In dealing with the various phases of the system life cycle, the systems engineer's perspective is different from that of a product engineer or technology developer. Whereas the product engineer deals with system internals, the systems engineer also addresses the external view of the system through the system's interface to other systems, users, and managers. Our educational program reflects the systems engineer's unique perspective on the system life cycle. The core systems engineering curriculum provides a basic methodological foundation. A senior design project provides hands-on experience applying the methodological tools.
Students gain technical depth by selecting a concentration track.
Concentration areas include information systems engineering, decision support systems engineering, digital systems engineering, systems and control engineering, communication systems, mathematical systems, and engineering science. With the help of their adviser, students may also construct their own concentration areas. For systems engineering majors, the university's writing-intensive requirement is satisfied by the successful completion of SYST 490 and 495. B.S. Degree in Urban Systems Engineering Urban systems engineering is the study of land, transportation, water, energy, and telecommunications systems from a civil engineering perspective as well as from social, political, economic, and environmental perspectives. The focus is on how these systems are conceived, developed, designed, built, operated, maintained, and renewed in a complex urban setting such as the Washington metropolitan area.