Dual M.S. Systems Engineering/Master of Business Administration

Program Details

Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering
Modality: Fully online for Systems Engineering; in-person for MBA
Concentrations: Not Applicable
Semester Hours: 60
Total Years: 3.5

The mission of the Dual Degree M.S. 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.

The dual degree M.S./MBA program confers two degrees upon its graduates: an MBA and an M.S. in Systems Engineering. The dual degree program requires less course work than that of the two separate degrees combined.

The dual-degree program is designed to be completed in approximately three and a half years. Typically, the Systems Engineering classes are completed first, followed by taking the required classes in the MBA program.

Learning Outcomes

For the M.S. Systems Engineering

Graduates will:

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

For the M.B.A.

The program learning outcomes are to create leaders who can:

1. Bring an ethical and diverse perspective to their management of organizations, teams, and individuals through a deep understanding of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and SDG’s (Sustainable Development Goals) and what it means to lead “business for good” and create societal impact.
2. Demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset, through creative approaches to managing change, innovation and opportunities emerging on the business landscape. Leaders with this mindset can pivot and understand the importance of strategic agility.
3. Apply financial savvy and “know-how” to ensure that the business can operate profitably while making a triple bottom-line impact.
4. Build a deep understanding of brand, markets, and customers to analyze and apply principles related to the value chain of product and service development from conception to implementation.
5. Utilize advances in technology and operations to impact organizational effectiveness and manage technological change to ensure value creation in the firm.
6. Develop organizational and interpersonal skill sets and competencies to effectively lead people and organizations.
7. Advance their critical thinking skills and abilities and demonstrate strategic and systems thinking for identifying organizational opportunities and solving business challenges.
8. Demonstrate significant advances in communicating and collaborating with a diverse set of stakeholders within and across organizations and communities in which they do business.
9. Apply a global perspective to understand and manage opportunities and challenges faced by business in a globally connected world.

Admissions

Prospective dual degree students should apply first to the M.S. in Systems Engineering degree program. After receiving admission to the M.S. in Systems Engineering degree program and completing 12 semester hours towards the M.S. degree, students interested in the M.S./MBA Dual Degree program should contact the Director of Academic Affairs, Graduate Business Programs for admission to the MBA portion of the Dual Degree.

Eligibility for the dual degree program is based upon good academic standing (minimum GPA 3.0) in the M.S. in Systems Engineering program and approval from their respective Seaver College academic advisor. Students who plan to apply to the dual-degree program are required to complete all SYEG units (24 units total) before registering for any MBA courses (36 units total). The preferred start term for the MBA portion of the Dual Degree program is the fall term. 

To apply to the M.S. in Systems Engineering degree program, applicants must submit the following:

• A completed Online Application and $50 application fee
• Official Transcripts of all colleges and universities attended
  • If the applicant’s GPA is below 3.0, also submit two letters of recommendation from past professors or current employer.
• A resume demonstrating at least two years of work experience
• A personal statement (1-2 pages), including a discussion how the two degrees fit into applicant’s career development

Additional coursework may be recommended or required as a condition of admission for applicants that do not have sufficient undergraduate background. Coursework required as part of terms of admission may not be waived.

Graduation Requirements

(60 Semester Hours)

Students enrolled in the Dual Degree M.S./MBA Program are jointly advised by their academic advisor for Systems Engineering in Seaver College and the MBA Program Director in the College of Business Administration. It is recommended that incoming students complete the M.S. in the first year and a half of the dual-degree program, then begin the MBA curriculum.

Dual degree students will take a total of 24 semester hours of Systems Engineering courses and 36 semester hours of MBA courses. 6 semester hours of the MBA courses that are taken as part of the MBA coursework will also count toward the M.S. in Systems Engineering. Separately, the M.S. degree requires 30 semester hours and the MBA degree requires 42 semester hours, for a total of 72 semester hours. The Dual Degree program lessens the load by 12 semester hours.

Suggested Curriculum Flowchart

Course List

Code	Title	Semester Hours
Systems Engineering (1.5 years) 1, 2
I. Required Courses
SYEG 500	Systems Engineering	3
SYEG 510	Project Management	3
SYEG 600	Advanced Systems Engineering and Program Management	3
SYEG 640	Model Based Systems Engineering	3
II. SYEG Electives
A selection of three SYEG elective courses on the 500- or 600-level		9
III. Capstone Project
SYEG 695	Preparation for Capstone Project	0
SYEG 696	Graduate Capstone Project	3
Subtotal		24
MBA (2 years) 3
MBAA 6011	Leadership and Organizational Dynamics	3
MBAA 6021	Financial and Managerial Accounting	3
MBAA 6031	Ethics and the Entrepreneurial Mindset	3
MBAA 6041	Marketing Management	3
MBAA 6061	Global Strategic Management	3
MBAA 6071	Corporate Finance	3
MBAA 6081	Business and Performance Analytics	3
MBAA 6091	Technologies in Business Management	3
MBA Electives		12
Subtotal		36
Total Semester Hours		60

¹

For the M.S. portion, (1) 500-level courses taken as an undergraduate may not be repeated for graduate credit; (2) if a 500-level course is cross listed with a 600-level one, graduate students must enroll in the 600-level course; (3) Systems Engineering coursework may only be substituted upon obtaining approval from the Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering Dean's Office.

²

The overall minimum GPA required for the M.S. portion 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.

³

When the degree requirements for dual degree program are completed, the student should submit an application for degree to be awarded both the MBA and the M.S. in Systems Engineering.