Systems Engineering and Engineering Management

Systems Engineering, M.S., with an Option for a Technical Focus

The LMU Systems Engineering (SE) programs are graduate-only programs characterized by excellence in SE that prepare graduates to address and ethically solve some of the most complex problems facing society. The programs include an MS in Systems Engineering, with an option for a technical focus in one of the engineering disciplines (aeronautics and space systems; civil engineering; cybersecurity; electrical engineering; engineering management; mechanical engineering; software architecture).

Modern technological programs are characterized by high complexity, multidisciplinary considerations, and strong interactions between science, technology, business, and human civilization. Systems Engineering is the body of knowledge evolved to effectively manage such systems. Our program offers study options and technical focus areas that allow students to customize the program to meet their needs.

Schedule

Most engineering courses are offered on the LMU Westchester campus and typically meet in the evenings (online/hybrid courses are identified individually). Usually courses meet one evening per week for three hours except during the summer terms when each course meets two evenings per week for 3.5 hours each.

Registering for courses is the student’s responsibility. A student is expected to make reasonable progress toward the degrees to remain in good standing at the University. A full-time course load is considered to be two courses in Fall and Spring semesters.

Program Educational Objectives

The Systems Engineering graduate program has established the following program educational objectives. Graduates of the program will:

Apply the fundamental principles of systems engineering to complex problems
Become leaders of innovative technology projects and businesses
Develop multidisciplinary skills to architect, design, and manage complex systems throughout their life cycle
Apply principles of project management and lean engineering to improve operational efficiency
Develop technical skills to model, analyze, and design integrated engineering systems

Admission Requirements

Application to Graduate Admission and a $50 application fee. To apply online, visit http://graduate.lmu.edu.
Transcript documenting B.S. in engineering or B.A. in Program Management or equivalent degree (GPA of 3.0 or better) from an accredited university program
If the applicant’s GPA is below 3.0, also submit two letters of recommendation from past professors or current employer.
Two years’ work experience is preferred.
Brief personal statement discussing how the graduate program fits the applicant’s career goals
The undergraduate education of all applicants, regardless of their previous degrees, should include the following subject areas:
College-level differential and integral calculus
Physics (mechanics and electromagnetics)
Computer programming experience
Statistics
These courses need not be taken at Loyola Marymount University. However, the student should make certain that courses taken elsewhere satisfy the above requirements. Applicants who do not have adequate background might be required to take additional undergraduate courses.
Transfer Credit: Students may transfer six (6) semester hours for courses completed at another regionally accredited college or university. Credits to be transferred must be taken prior to admission. Each transferred course grade must be at least B (3.0), and the course must not have been used to satisfy degree requirements at another college or university.

Graduation Requirements

The overall minimum GPA required for graduation is 3.0. Students who receive a grade of less than “B” in any 500-level course or a grade of less than “C” in any 600-level course will not have the course count toward their degree.
The requirement for the M.S. in Systems Engineering degree is 10 courses (30 semester hourscredits), as follows:
Completion of three of the following core Systems Engineering courses (9 semester hours):

SYEG 500 Systems Engineering 3 semester hours (required)
SYEG 540 Systems Thinking: Major Tech Changes/Impacts 3 semester hours
SYEG 650 Systems Architecture I 3 semester hours
SYEG 600 Advanced Systems Engineering and Program Management 3 semester hours

SYEG 640 Systems Architecture II: Model Based Systems Engineering 3 semester hours
SYEG 668 Systems Engineering Modeling and Analysis 3 semester hours
Selected courses from the technical focus areas:

SYEG 551 Software Architecture 3 semester hours
SYEG 554 Engineering for Autonomy 3 semester hours

SYEG 557 Agile Development and Project Management 3 semester hours
SYEG 562 Secure Software Development 3 semester hours
SYEG 570 Spacecraft Design 3 semester hours
SYEG 572 Spacecraft Communications and Radar 3 semester hours
SYEG 584 Occupy Mars; Explorations in Space Travel and Colonization 3 semester hours

SYEG 586 Launch Vehicle Technology and Design Evolution, SYEG 560 Cyber Security 3 semester hours

