System Engineering, B.S.

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Program Coordinator: M. Ali Montazer, Ph.D.

System engineering, as a formal engineering discipline, traces its history to the 1950s but is playing an even greater role in the 21st century given the advances in information technology, engineering technologies, and the trend in globalization. It is one of the most broad-based disciplines in engineering and its application results in balanced solutions to diverse and complex problems primarily related to product development and commercialization processes. Given the global marketplace, the ever-shrinking levels of both natural and human resources, and increasing product and system complexities, system engineering is becoming a major engineering function in business, industry, government, service and non-profit organizations.

System engineers design, develop, facilitate and monitor the process of creating a product or service with the needs and concerns of the various constituencies in mind. This process incorporates critical consideration of a multitude of factors with special emphasis on quality, cost and time to market. The factor of quality encompasses considerations such as manufacturability, reconfigurability, reliability, maintainability, safety, ergonomics and aesthetics, the environment, and the eventual disposal of the product. The factors of cost and time to market translate into procedures that are prerequisite to creating a product or service that can compete in the global marketplace.

System engineering is the integration of all the disciplines and specialty groups into a team effort forming a structured development process that proceeds from product concept through production, service, and all lifecycle phases, considering all the needs of the customer. System engineers are specialists and experts in applying the system engineering method to complex product and system development.

Mission and Educational Objectives

The mission of the System Engineering program is to prepare our students for growth and career opportunities in the field and/or advanced studies. The mission also includes recruiting a diverse student body; providing state-of-the-art education; and interacting with employers to ensure that graduates are prepared to contribute to their chosen professions in various sectors of the economy. The program objectives are to prepare graduates who:

Apply system thinking to problems
Achieve academic and technical competence to pursue professional careers in engineering and technology fields
Acquire and sustain gainful employment in the field commensurate with their education and career goals
Excel at working on system engineering and related projects and jobs
Pursue advanced and graduate studies and engage in career-long education
Contribute to the profession and the society at large through professional societies, community service, and civic activities
Act as ethical and responsible citizens

The highly interdisciplinary System Engineering program at the University of New Haven has been designed and developed as a team effort encompassing the various constituencies including future employers of program graduates, students, alumni, industry professionals, and the faculty.

In addition to the University Core Curriculum requirements, the program combines strong theoretical foundations in science, mathematics, engineering through the Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral Curriculum, and system engineering. System engineering students learn system engineering principles using modern and advanced computer applications that prepare a graduate to enter the workforce in virtually all industries and economic sectors, including high-tech manufacturing, engineered-products companies, consultancy, transportation, service, and government.

The program consists of 128 credits including a required internship. The credits include the final year-long 6-credit industry-sponsored and team-based design project. Students are expected to work with their academic adviser to plan their course work and project well in advance in order to experience an optimal final project assignment. Students are required to earn a cumulative quality point ratio of no less than 2.0 in all system engineering courses and technical electives. The B.S.S.E. curriculum is as follows:

Required Courses

Freshman Year

Sophomore Year

Junior Year

Senior Year

Note(s):

Students will choose, with the assistance and approval of their academic adviser, the appropriate courses to fulfill the technical elective requirements of the program. Students are also expected to work with their adviser to select the University Core Curriculum courses in such a way to best support their career goals and professional development.

Internship Requirement

The internship program is intended to enrich the academic experience of our students to bridge theory and practice by providing students the opportunity to see firsthand how an engineering enterprise works. The internship must involve a partnership consisting of student, engineering faculty, and employer/organization in order to provide the intern with the optimal experience. An internship assignment with a minimum of 300 hours performing relevant engineering duties is required prior to graduation. Students must complete the equivalent of sophomore-level course work toward the bachelor’s degree in system engineering before an internship is attempted. The ideal internship assignment is the one that leads to the final program design project for the student intern.

The internship carries one credit for the degree. The requirement may be satisfied utilizing a co-op position, approved summer employment and part-time or full-time positions that are approved by the student’s employer and by the department/internship coordinator as being relevant to the goals of the system engineering discipline. A waiver (or substitution) of the internship requirement may be granted for those students who are employed in the field, subject to a formal review by the program coordinator. The request for such a waiver must be submitted to the program coordinator at least one year prior to the anticipated graduation date.

Accreditation

The Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accredtiation Commission of ABET, WWW.ABET.Org.