Graduate Program in Systems Engineering and Management
Faculty
and Lecturers
Jonsson School of Engineering & Computer
Science
Lawrence Chung, Kendra
Cooper, Duncan L. MacFarlane, Mark W. Spong, Janell Straach, Lakshman Tamil, Mathukumalli
Vidyasagar, Eric Wong, Stephen Yurkovich
Jindal School
of Management
Alain Bensoussan, Abhi Biswas, Greg Dess, Robert Kieschnick, Padmakumar Nair, Rajiv
Shah, David Springate, Chelliah
Sriskandarajah, Jim Szot,
Chris White
Objectives
The
Graduate Program in Systems Engineering and Management provides intensive
preparation for professional practice in the design, engineering and management
of complex systems involving a large number of interconnected components.
Overview
The
Master’s in Systems Engineering and Management (MS-SEM) program is delivered
through an equal partnership between the Erik Jonsson School of
Engineering and Computer Science and the Naveen Jindal School of
Management. The program focuses on educating students in the broad disciplines
of Systems Engineering and Systems Management. Focused concentrations appealing
to various industrial applications include: aerospace, defense and space
systems; transportation systems; information and communications technology
systems; information assurance and cyber-security systems; healthcare systems;
energy, environment and infrastructure systems; complex biological systems; and
macro-economic and financial systems. Faculty for the primary
SEM courses are drawn from both the engineering and management schools;
faculty from other schools on campus, and industry leaders with expertise in
specific fields teach other courses as appropriate.
Facilities
UT
Dallas has developed a state-of-the-art computational facility. All systems are
connected via an extensive fiber-optic, Ethernet and, through Internet2 and the
Texas Higher Education Network, have direct access to most major national and
international networks. In addition, many personal computers are available for
student use. In addition to the
facilities on campus, cooperative arrangements have been established with many
local industries to make their facilities available to UT Dallas graduate
students.
Master of Science in
Systems Engineering and Management
Admission
Requirements
The
University’s general admission requirements are discussed here.
A student lacking undergraduate prerequisites for graduate courses must
complete prerequisites or receive approval from the graduate adviser and the
course instructor. A diagnostic examination may be required. Specific admission
requirements follow.
A
student entering the MS-SEM program should meet the following guidelines:
• A minimum of a BS in
engineering, mathematics, physics, chemistry, economics or finance (in order to
ensure adequate fundamental skills in mathematics) from an accredited program.
• Must submit GRE
and/or GMAT scores, as appropriate.
• Must submit three
letters of recommendation from individuals who are able to judge the
candidate’s probability of success in pursuing a program of study leading to
the master’s degree.
• Must also submit an
essay outlining the candidate’s background, education and professional goals.
Degree
Requirements
The
University’s general degree requirements are discussed here. The MS-SEM program is
designed to be flexible to accommodate different student backgrounds, allowing
students to pick up areas in which they are deficient, while still guaranteeing
core competency in systems engineering and systems management. This program has
both a thesis and a non-thesis option. All part-time MS-SEM
students will be assigned initially to the non-thesis option. Those wishing to
elect the thesis option may do so by obtaining the approval of a faculty thesis
supervisor. To receive a Master of
Science degree in Systems Engineering and Management, a student must meet the
following minimum set of requirements.
Course Requirements
The
MS in SEM degree requires a total of 36 credit hours consisting of 12 courses
in the non-thesis option or 10 courses plus 6 hours of thesis credit for the
thesis option. All students must have an
academic advisor and an approved degree plan. Courses taken without advisor
approval will not count toward the 36 semester-hour requirement. Successful
completion of the approved course of studies leads to the MS-SEM degree.
Non-thesis Option
Completion
of a minimum of 36 semester hours of graduate level lecture courses including
the required core courses. With advisor approval, these may include some 5000
level courses.