SYEG 6998 Independent Studies 3 semester hours
SYEG 699 Independent Studies 3 semester hours
Completion of three of the following core Engineering Project Management courses (9 semester hours):
SYEG 510 Project Management 3 semester hours (required)
SYEG 520 Engineering Leadership and Integrity 3 semester hours
SYEG 530 Lean Engineering and Management 3 semester hours
SYEG 557 Agile Development and Project Management 3 semester hours
SYEG 576 Business Law for Engineers 3 semester hours
SYEG 577 Engineering Economics and Finance 3 semester hours
SYEG 600 Advanced Systems Engineering and Program Management 3 semester hours
SYEG 620 Manufacturing Processes and Quality Systems 3 semester hours
SYEG 560 Cyber Security 3 semester hours
SYEG 673 New Product Design and Development 3 semester hours
SYEG 679 Startup Entrepreneurship and Managing Engineering Innovation 3 semester hours
Completion of three technical electives, depending on the technical focus area, to be selected from the following (9 semester hours):
Systems Engineering: Three SYEG 500 and 600 level courses (9 semester hours)
Electrical Engineering: Three EECE 500 or 600 level courses (9 semester hours)
Mechanical Engineering: Three MECH 500 or 600 level courses (9 semester hours)
Civil Engineering: Three CIVL 500 and 600 level courses (9 semester hours)
Cybersecurity: Three cybersecurity courses from the following (9 semester hours)
(SYEG 662 Secure Software Development 3 semester hours
, SYEG 563 Case Studies in Cyber Defense 3 semester hours
Software Architecture (9 semester hours): Three Software Architecture courses (
SYEG 651 Software Architecture 3 semester hours
, SYEG 554 Engineering for Autonomy 3 semester hours
, SYEG 557 Agile Development and Project Management 3 semester hours)
Aeronautics and Space Systems: Three Aeronautics/Space Systems courses from the following (9 semester hours) (
SYEG 570 Spacecraft Design 3 semester hours
, SYEG 572 Spacecraft Communications and Radar 3 semester hours
, SYEG 584 Occupy Mars; Explorations in Space Travel and Colonization 3 semester hours
, SYEG 586 Launch Vehicle Technology and Design Evolution 3 semester hours
, MECH 544 Propulsion 3 semester hours)
Engineering Management: Three “Business of Engineering” or MBA courses from the following (9 semester hours) (
SYEG 520 Engineering Leadership and Integrity 3 semester hours
, SYEG 530 Lean Engineering and Management 3 semester hours
, SYEG 577 Engineering Economics and Finance 3 semester hours
, SYEG 620 Manufacturing Processes and Quality Systems 3 semester hours
, SYEG 679 Startup Entrepreneurship and Managing Engineering Innovation 3 semester hours; up to three
cCoourses from the Business Analytics or MBA programs with the designation BSAN, MBAA, MBAD, MBAE, MBAF, MBAG, MBAH, MBAP with concurrence from the program director of the Business Analytics and/or MBA programs, and if prerequisites are satisfied)
Capstone Project/Integrative Project Thesis (3 units):
SYEG 695 Preparation for Capstone Project 0 semester hours
SYEG 696 Systems Engineering Integrative Project/Thesis 3 semester hours
Note: Electives are scheduled only if a sufficient number of students sign up. With the approval of the Director, the above curriculum can be adjusted to meet the student’s individual educational needs. Taking three technical electives allows the student to graduate with an M.S. in Systems Engineering with a technical focus in that area. The student must apply for the M.S. in Systems Engineering with their desired technical focus area when they apply to the M.S. in Systems Engineering program, or apply for a program transfer after they have started the program.

Note: The Systems Engineering Integrative Project is typically the last course taken in the program. It is designed to demonstrate the student’s knowledge of all the systems engineering and systems management principles and lean engineering addressed in the prerequisite courses. The course is typically completed in one semester. SYEG 695 should be taken the semester prior to taking SYEG 696. It is unlikely that the project can be completed in one or two summer sessions due to the shortened schedule.

