Statement on Systems Engineering Education
INCOSE represents systems engineering professionals from industry, government, and academia. It recognizes the diversity of systems engineering practices worldwide and the diversity of approaches to educating and training system engineers.
INCOSE is also a learned society and, as such, it cares about the education and training of new entrants to the profession, the continuing education of the professionals it represents, and research conducted in the field.
Consequently, INCOSE has formulated policy statements that express its positions on systems engineering education.
INCOSE believes strongly that:
- a “systems perspective” and the fundamental principles of systems engineering have an important role in the education of all engineers regardless of their specialty. This will strengthen the general recognition that most of today’s engineering tasks are performed in multi-disciplinary teams, and
- degree granting programs in systems engineering must be encouraged and supported.
INCOSE believes that the choice of the best suited approach to systems engineering education rests with the academic institutions. The latter, in dialogue with industry and other systems engineering employers are best suited to determine what programs meet the needs of their constituency. INCOSE strives to provide a forum for the faculties and students of these programs. Nurturing young Systems Engineering graduates and providing a professional home for them is an essential objective of our professional society.
INCOSE’s Policy Statement:
INCOSE, in recognition of the need for academic education in Systems Engineering, advocates that academic institutions offer more engineering degree programs with strong components in Systems Engineering, and supports academic institutions that have chosen to offer programs that lead to degrees in Systems Engineering.