Return to: School of Graduate Engineering and Applied Science: Degree Programs
Overview
The Systems Engineering (SE) Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is an advanced graduate degree built of three components:
- Coursework and teaching to gain fundamental and advanced knowledge, as both student and graduate teaching assistant (GTA).
- Research conducted in a collaborative environment leading to a doctoral dissertation 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 Ph.D.
All candidates are evaluated by one or more research subgroups. Some students are admitted directly into a specific research group with a specific advisor. Other candidates are admitted into a subgroup and are then connected with an advisor during the first year.
Program Requirements
A candidate for the Ph.D. in SE must fulfill School of Engineering and Applied Science Ph.D. degree requirements (see “Ph.D. Milestone Requirements” on the School of Engineering and Applied Science - Academic Rules page of the Record), along with the coursework, plan of study, and professional development requirements described below.
Coursework
The Ph.D. in SE involves relevant coursework to help students access foundational knowledge in their discipline while striking a balance between depth and breadth. It requires at least seventy-two (72) credit hours of graduate-level work, of which twenty-four (24) credits must be graded coursework beyond the B.S. degree. Students that enter the Ph.D. program with a STEM master’s degree must take at least six (6) credits of graded graduate-level course work in the department. If students earned an M.E. or M.S. degree in SE at UVA, they are not required to take additional courses.
Plan of Study: The plan of study must include at least seventy-two (72) 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.
- Fifteen (15) credit hours of graded, graduate-level SYS or other graduate courses relevant to the student’s field of study (graduate-level 6000 and above).
- At least thirty-three (33) credit hours of Dissertation SYS 9999. The research is performed under the direction of the faculty advisor and the advisory committee and is documented in a written dissertation.
- Fifteen (15) credit hours of electives distributed thusly:
- Additional credit hours of Dissertation SYS 9999.
- Additional graded, graduate-level courses relevant to the student’s field of study.
- No more than three (3) credit hours of Independent Study SYS 6993 or SYS 7993.
- No more than three (3) credit hours at the 5000-level from the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
- Two (2) semesters of SYS 7096 Systems Engineering Colloquium (required) in the first academic year (1 zero-credit hour per semester).
Special Circumstances
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.
Professional Development
The following professional training requirements help students prepare for the full spectrum of career choices:
- Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA): Students typically serve as a GTA over the course of their MS or PhD. GTAs will enroll for three credits (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory, or S/U, basis) of SYS 6097 or SYS 9997 in a section corresponding to their supervising instructor. Receipt of one or more U grades for graduate instruction may endanger a student’s eligibility to serve as a GTA in future semesters. Information about the Engineering School’s language-skills requirements for international students serving as GTAs can be found on the Center for American English Language & Culture’s Assessment’s website.
- Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA): Students will serve as a GRA as a component of their Ph.D. GRAs will enroll for three to twelve credits (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory, or S/U, basis) of SYS 9999 in a section corresponding to their faculty advisor. GRAs conduct academically significant research related to their academic program and their development as future researchers, with a minimum of supervision, under the guidance of a faculty member. Receipt of one or more U grades for graduate research may endanger a student’s eligibility to receive graduate funding in future semesters.
- Research Dissemination: Students will disseminate their research via journal and conference papers. Before scheduling the final defense, students must have at least one (1) first- authored paper with their research advisor published or accepted by a journal or peer-reviewed conference paper approved by their advisory committee.
- Seminars and Defenses: The department is committed to providing members of our community with the opportunity to learn from a wide range of scholars and practicing engineers through seminars. These seminars are organized as (a) our weekly Graduate Colloquium and (b) Distinguished Speakers invited by our faculty on an ad-hoc basis. As an essential component of graduate education, Ph.D. students should register for at least two semesters of SYS 7096. Students are expected to attend and participate actively in scheduled the department and UVA seminars, and student thesis/dissertation defenses.
Information about the dissertation, committee composition, milestones, and administrative forms can be found on the Doctor of Philosophy 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.
