College of Engineering and satisfy the requirements set by the student's home department graduate committee in coordination with the College of Engineering PhD Interdepartmental Systems Engineering Committee.

Boston University

Boston University

Degree Requirements• A minimum of 64 credits applicable to their degree

• 32 credits must be structured courses

• 28 credits of which must be at the 500 level or higher

• A minimum of 16 credits of research/dissertation is required

• There are no structured course requirements for post-master's PhD students, but such students are required to complete 32 credits applicable to their degree, all of which must be at the 500 level or higher

• A minimum of 8 credits of research/dissertation coursework is required

• Coursework used to fulfill the PhD degree requirements may not be used to fulfill the requirements of any other degree program.

Boston University

Degree Requirements (Continue)• Students must pass two written comprehensive examinations covering basic

knowledge in (a) applied mathematics and (b) one area of specialized study selected from the following: aerospace engineering, biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, systems engineering, mechanical engineering, or manufacturing engineering

• Both qualifying examinations are limited to two attempts

• All PhD students must take the applied mathematics examination the first time it is offered after matriculation

• Students will be given one additional attempt if the first is not successful

• All PhD students must complete both qualifying examinations by the end of their fifth semester

SE Courses• ENG AM 704 Adaptive Control of Dynamical Systems

• ENG MN 510 Production System Analysis

• ENG MN 725/ENG SC 725 Queuing Systems

• ENG SC 740/BE 740 Parameter Estimation and System Identification

• ENG SC 754 Dependable Distributed Systems

Note that there were over thirty courses in the college indicating they were Systems Engineering. Only courses that had the word “systems” was used as part of the SE Courses.

Boston University

MinorNot Available?

Dissertation

• Within one year of becoming a candidate, the student is expected to present an oral dissertation proposal to the prospective dissertation committee and obtain approval for the written dissertation prospectus

• Upon approval of the committee members and the departmental graduate associate chairman, the student submits the PhD Dissertation Prospectus Defense Form to the department office.

• The dissertation committee must consist of College of Engineering (tenured or tenure-earning) faculty

• A "Special Service Appointment" form must be submitted to the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs for approval of all committee members from outside the University

Boston University

Delivery OptionsNot Available?

Boston University

University

Georgia Tech University

Atlanta, Georgia

http://www.isye.gatech.edu/academics/academics.php

The Doctor of Philosophy Degree

Offered through the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, it is a degree that recognizes demonstrated proficiency and high achievement in research within the fields represented by the School.


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Georgia Tech UniversitySchool and Department

College of Engineering Industrial and Systems Engineering

FacultyFull Time: Nearly 60

Areas of Student ResearchThe program includes majors in the following concentrations:

Optimization, Stochastic Systems, Manufacturing and Logistics, Engineering Economic Decision Analysis, Applied Statistics, Human-Integrated Systems and Algorithms, Combinatorics and Optimization (ACO).

Unique FeaturesRated as one of the top five Engineering Schools in in the nation as

reported by U.S. News & World Report for 2004. Moreover, the Industrial and Sys. Engineering program was ranked number one for the 13th year in a row.

Admission RequirementsAdmissions decisions are based on information derived from three sources:Performance in all prior degree programs (earned GPA, field(s), institution(s)):

average GPA is 3.658 for Ph.D. applicants.GRE scores, especially the quantitative and analytical portions: average scores

for Ph.D. applicants are 788 and 752 respectively.Credible letters of reference.

Degree RequirementsAlthough there are no fixed course requirements for a Ph.D. the student must take at least three full semesters of course work beyond a baccalaureateSubmit a written statement describing their motivation for a Ph.D.First year reviewComprehensive exam that includes one or both an oral and written portionComplete a defense of the dissertation


SE CoursesManufacturing Systems (F,S)

Warehousing Systems (F,S)

Models of Human-Machine Systems (S)

Topics in Human-Integrated Systems

Design of Human-Integrated Systems (F)

Safety-Critical Real-Time Systems

Measurement of Human-Integrated Systems (S)

Dynamic System Simulation & Modeling

MinorNine semester hours outside a student’s primary area of study


DissertationThere are two committees for the dissertation. The first one is the Thesis Advisory Committee that is made up of at least three individuals of which one is the Thesis Advisor. The majority of the committee shall consist of members of the Academic Faculty. This committee approves the research topic and provides advise and guidance during the research. The other committee is Final Doctoral Examination Committee that consists of at least five individuals of which one must be the Thesis Advisor. These members are presented the final product.

