Oct 06, 2024  
Undergraduate Record 2010-2011 
    
Undergraduate Record 2010-2011 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

Systems Engineering


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The undergraduate program in Systems Engineering is designed for students interested in bringing people and technologies together to improve the productivity and effectiveness of organizations and address complex, multidimensional problems in society and industry. Students receive exposure to a wide range of topics, including the economic, political, managerial, environmental, and technical aspects of large scale systems design and implementation. Students are provided with diverse opportunities for hands-on experience with real-world situations and problems.

The primary objectives of the Systems Engineering program are to graduate students who will:

  1. Engage in development, implementation, and optimization of systems that include humans, data and information, hardware, software, and natural and technology resources.
  2. Embark on sustainable, productive careers in systems engineering, applied science, and technology management.
  3. Excel in the practices of analytical modeling and integrative systems engineering.
  4. Seek and succeed in lifelong professional education that includes advanced schooling and mentoring.
  5. Contribute to the profession of systems engineering and to human welfare through professional societies, public service, and civic activities.

The Systems Engineering curriculum is more flexible than many traditional engineering programs. In addition to the courses specifically required in the curriculum, students are able to take nine credits of unrestricted electives, nine credits of electives tailored to an application area, and six credits of technical electives.

The curriculum allows students to pursue a specific area of interest within the broad framework of systems engineering. The following areas are available as application sequences: biomedical systems, communication systems, computer and information systems, control systems, economic systems, energy and environmental systems, financial systems, human factors, intelligent transportation systems, management systems, and mathematical systems. Appropriate ROTC courses may be counted as an application sequence in military systems. Additionally, there are opportunities for students with special interests and abilities to design their own unique application sequences.

The program culminates in a capstone design project, spanning both the fall and spring semesters of the fourth year. Students working in small teams under the direction of a faculty advisor are matched with a client from the public or private sector. Each team is assigned an open-ended design problem, and they apply the perspectives, methods, and tools of systems engineering that they learn in the classroom to the resolution of a problem for a client.

A degree in Systems Engineering from UVa confers employability in a wide range of industries, governmental agencies, and non-profits. It offers students a variety of career choices in engineering and management, and also provides excellent pre-med, pre-business, and pre-law preparation. The award-winning program is one of the largest systems engineering programs in the Unites States, and the graduates of the program consistently receive higher salary offers than the national average for other systems programs and other engineering disciplines. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and received the first award of the Board for Curricular Innovation. The program also received the Outstanding Educator Award from the Boeing Company, which recognized the Department of Systems and Information Engineering for its potential to “develop leaders prepared to shape the future.” An award from the U.S. Department of State enables a select group of fourth year Systems Engineering students to study in Brazil with their capstone team for a semester.

Admission to the program is based on space availability, academic performance, and extracurricular activities. Application forms and further information are available in the department office in Olsson 114.

“D” Policy:  Students majoring in Systems Engineering must receive a grade of “C-” or better in all required SYS courses and all required 3000 or higher level APMA courses, and CS 2110 in order to earn the major in Systems Engineering. Furthermore, students must earn a grade of C- or better in all courses required as prerequisites for all SYS courses.

(make the following header bold) 4th Year Standing Policy: Students must have 4th year standing in order to enroll in SYS 4053 and 4054. 4th year standing is defined as follows: Regular policy: must have taken 6 or more classes in the standard SYS curriculum (2001, 2202 and 4 of the following: 3021, 3023, 3034, 3060, or 3062).  Policy for students in the U.S. Brazil program: must have taken 4 or more classes in the standard SYS curriculum (including 2001, 2202, 3021, and 3023).

Transfer students’ policy:  Transfer students from SEAS may petition the SIE undergraduate committee for admission into the Systems Engineering Major. If their petition is denied, they may apply for the major in the spring semester with the incoming second year class.  They may take SYS 2004 in the meantime.  If they are admitted to Systems Engineering and earn a grade of “C-“ or better in all courses required for the SIE major, SYS 2004 will satisfy the SYS 2202 requirement.

Transfer students from within the University (not SEAS) who apply for the systems major will have their applications reviewed in the semester they apply.  If they are admitted, such admission will be probationary for one year.  They may take SYS 2004 in the meantime.  If they earn a grade of “C-“ or better in all courses required for the SIE major during the probationary year, they will be fully admitted to the major, and SYS 2004 will satisfy the SYS 2202 requirement.

Transfer students from other colleges and universities who apply to the Systems Engineering major will be admitted for a one year probationary period.  During this time they will be permitted to take SYS 2202.  If they earn a grade of “C-” or better in all courses required for the SIE major during the probationary year, they will be fully admitted to the major.

Minor


Students who wish to minor in systems engineering must complete APMA 3100 and 3120, and four courses from SYS 2004, 2057, 3021, and 3060 with a cumulative grade point average of 2.000. Students who wish to pursue a minor in systems should complete the necessary courses and then fill out a Minor Declaration Form. The forms may be obtained in the SEAS Undergraduate Office, A122 Thornton.

Systems Engineering Curriculum (128 credits)


Second Semester Credits: 17


  • Science elective I Credits: 3
    (See footnote 1 below)
  • HSS elective Credits: 3
    (See footnote 3)

Third Semester Credits: 17


  • HSS elective Credits: 3
    (See footnote 3 below)

Fourth Semester Credits: 15


  • STS ___ STS 2xxx/3xxx elective Credits: 3
  • Science elective II Credits: 3
    (See footnote 2 below)

Fifth Semester Credits: 16


  • Technical elective Credits: 3
    (See footnote 5 below)
  • HSS elective Credits: 3
    (See footnote 3 below)

Sixth Semester Credits: 16


  • Application elective Credits: 3
    (See footnote 4 below)
  • Unrestricted elective Credits: 3
    (See footnote 6 below)

Seventh Semester Credits: 17


  • Application elective Credits: 3
    (See footnote 4 below)
  • Unrestricted elective Credits: 3
    (See footnote 6 below)

Eighth Semester Credits: 15


  • Technical elective Credits: 3
    (See footnote 5 below)
  • Application elective Credits: 3
    (See footnote 4 below)
  • Unrestricted elective Credits: 3
    (See footnote 6 below)

Footnotes


 

(1)    Chosen from:  BIOL 2010, 2020; CHEM 1520; ECE 2000; MSE 2090; and PHYS 2520.

 

(2)    Chosen from the list if SIE approved science elective II courses, as well as from any 2000 to 4000-level science or mathematics course approved for science majors.

 

(3)    Chosen from the approved list available in the Undergraduate Office, A122 Thornton Hall.

 

Please see the Systems Department website for details on the application sequences.

 

(5)    Chosen from 2000-level (or higher) courses in SEAS, other than STS. SYS 3001 also satisfies this elective

 

(6)    Unrestricted electives may be chosen from any graded course in the University except mathematics courses below MATH 1310, including STAT 1100 and STAT 1120, and courses that substantially duplicate any others offered for the degree, including PHYS 2010, 2020; CS 1010, 1020; or any introductory programming course.  Students in doubt as to what is acceptable to satisfy a degree requirement should get the approval of their advisor and the dean’s office, located in A122 Thornton Hall.  APMA 1090 counts as a three-credit unrestricted elective.

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