Return to: School of Graduate Engineering and Applied Science: Degree Programs
Overview
The Systems Engineering (SE) Master of Science (M.S.) is built of three components:
- Coursework to gain fundamental and advanced knowledge.
- Research conducted in a collaborative environment leading to a thesis and scholarly papers.
- Engagement in UVA’s intellectual life.
Admissions Criteria
We accept applications from candidates with degrees from all engineering and some affiliated backgrounds. In some cases, candidates who do not have engineering or similar credentials will be offered conditional admission, which will require them to take selected undergraduate coursework in addition to the coursework required for their M.S.
All candidates are evaluated by one or more research subgroups and are admitted directly into a specific research group with a specific advisor.
Training and Engagement
M.S. students are expected to be good citizens of the department by engaging in required training activities and participating in departmental activities (e.g., symposiums, workshops, social events).
Program Requirements
A candidate for the M.S. in SE must fulfill the School of Engineering and Applied Science M.S. degree requirements (see “M.S. Milestone Requirements” on the School of Engineering and Applied Science - Academic Rules page of the Record), along with the following specific requirements:
- Coursework: The M.S. in SE requires twenty-four (24) credits of graded coursework and six (6) credits of research beyond the B.S. program and two (2) semesters of Systems Engineering Colloquium (SYS 7096).
- Plan of Study: The plan of study must include at least thirty (30) credit hours of graduate-level work, be approved by the student’s graduate advisor and SE graduate program director, and satisfy the following requirements:
- Nine (9) credit hours of core courses: three (3) credit hours of SYS 6001, plus six (6) credit hours from SYS 6003, SYS 6005, SYS 6007 or SYS 6021.
- At least fifteen (15) credit hours of elective courses distributed thusly:
- At least six (6) credit hours of systems engineering courses at the 6000 or 7000 level. (These credit hours cannot be earned through Independent Study SYS 6993 and SYS 7993; Supervised Project Research SYS 6995 and SYS 8995; Graduate Teaching Instruction SYS 8997 and SYS 9997; Thesis SYS 8999; and Dissertation SYS 9999).
- No more than three (3) credit hours of Independent Study SYS 6993 or SYS 7993.
- No more than three (3) credit hours of Supervised Project Research SYS 8995.
- No more than three (3) credit hours at the 5000-level from the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
- Two (2) courses of Systems Engineering Colloquium (SYS 7096). The student should register for one (1) course in each semester of the first year of study.
- At least six (6) credit hours of Thesis SYS 8999.
Special Circumstances
Prerequisites: The student who does not have the prerequisites (i.e., calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics, computer programming) should take articulation courses. These courses cannot be used to satisfy the degree requirements.
Equivalent Courses: The student who, prior to enrolling in our graduate program, has already taken a course equivalent to a core course may petition the graduate programs director for the substitution of the core course by an elective course.
Information about the thesis, committee composition, and administrative forms can be found on the Master of Science in Systems Engineering webpage.
Students should consult “Transfer Credit” and “Time Limit” in the School of Engineering and Applied Science—Academic Rules section of the Record for policies that govern transferring credits and limits on the time that may be taken to earn a degree.