Delivery OptionsOn campus


PhD Engineering Systems

UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Boston, Massachusetts

http://esd.mit.edu/HeadLine/twonewprograms.html

The Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Technology, Management and Policy) A pilot program focused for which engineers receive an education in and conduct integrative original, fundamental, generalizable research on engineering systems with an emphasis on the societal implications on the system and of the system.

Note: Engineering Systems and not Systems Engineering;based on review, it passes for a Ph.D. in SE.

Okay

Massachusetts Institute of TechnologySchool and Department School of Engineering Engineering Systems Division


Areas of Student ResearchTechnology and Policy, Transportation, System Design and Management, and Logistics. Groups include the Lean Aerospace Initiative (LEI), Fast and Flexible Manufacturing, and the Internet and Telecom Convergence groups.

Unique FeaturesStrong partnerships with industry (Compaq, Motorola, Eastman Kodak) as part of a research effort for the “Leaders for Manufacturing Program” at the school.

Admission RequirementsOutstanding academic performance in undergraduate degree programs

Strong Technical Background 3.0 GPA for undergraduate engineering degree, 3.2 for others Three letters of recommendation, including one from an ESD faculty member

GRE Test (600 in quantitative & analytical aptitude each and 500+ in verbal skills)

Degree RequirementsComplete an approved plan of study

Course work completion of 72 units

Doctoral exam (two parts) after completing one year of course work

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Degree Requirements (Continued)Qualifying Exam

Doctoral committee formation

At least 3 classes in a Minor

Thesis proposal

Complete a defense of the dissertation

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of TechnologySE Courses

Systems TheoryDesign and ArchitecturesSocio-technicalEnterprise SystemsResearch Methods

Remaining four classes are agreed to by the student’s doctoral committee.

DissertationTwenty four hours in approved program/field of study. Each candidate is advised by a four member supervisor committee. The committee consists of at least three members of the school’s ISE department and one from outside the department (e.g., recognized leader in industry or academia outside the ISE department).


PhD Systems Engineering

University

Rutgers UniversityNewark, NJ

http://coewww.rutgers.edu/ie/graduate.html


A research degree preparing students for advanced study in production, manufacturing; quality, reliability; systems engineering, and aviation safety.

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Rutgers UniversitySchool and Department

College of EngineeringDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering

FacultyFull Time 10

StudentsMasters 30PhD 30

Areas of Student ResearchIndustrial and Systems Engineering, Manufacturing Systems, Quality and Reliability Engineering, Information Technology

Unique FeaturesStrong relationship with National Science Foundation, D.O.D., FAA, and private industry

Rutgers UniversityAdmission Requirements

Bachelor of Science Degree

3.0 GPA for undergraduate engineering degree, 3.2 for others

Letters of recommendation

GRE • verbal 560

• quantitative 750

• analytical 690

Degree RequirementsComplete an approved plan of study

72 hours beyond a bachelor’s degree

Doctoral exam (two parts) after completing one year of course work

Complete a defense of the dissertation

Rutgers University

DissertationTwenty four hours in approved program/field of study. Each candidate is advised by a four member supervisor committee. The committee consists of at least three members of the school’s ISE department and one from outside the department (e.g., recognized leader in industry or academia outside the ISE department)


SE CoursesSystems Reliability EngineeringManufacturing Information Systems Distribution Systems Enterprise IntegrationApplication of Human Factors to Decision Systems Engineering Simulation of Production Systems


Stevens Institute of Technology

New Jersey

http://www.soe.stevens-tech.edu/seem/Grad/

The Doctor of Philosophy Degree The School of Engineering in the Systems Engineering and Engineering Management department offer a Doctor of Philosophy in Systems Engineering. The degree is designed to develop the capability of one to perform research or high-level design in systems engineering or engineering management.