Thesis
Option
An
alternative to 36 credit hours required for the MS-SEM degree, would be the completion
of a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate level lecture courses, including
the required core courses, and 6 semester hours of a combination of Master’s
research (SYSM 6V70) and thesis (SYSM 6V98), submitted to the graduate school,
and a formal public defense of the thesis.
Students
enrolled in the thesis option should meet with individual faculty members to
discuss research opportunities and to choose a research advisor during the
first or second semester that the student is enrolled. After the second
semester of study, course selection should be made in consultation with the
research advisor. Part-time students are encouraged to enroll in only one
course during their first semester and in no more than two courses during any
semester they are also working full-time.
Research
and thesis hours cannot be counted in an MS-SEM degree plan unless a thesis is
written and successfully defended. A supervising committee, which must be
chosen in consultation with the student’s thesis advisor prior to enrolling for
thesis credit, administers the defense. With advisor approval, the lecture
courses may include some 5000 level courses. Full-time students at UTD who receive
financial assistance are required to enroll in 9 semester credit hours during
the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters.
Either
Option
In
either option, students must earn a grade of B- or better in each of four core
courses, two of which must be selected from the following engineering courses
and two of which must be selected from the following management courses.
Required Courses
Students
are required to take four courses (a total of 12 credit hours) from a set of eight
courses in the list below. Two of the
courses must be from the Engineering Core section and two from the Management Core
section. The four required courses contribute a total of 12 credit hours toward
the MS degree.
ENGINEERING
CORE COURSES:
SYSM
6301 Systems Engineering, Architecture and Design
SYSM 6302 Dynamics of Complex Networks and Systems
SYSM 6303 Quantitative Introduction to Risk and Uncertainty in Business
SYSM 6304 Risk and Decision Analysis
MANAGEMENT CORE COURSES:
SYSM 6311
Systems Project Management
SYSM 6312 Systems Financial Management
SYSM 6313 Negotiating Deals & Resolving Conflict Within the Organization
SYSM 6314 Manufacturing & Service Systems Planning & Analysis
Prescribed Elective
Courses
These consist of an additional four courses (a total of
12 credit hours) from the set of eight core courses listed above and/or the set
of courses listed below. Two of these courses must be chosen from the two
Engineering sections (core and elective), and two from the two Management
sections. Because a program objective is to maintain a high degree of
flexibility, students are encouraged to work with a SEM program advisor to
discuss possible (limited) exceptions and substitutions for the prescribed
courses
ENGINEERING ELECTIVE COURSES
SYSM 6305
Dynamic Systems Optimization
SYSM 6306 Engineering Systems: Modeling & Simulation
SYSM 6307 Linear Systems
SYSM 6308 Software Maintenance, Evolution & Re-Engineering
SYSM 6309 Advanced Requirements Engineering
SYSM 6310 Software Testing, Validation and Verification
MANAGEMENT ELECTIVE COURSES
SYSM 6315 The Entrepreneurial Experience
SYSM 6316 Innovation Within the Corporation
SYSM 6317 Management of High-Technology Products
SYSM
6318 Marketing Management and Marketing Systems Analysis
SYSM 6319 Business
Economics
SYSM 6320
Strategic Leadership
Free Elective Courses
Working
with a SEM program advisor, students take four additional and distinct courses from
either the remaining 12 courses from the lists above that have not already been
taken as required courses or prescribed elective courses, or from other courses
offered in management or engineering that form a “concentration” or
“specialization” in specific industry sectors.
Areas of Research
The faculty in Systems Engineering and Management conduct
research in control systems, systems optimization,
supply chain management, entrepreneurship and innovation, and several other
areas.
Interdisciplinary Opportunities
In
keeping with the established tradition of research at UT Dallas, the Systems
Engineering and Management Program encourages students to interact with
researchers in other strong programs, including computer science, electrical
engineering, mechanical engineering, bioengineering, computer engineering, operations
management, finance, marketing, innovation and entrepreneurship,
and business management.