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  1. Home
  2. Academics
  3. Master's Degrees

Master of Engineering in Systems Engineering

Note: Applications are not being accepted for fall 2023

We know there’s a lot to consider when getting a graduate degree. That’s why we designed our Master of Engineering in Systems Engineering degree for today’s professional—to fit the needs of busy working adults who are balancing career and life. Our seven-week courses are either fully online or an online/in-person hybrid, combining the personal connection with instructors, networking opportunities, and intimate classroom setting of in-person education with the flexibility of online learning.

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The program is accessible to engineering professionals who wish to pursue advanced studies and is designed to address industry challenges like increasing mission complexity, increasing development cost, late discovery of design problems, and failure to recognize and deal with risk. Students complete the program prepared to advance in their career through a curriculum designed to provide them with the tools, experiences, and support necessary to attain programmatic or technical leadership roles in systems engineering or the management of complex systems.

Best online programs U.S. News & World Report Grad Engineering 2023

In U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 "Best Online Programs," Penn State Great Valley is ranked:

  • #3 in master’s in engineering programs
  • #10 (tie) in master’s in computer information technology programs

In U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 "Best Online Programs for Veterans," Penn State Great Valley is ranked:

  • #1 in master’s in engineering

Online and Hybrid Format

  • Classes are offered in a seven-week format and are both hybrid and fully online.
    • Each course is designated as either online or hybrid.
  • In-person classes are held once a week in three-hour evening sessions, offering a convenient format for career professionals seeking to enroll on a part-time basis.
    • Students will participate in online course activities throughout the week, which may include class discussion forums, teamwork, and various online learning activities.
  • The online and hybrid class format allows students to participate in a program that suits their lifestyle, while benefiting from a collaborative and engaging experience designed to educate and assist students in their career.
  • Students interact face-to-face with professors, developing personal, mentoring relationships, while also enjoying virtual classes that are accessible from anywhere.
  • Our students are business professionals and managers in both the private and public sectors. We value professional and leadership experience as well as academic achievement in the classroom.

Program Highlights

The purpose of the program is to prepare engineers to develop the next generation of engineering products, systems, and services for industry and government.

  • The program consists of 12 courses (36 credits). Click here for curriculum information.
  • The addition of new core courses captures advances in the systems engineering discipline and imparts knowledge that is critical for today’s system engineers.
  • This interdisciplinary degree involves the identification, modeling, analysis, architecture, integration, and management of complex systems and processes.
  • Using real-world activities, students will learn to apply a systems thinking approach to complex projects and develop efficient systems at each stage of the project cycle.
  • Contemporary methods, tools for integrated models, system architecture, and simulations are an integral part of the curriculum’s multi-level system analysis.
  • All courses are taught by our distinguished Penn State faculty, who have significant systems engineering experience in industry and academia.

Students can select one of two options that counts towards their capstone experience:

  • Research paper - Students interested in demonstrating their ability to think and work independently and with faculty to develop new insights in the field of systems engineering. A wide range of topics can be studied in collaboration with the research labs at Great Valley, including the Big Data Lab and the Do-iT Lab. Some recent research topics our graduate students have been working on include exploring the socio-technical aspects of engineering large scale systems and system-of-systems, such as transportation networks, Internet of Things, smart cities and resilience of complex systems, study of cognitive processes and preferences in technical problem solving, and cognitive and behavioral dynamics in design teams.
  • Project – Under the guidance of faculty, students interested in demonstrating their ability to work in small teams apply systems engineering principles and tools to define, architect, and design a heterogeneous engineering system. Some recent projects include preliminary design and architecting of a disaster management system, and preliminary design and architecting of a life support system for Antarctic researchers.

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Master of Engineering in Systems Engineering

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    • First Time Enrollment Fall 2019 and Beyond
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Upcoming events

Apr
6
Thu

General Engineering and Technology Programs Webinar

11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Apr
26
Wed

Virtual Open House

12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
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In the news

Three people standing in front of a wall with the NSF logo. Kathryn Jablokow is in the middle, holding an award.

Engineering professor receives National Science Foundation Director’s Award

A group of graduates standing

Great Valley celebrates graduates at commencement ceremony

More news

See Also

  • Advising
  • Concurrent Degree Program
  • Full-Time Study for Master's Degree Programs
  • Jobs and internships
  • SARI (Scholarship and Research Integrity) Program for Engineering and Technolog…
  • STEM-Designated Programs
Locations of Penn State's campuses throughout Pennsylvania with Penn State Great Valley highlighted

Penn State Great Valley

Offering master's degrees, graduate certificates, professional development programs, corporate training, and conference services conveniently located less than 30 miles from Philadelphia.
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