Okay


School and Department School of Engineering Systems Engineering and Engineering Management Department


Areas of Student Research• e-Systems Engineering Initiative

• Agile Systems Engineering

• Value Chain Enterprise Systems

• Network Centric Systems


Unique Features

Offers a unique forum for developing, discussing and exchanging ideas in technology. Known as Technology Ventures Incubator or TVI. It is a place where faculty, students and colleagues in industry jointly nurture the process of conception, design and marketplace realization of new technologies. It supports Technogenesis® by nurturing new technologies from innovation to implementation. Its purpose is to:

• To assist in accelerating the commercial application of high value technology emanating from within and outside Stevens

• To increase the number and quality of linkages between technological entrepreneurs and the Stevens community

• To promote the development of intellectual property between Stevens and technological entrepreneurs

• To stimulate the creation of new, higher-value jobs and contribute to economic development in New Jersey


http://www.technogenesis.org/



Admission Requirements• Admission to the doctoral program is made through the departmental graduate

admissions committee, based on review of your scholastic record.

• An undergraduate degree in engineering or related disciplines with a "B" average or better from an accredited college or university is generally required for graduate study in one of the departments programs.

• A master's degree is generally required before a student is admitted to the doctoral program.

• It is required that any applicants requesting research assistantship appointments and applicants to the Ph.D. program provide evidence of the ability to carry out independent work.

• GRE scores are not required but may be submitted in support of the application.

• Your master's level academic performance must reflect your capability to pursue advanced studies and perform independent research.


Degree Requirements• Ninety credits of graduate work in an approved program of study beyond the

bachelor's degree are required for completion of the doctoral program.

• Up to 30 credits obtained in a master's program can be included in this program. Of the remaining 60 credits, 15 to 30 credit hours of course work as well as 30 to 45 credit hours of dissertation work are required.

• Within two years from time of admission, you must take a written qualifying examination that is intended to test your comprehension of undergraduate and master's level engineering fundamentals and mathematics.

• Upon satisfactory performance in the qualifying examination, and completion of the required course work, you must take an oral preliminary examination.


SE Courses• SYS 595 Design of Experiments and Optimization

• SYS 640 System Supportability and Logistics

• SYS 645 Design for Reliability, Maintainability, and Supportability

• SYS 605 Systems Integration

• SYS 611 Modeling and Simulation

• SYS 650 System Architecture and Design

• SYS 612 Project Management of Complex Systems

• SYS 655 Robust Engineering Design

• SYS 620 Simulation-Based Costing and Acquisition

• SYS 660 Decision and Risk Analysis

• SYS 625 Systems Operational Effectiveness and Life-Cycle Analysis

• SYS 635 System Maintainability and Maintenance

• SYS 800, SYS 801, SYS 900 and SYS 960


MinorNot Available?

Dissertation

• Upon satisfactory completion of the preliminary examination and all course work, you will become a doctoral candidate and start your dissertation research.

• Doctoral research work must be based on an original investigation and the results must make a significant, state-of-the-art contribution to the field, and must be worthy of publication in current professional literature.

• At the completion of the research, you must defend your thesis in a public presentation.

• Doctoral candidates are encouraged to hold a private defense with his or her committee several weeks prior to the public defense.

• At that time, the committee should raise issues with the candidate prior to the public defense.


Delivery OptionsVia web for certificate in SE



University University of Alabama Huntsville, Alabamahttp://www.engdl.uah.edu/iseem/graduate/default.htm


A research-oriented degree awarded upon the demonstration of scholarly competence in Systems Engineering. This program includes at least 48 hours of graduate course work including 18 hours of major courses, 15 hours of supporting courses, 6 hours of a foreign language or ancillary skill and a dissertation of 18 hours.

