Programs in Systems Engineering

Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering

The University of South Alabama Systems Engineering Certificate is a 12-credit academic program earning a Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering. All credits are full graduate credits and can either be applied toward a Masters degree in Systems Engineering, or transferred to other institutions.

This program is intended to give students a solid grounding in systems engineering and is meant for those that do not want to pursue a full Master’s degree, but need to know about systems engineering.

Program Requirements:  For acceptance in the program, applicants should have an engineering Bachelor’s degree or equivalent math/science degree. Program completion requires satisfactory completion of 12 hours with a minimum GPA of 3.0 required to be awarded the Systems Engineering Certificate.

Master’s in Systems Engineering (MSSE) Degree Requirements

The MSSE has three tracks a student can follow. The first is a course only option. In this track, the student takes ten graduate courses (five required courses and five electives). The second track, a project-based track, contains the same five required courses, four electives, and one three-credit project-based course. The third option has six required courses, two electives, and a six-credit thesis. All three options are shown below.

Ph.D. Degree Requirements

Degree requirements for the Ph.D. Program in Systems Engineering include a minimum of 67 graduate credit hours. It is possible to receive 24-30 credit hours if you have a STEM related M.S. degree with the approval of the program director.

Once accepted into the program, the student is required to successfully complete the core systems engineering courses which are intended to help you develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for systems engineering. During this course of study, you are considered a doctoral student.

Required Examinations in this program have two parts. There is a written component, and an oral component to each. The exams are:

• Qualifying Exam: Written and Oral
• Proposal Defense: Written and Oral
• Dissertation Defense: Written and Public Oral Defense