University & Organizational Agreements

Certification Agreements

University Agreements

INCOSE continues to expand the reach and influence of its certification program through the establishment of agreements with key strategic partners. These relationships may allow candidates to save money, to get credit for requirements for certification, or to get equivalency to INCOSE Certification. If your organization wants to investigate establishing an agreement related to INCOSE certification, please contact the INCOSE Certification Program Office.

INCOSE is not signing new corporate agreements in 2023 but may restart this program in the future. In its place, INCOSE is developing an award program to recognize companies with demonstrated commitment and support of INCOSE Certification. Details will be announced in mid-2023.

University agreements are also called Academic Equivalencies. They are the result of INCOSE’s determination that a university’s coursework may serve as an alternative to the INCOSE knowledge exam. There is no cost to set up a university agreement, although membership in the Corporate Advisory Board (or local chapter equivalent, plus fee) is required.

INCOSE also has agreements with other certification programs and with individual INCOSE chapters. In all cases, the goal is to reduce duplication of effort by INCOSE certification candidates and assessors.

Academic Equivalency Programs

What are they?

An academic equivalency is an arrangement between INCOSE and a university that enables students to prove their knowledge of the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook without taking the INCOSE knowledge exam. Students in approved programs may be able to bypass the knowledge exam on their path to becoming an Associate Systems Engineering Professional (ASEP) or Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP).

Academic Equivalencies require a university to show how it assesses student knowledge. These assessments may be offered in any language and in a variety of formats, including quizzes, projects, and oral presentations.

Academic Equivalency Overview

Current Equivalency Programs

INCOSE has recognized more than 12 university programs. These universities have approved Academic Equivalency Programs for their coursework. Students who score well enough in the required courses, taken during the effective dates of the equivalency, may bypass the INCOSE knowledge exam when applying for ASEP or CSEP certification. Interested individuals should contact the universities directly to learn which courses are required and what minimum score in each course is required.

University/Program	Course Location(s)	Effective Dates	Point of Contact	Website
	Online and in-person Fort Collins, CO, USA	August 2020 – Present	Dr. Thomas Bradley	www.engr.colostate.edu/se/
	Online and in-person Ithaca, NY, USA	June 2018 - Present	Jessica Beebe	www.systemseng.cornell.edu/
	Online and in-person Philadelphia, PA, USA	Fall 2019 - Present	Rick Grandrino	https://drexel.edu/syseng
	In-person Fairfax, Virginia, USA	January 2022 - Present	John Shortle	https://seor.gmu.edu/
	In-person Los Angeles, California, USA	August 2023 - Present	Gustavo Vejarano	https://www.lmu.edu/
	Online and in-person Rolla, MO, USA	August 2018 - Present	Dr. Cihan Dagli	https://emse.mst.edu/
	Online and in-person Monterey, CA, USA	January 2020 - Present	Dr. Heidi Hahn	https://my.nps.edu/web/seet/nps-se-profile
	Online West Lafayette, Indiana, USA	January 2022 - Present	Kat Burkhart	https://engineering.purdue.edu/online/courses/systems-engineering-processes-professional-competencies
		October 2023 - Present
	Online and in-person Huntsville, AL, USA	January 2021 - Present	Dale Thomas	https://www.uah.edu/eng/departments/iseem
	Online Detroit, MI, USA	January 2019 - Present	Dr. Darrell Kleinke	https://eng-sci.udmercy.edu/academics/engineering/systems-engineering.php
	Online and in-person Baltimore, MD, USA	January 2021 - Present	Toby Gouker	https://professionalprograms.umbc.edu/systems-engineering/
	Online	January 2023 - Present	Barry Douglass
	Online and in-person Ann Arbor, MI, USA	February 2020 - Present	Dr. Bob Bordley	https://isd.engin.umich.edu/graduate-degree-programs/systems-engineering-design-program/
	Online and in-person Canberra, ACT, Australia	January 2019 - Present	Dr. Sondoss El Sawah	https://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/degree/postgraduate-coursework/master-systems-engineering-8567
	Online and in-person Worcester, MA, USA	June 2019 - Present	Dr. Donald Gelosh	https://www.wpi.edu/academics/departments/systems-engineering

Administrative Requirements

University submits interest in Academic Equivalency through interest form
University is a paying member of the INCOSE Academic Council or local INCOSE chapter equivalent
INCOSE SE Handbook is required material in course
Program has a current INCOSE CSEP or ESEP affiliated
Students get high marks (definition varies by program) in all required courses
Applies to students who start the required courses after the equivalency is granted to those courses

Technical Requirements

University documents their verification methods for student success against the INCOSE knowledge exam learning objectives
Submit the completed learning objectives spreadsheet to certification@incose.net
Submit additional supporting information as requested by the Certification Advisory Group
- May include scoring rubrics and course syllabi

How do I get one?

Universities interested in getting their programs recognized for future graduates should start by expressing interest through our Smartsheet interest form. They will need to meet the technical and administrative requirements described on this web page. Another presentation of this information is available through Articulate.

Related Certifications

OMG

https://www.omg.org/incose-omg-mutualrecog/
Individuals with either OMG or INCOSE certification are eligible for a discount on fees with the other certification.
POC: Terrance Milligan

NAFEMS

https://www.nafems.org/professional-development/certification/

Individuals with either NAFEMS or INCOSE certification are eligible for a discount on application fees with the other certification.

POC: Ian Symington

Country-Specific Programs

Germany (GfSE)

http://www.sezert.de/de/se-zert/incose.html

Individuals certified as SEZert Level C or Level B may be recognized as INCOSE ASEP or INCOSE CSEP, respectively.

POC: Stephan Stangl

UK (INCOSE UK)

https://incoseuk.org

Individuals in the UK who are interested in INCOSE certification may apply through the INCOSE UK chapter.

POC: Lynn Davis

Australia (SESA)

https://www.sesa.org.au/
certifications

Individuals in Australia who are chartered engineers have a streamlined path to become INCOSE CSEPs.

POC: CASEAdmin@sesa.org.au

USA (DoD Engineering / DAU)

Individuals certified at DAU Engineering Level II or Level III may be recognized as INCOSE ASEP or CSEP through a streamlined process. Applicants with Engineering Level III should complete Form 1B to apply for CSEP.

DAU certification streamlined path

POC: certification@incose.org

Systems Engineering Certification