What is the Academic Council (AC)?
The Academic Council (AC) is recognized as the “Voice of the Academic Community” for INCOSE. Its purpose is to guide and advance the health and status of systems engineering education internationally.
Quick Resources for
Systems Engineering Education
Worldwide Directory
Visit the Worldwide Directory (in partnership with SERC) for information on degree programs (undergraduate and graduate) and certificate programs in Systems Engineering.
Guide to the Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge (SEBoK)
A comprehensive reference providing foundational knowledge for the discipline.
INCOSE’s Policy on SE Education
Review the official INCOSE policy document outlining our educational goals and standards.
Frequently Asked Questions by Students
As a graduate fresh out of college with a B.S. degree and no work experience in any industry, should I go for a Master’s in Project Management or Systems engineering?
Many systems engineers would encourage you to gain some work experience in your major first. However, many students in your situation have proven that there is value in proceeding directly to a M.S. degree in systems engineering. Some universities, such as the University of Pennsylvania, have started a dual degree program with an MS in Systems Engineering and an MBA in Business. You might wish to consider that possibility as well.
How can I find a job in systems engineering?
- Join the chapter in the geographic region near where you live and attend meetings to network.
- Volunteer for one of INCOSE’s technical activities or join a Working Group.
- College students should contact their college to see what internship programs and corporate partnerships they have with local businesses.
- College students should take advantage of any employment center resources including job fairs held on your campus.
- Participate in one of INCOSE’s Virtual Career Fairs.
How relevant is my domain engineering knowledge to systems engineering?
It is all relevant, but you must be willing to expand your horizons to learn much more and to recognize that you will never know enough to solve everything yourself.
I am an upcoming high school senior interested in studying systems engineering in college. What course of study do you recommend?
There are pros and cons to pursuing an undergraduate degree in systems engineering versus another engineering discipline, followed by work experience and a graduate degree in systems engineering. If you have mathematical skills and a strong interest in one of the traditional engineering disciplines, the latter approach is probably the superior course of action. Many of the concepts and techniques in systems engineering require maturity and breadth/depth in some system domain to master.
However, many undergraduate students since the 1960s have proven that an undergraduate degree in systems engineering is a valuable passport to a rewarding career in engineering or business within both industry and government. These students typically are more mature in their life experiences, social interactions, and interest in thinking of the “big picture” than are most students who enter college in traditional engineering programs. If you feel you are suited to an undergraduate degree in systems engineering, be sure to seek out a program that provides a solid foundation in math, science, and fundamental engineering during the first two years. Also, look for a program that provides sufficient electives and courses to concentrate in an engineering specialty area related to some domain of systems (transportation, telecommunications, computer or software engineering, chemical plants, etc.).
I view a systems engineer as someone who is responsible for pulling the project together and hence has a very important role in a team. Is this correct?
Being a systems engineer requires one to be comfortable leading specialists on the frontier of every discipline. A lead systems engineer must lead engineers of all kinds, and perhaps physicians, lawyers, psychologists in the direction to satisfy the mission requirements whatever they are. Less senior systems engineers work with these people to obtain information and provide feedback. A systems engineering practitioner is the glue (the requirements manager, the design architect, and the one who is willing to understand the life-cycle implications) that holds the project together.
What are the best schools for Systems Engineering?
The choice of an academic program in which to enroll is a personal choice. However, INCOSE (partnered with SERC) has put together an academic program directory listing undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs in systems engineering. Worldwide Directory of Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Programs.
What’s the definition of a student member in INCOSE?
View INCOSE’s Membership Types webpage to learn the difference between a Student Membership and a Regular Membership.
Will I be able to take up a masters in systems engineering with my electrical (or any other) engineering background?
Yes. The systems engineering discipline grew out of many of the engineering disciplines. Many systems include a wide range of components made of hardware and software, as well as facilities and people. What you must learn is problem definition, systematic thinking, working with people from many specialties (some of which will not be engineering), and integrating ideas and concepts across disciplines. You will find yourself leaving much of the focused mathematical topics (Transforms and Maxwells Equations), but you can always go back to them if necessary.