Four new courses, which will be delivered by MIT Professional Education via the edX platform, will marry the research and knowledge of MIT’s world-renowned faculty with lessons and case studies from Boeing and NASA professionals. (Image courtesy of MIT.)
A new online, certificate-based program in systems engineering will soon be available to professional engineers looking to enhance their training.
MIT has collaborated with Boeing and NASA to develop a four-part online certificate program entitled “Architecture and Systems Engineering: Models and Methods to Manage Complex Systems.”
The four courses of the program will be offered by MIT Professional Education through the edX online education platform. The program consists of research and knowledge offered by MIT faculty, as well as lessons and case studies from Boeing and NASA professionals.
Engineering professionals enrolled in the course will learn about the latest practices for model-based systems engineering, such as how models can enhance system engineering functions and how systems engineering tasks can be augmented with quantitative analysis.
The program focuses on modern complex systems and covers a variety of topics, from hybrid cars to aircraft. Participants will learn how to frame system architecture as a series of decisions that can be actively sorted and managed.
“Engineering practice is changing rapidly in tandem with the growth of software, driving incredible capability changes, but also causing enormous challenges managing complex development programs,” said Bruce Cameron, director of the System Architecture Lab at MIT and the program.
Courses will include guest lectures and examples contributed by Boeing and NASA. The four courses will cover topics in the following areas:
Architecture of Complex Systems
- Modern challenges, complex systems
- Systems thinking and system architecture
- Function, value as benefit at cost
- Engineering change analysis, implication for architecture
Models in Engineering
- Modeling and decision making
- Types of models used in engineering
- Model dynamics: parametrics, physics, estimation
- Optimization and output
Model-Based Systems Engineering in OPM and SysML
- Modeling structure, features, specializations, and instances
- Modeling system function, stakeholders, and operands
- Complexity management in OPM and SysML
- Model lifecycle; assumptions, curation, and end of life
Quantitative Methods in Systems Engineering
- Capturing stakeholder requirements quantitatively
- Building a model from architectural decisions
- Tools for collaborative model building
- Design space exploration
Participants in the program will work on projects, peer critiques and special features such as content commenting and theme tagging. Each course will provide continuing education credits (CEUs) and those who complete all four courses will earn a professional certificate from MIT.
Bruce Cameron announced the Architecture and Systems Engineering online program at the International Council on Systems. (Image courtesy of MIT Office of Digital Learning.)
The online program is the first manifestation of the Space Act Agreement signed by NASA and Boeing last year, which aims to support education for a STEM-capable workforce.
“This represents NASA’s initial steps in the realization of a digital transformation of learning and workforce development within the agency,” said Charlie Camarda, senior advisor for engineering development at NASA's Langley Research Center.
Anant Agarwal, edX CEO and a professor at MIT, added "The edX platform will provide an interactive, flexible learning experience for engineers around the world to gain technical expertise from leaders at MIT, Boeing, and NASA. We are honored to be part of this innovative collaboration between industry, government, and academia to offer professional education to a global audience."
The course is scheduled to launch in the summer of 2016. For more information and for program updates, check out the program’s website.