Master’s Thesis Option
Preparation of a Master’s Thesis is optional and can fulfill up to a maximum of 6 semester hours of elective course requirements. The student electing the thesis option must obtain a thesis advisor before Departmental consent will be considered, and the thesis must conform to the Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering requirements. The thesis and associated work is intended to advance the state of knowledge in the thesis subject not “rehash” previous work by others or a serve as a “literature search.” The thesis ideally will form the basis for a paper or article, produced by a student, which would be submitted and hopefully published in a peer-reviewed journal or presented at a professional organization’s conference. A thesis is completed after being successfully defended to the thesis committee. With direction from the Graduate Director, a thesis committee will be formed. The thesis committee consists of the student’s thesis advisor, a full-time faculty member from the student’s department, and a third member from other than the student’s department.

Combined B.S./M.S. in Systems Engineering Program

This program is designed for LMU students to receive a combined B.S. and M.S. degree by continuing their studies in LMU’s Masters programs immediately following their B.S. degree. The program allows students to complete the M.S. program in Systems Engineering in one year after completion of the B.S. program.

Only LMU students in Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics with senior standing and a GPA of at least 3.0 are eligible to apply. The deadline for application is the end of Fall semester of senior year. Students can enter this program any term immediately following completion of their undergraduate degree requirements.

Admission Requirements

Application to Graduate Admission and a $50 application fee. To apply online, visit http://graduate.lmu.edu.
GPA of at least 3.0

Brief personal statement discussing how the graduate program fits the applicant’s career goals

Graduation Requirements

The candidate for the combined B.S./M.S.E. degree must satisfy the following requirements (30 semester hours):

One Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering 500-level course (3 semester hours) taken as an undergraduate may count toward the M.S. degree. This course can be double counted for the B.S. degree and the M.S. degree. The student is required to complete 27 additional semester hours after earning the B.S. degree.

In addition, for an admitted student, an extra Seaver College 500-level course (3 semester hours) may be taken in their senior year that counts towards the M.S. degree and not the B.S. degree. This potentially reduces the total number of additional semester hours after earning the B.S. degree to 24.

The remaining coursework required must be consistent with the graduation requirements for the M.S. in Systems Engineering program.

Dual M.S. in Systems Engineering/Masters of Business Administration

The mission of the Dual Degree MS in Systems Engineering/MBA program is to educate working engineers and scientists in the engineering and business disciplines that will make them leaders of highly complex technical endeavors within their sponsoring organizations.

The dual degree MS/MBA program confers two degrees upon its graduates: an MBA and an MS in Systems Engineering. Taking the dual degree program saves the student several courses compared to the two programs taken separately. Students may obtain either an MS in Systems Engineering or an MBA degree as a stand-alone by fulfilling the individual degree requirements.

The dual-degree program is designed to be completed in approximately three years. Typically, systems-engineering classes are completed first, followed by taking the required classes in the MBA program.

Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) and Learning Outcomes (LOs)

The PEOs of the MS degree and the LOs of the MBA degree are the same as those of the stand-alone degrees.

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission should apply first to the Systems Engineering, M.S., with an Option for a Technical Focus. After completing 12 semester hours of systems-engineering courses with a GPA of 3.0, students can apply to the dual degree MS/MBA program. Students who are granted admission may begin enrolling in MBA courses upon approval from their respective program director.

Graduation Requirements

Students enrolled in the dual-degree MSE/MBA program are jointly advised by the program directors of the MS in Systems Engineering and MBA programs. It is recommended that incoming students take a full course load of systems-engineering courses the first year and begin the MBA curriculum in year two. Additional systems-engineering courses can be completed in year three.

Students need to complete 36 units of MBA courses (i.e., MBA curriculum without emphasis/specialization) and 24 credit hours of systems-engineering courses (i.e., MS in Systems Engineering curriculum without 6 units of elective courses) with a cumulative grade point average of at least B (3.0). Therefore, students need to complete a total of 60 credit hours to graduate. 15 credit hours of systems-engineering courses will be used to satisfy the emphasis/concentration requirement of the MBA degree. 6 credit-hours of MBA courses will be used to satisfy elective requirements of the MSE degree. Of the systems-engineering coursework, courses at the 500-level must be completed with a grade of B (3.0) or better, and courses at the 600-level must be completed with a grade of C (2.0) or better.

When the course requirements outlined above are completed, the student will be awarded both the MBA degree and the MS degree in Systems Engineering.

Programs

Certificate

Masters

Systems Engineering, M.S., with an Option for a Technical Focus