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University of Alabama at HuntsvilleSchool and Department

College of EngineeringDepartment of Industrial & Systems Engineering

FacultyFull Time 9

Areas of Student ResearchEngineering Management, Quality and Reliability Engineering, Operations Research, Systems Simulation, Technology

Management

Unique FeaturesStrong relationship with NASA and industryAmerican Society for Engineering ManagementRobust Distance Learning Program for Masters and PhD

University of Alabama at HuntsvilleAdmission Requirements

- Bachelor of Science Degree- 3.0 Undergraduate GPA - Letters of recommendation- 1500 GRE Score (verbal, quantitative, analytical)- Admissions essay

Degree Requirements- Complete of an approved plan of study- Pass a preliminary exam after three core courses in the proposed major- 66 hours beyond a bachelor’s degree- Oral and written comprehensive exam- Present a dissertation proposal- enroll in at least 9 semester hours of graduate work in two consecutive

semesters- Admission to candidacy for the degree- Pass a final exam of the dissertation - Each candidate is advised by a five member supervisor committee.

The committee consists of at least three members representing the field of study and one from each of the minor fields).

University of Alabama at HuntsvilleSE Courses

Introduction to Systems EngineeringHuman Factors in Systems DesignAdvanced System Simulation

Integrated Product and Process DesignEngineering Economic AnalysisSystems Modeling

Degree Options

First MinorFifteen hours in Engineering Management, Operations Research,

Quality Engineering, Reliability Engineering, Systems Simulation, or Technology Management.

Second MinorTwelve hours in Statistical Methods for Engineers, Advanced

Statistical Applications and two additional math or statistics courses.Delivery Options

- On campus - Distance Learning


University

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

http://www.seas.upenn.edu/profprog/sys/phd.html


A research oriented degree conferred in recognition of original contributions, high attainment, and proven research competence specializing in the design, integration, control, and management of large-scale complex systems. This program requires a minimum of 20 graduate course units

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University of PennsylvaniaSchool and Department

School of Engineering and Applied ScienceDepartment of Electrical & Systems Engineering

FacultyFull Time 25Part Time28

Areas of Student ResearchInformatics, Nanotechnology, Distributed Systems, Information Systems, Infrastructure Systems, Environmental and Resource Systems Engineering, Transportation Systems Engineering, Logistics Systems Engineering, Systems Methodology and Operations Research

Unique FeaturesFull time professor who is also the deputy director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Ackoff Center for Advancement of Systems Approaches.

University of Pennsylvania

Admission Requirements

GPA and class rank of all institutions attended Two letters of recommendationGRE General Test score of 2160Statement of Purpose: A discussion of academic and career objectives

Degree RequirementsA minimum of 20 graduate course units is requiredA written qualifying examinationSubmit and defend a dissertation proposalSubmit and successfully defend a dissertation

University of PennsylvaniaSE Courses

Service Systems Engineering Computer Integration of Systems Systems Methodology Project Management Systems Manufacturing Operations Management Urban Transportation Systems and Technology Information Systems for E-Commerce Earthquake Engineering

DissertationThe Ph.D. Dissertation Defense in Systems Engineering will be conducted by the Ph.D. Dissertation Committee. The student is expected to work closely with his or her Research Advisor on the dissertation research, and with the other members of the Dissertation Committee as appropriate.



University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA

http://www.usc.edu/dept/ise/program/gradphd.html


A research degree preparing students for leadership in Industrial and Systems Engineering research and university-level education

The program focuses on the integration of technology and commercial enterprise.

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University of Southern CaliforniaSchool and Department

School of EngineeringDaniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems

Engineering

Faculty

Full Time 9Adjunct 20

Areas of Student Research

Modeling and Simulation of Manufacturing Systems Transportation and Control Systems Engineering Management

Unique Features

Faculty membership in the National Academy of Engineering Masters in Industrial/Systems Engineering and MBA Joint Degree

University of Southern California

Admission Requirements - Masters Degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering or equivalent- GRE Verbal: 500 - GRE Quantitative: 700 - Letters of recommendation - Personal Statement

Degree Requirements- Pass a screening examination - Complete of an approved plan of study - Pass a qualifying examination

- 60 units of graduate coursework- Maintain a minimum overall 3.5 GPA- Dissertation Defense

University of Southern CaliforniaGraduate System Engineering Courses

- Continuous Systems Simulation - Inventory Systems

- Engineering Project Management- Advanced Production Planning- Management of Engineering Teams- Computer Aided Manufacturing- Value and Decision Theory- Performance Analysis- The Modern Manufacturing Enterprise System

- Cognitive Engineering - Sequencing and Scheduling

Delivery Options- On campus only


University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

The Doctor of Philosophy Degree The School of Engineering and Applied Science offers instruction leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Systems Engineering.

Okay


School and Department School of Engineering and Applied Science Department of Systems and Information Engineering


Areas of Student ResearchCrime Data Analysis; Environmental; ERICA; Ethics / Invention;

Financial Engineering; Human-Computer Interaction; Networks; Risk Analysis; Semiconductors; System Monitoring and Quality Control; Transportation Systems; Weather / Flood Forecasting


Unique FeaturesStart career close to senior management and with immediate exposure to critical strategic issues

Frequent client interaction and on-site exposure to the systems under

Admission RequirementsCompleted coursework with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or better,

Completion of the GRE,

Passed the qualifying examination,

Received approval for the dissertation proposal, and

Presented at least one seminar.



Degree Requirements• Complete an approved plan of study consisting of at least 26 credit hours of

coursework beyond the master's degree and 24 credit hours of research beyond the master's degree.

• Pass a PhD qualifying examination.

• Present a dissertation proposal.

• Present at least one seminar, either at the university, or at an approved conference or symposium.

• Publish at least one conference proceedings paper.

• Have at least one article published or under review in an archival journal in the student’s research area.

• Be admitted to candidacy for the degree.

• Pass a final examination on the dissertation.

SE CoursesIntroduction to Systems Engineering

Systems Management Integration Engineering

Stochastic Systems

The Art Science Of Modeling

Decision Analysis

Cognitive Systems Engineering

Risk Analysis

Environmental Systems Analysis

Heuristics -- Design Analysis and Evaluation

Time Series Analysis and Forecasting

Advanced System Simulation

Response Surface Methodology

Systems Engineering Seminar


MinorNot Available?

DissertationThe student requests appointment of the dissertation examining committee using Form G105. The student's recommendations concerning membership of the examining committee should be based on knowledge of the nominated faculty members' academic and professional backgrounds, research interests, and availabilities, supplemented by discussions with the nominees, and by discussions with the student's faculty advisor.

The examining committee should be composed of at least 5 faculty members.

At least 3 members of the examining committee must be from the Department of Systems and Information Engineering (not including jointly appointed faculty).

At least one committee member must be from outside the SIE department.




University

University of VirginiaCharlottesville, VI


A research degree providing the student with advanced and individual research in the area of Systems and Information Engineering.

The program includes four components: course work, research, seminar, and involvement in the intellectual life of the university.

University of VirginiaSchool and Department

School of Engineering and Applied ScienceDepartment of Systems and Information Engineering

Faculty

Full Time 17Adjunct 0

Areas of Student Research

Modeling and Simulation of Systems Risk Management of Engineering Systems Construction of Decision Aids for Specific Decision Makers Environmental and Ethical Aspects of Systems Design

Unique Features

Diverse areas of concentration with research focused professors Commonwealth Graduate Engineering Distance Learning Program for Masters Degree’s

University of VirginiaAdmission Requirements

- One year of undergraduate calculus including differential equations- Working knowledge of at least one high level programming language- Two undergraduate courses in calculus based probability and statistics- Mathematical programming or linear algebra- Letters of recommendation- Average GRE Score- Admissions essay

Degree Requirements

- Complete of an approved plan of study- Pass a qualifying exam- 26 hours of coursework beyond the masters degree, including 6 hours

of graduate mathematics- Oral and written comprehensive exam- 24 credit hours of research- Present a dissertation proposal- Present at least one seminar- Publish at least one conference proceedings paper- Admission to candidacy for the degree- Pass a final exam of the dissertation

University of VirginiaGraduate System Engineering Courses

- Introduction to Systems Engineering- Systems Management and Integration- Knowledge Based Systems- Risk Analysis- Environmental Systems Analysis- Total Quality Engineering- Case Studies in Systems Engineering- Research methods in Systems Engineering- Advanced System Simulation- Response Surface Methods for Product and Process Design- Sequencing and Scheduling

Delivery Options

- On campus only

Documents

Ph.D. Programs in Systems Engineering Prepared by James Rodenkirch and Michael Harper