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Description: “This program addresses systems engineering concepts in industries like healthcare, cybersecurity, and organizations working in developing countries. We provide students with a basis to lead in an ever changing complex world. Stevens is a leader in complex systems engineering concepts. They bring technical expertise to the program, while Georgetown brings its expertise in public policy, leadership, business, law, and management. Our goal is to make systems engineering concepts accessible to non-engineers as well as students with a technical backgrounds,” - Dean Beverly Magda, Ph.D. Where is it: Washington, DC Format: On-Campus Degree you get: Master of Professional Studies in Systems Engineering Management Size of the Program: ~25 Students Number of credit hours: 30 credit hours (10 Classes) Thesis: No And that will take how long? ~2 years When to apply: Anytime Fees: $40,000 - $45,000 Prerequisite: Engineering, science, or arts Degree Minimum Admission Requirements:
Not Required
Who should take it?
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Georgetown University, long renowned for public policy and management degrees, now has a systems engineering Master’s program. Although it includes technical courses, the Masters in Systems Engineering Management promises to focus on the management and administration skills needed to develop and run complex systems.
To make up for Georgetown’s engineering gap, the school has partnered with Stevens Institute of Technology to supply the technical instructors.
About the Masters of Systems Engineering Management
Georgetown University’s Associate Dean Beverly Magda, PhD.
Associate Dean Beverly Magda, Ph.D. said, “The collaboration between Stevens and Georgetown makes our program unique. Stevens is a leader in systems engineering programs. They bring the technical expertise and a history of developing engineering leaders. Georgetown is better known for our public policy, leadership, business, law, and management programs. The systems engineering management program is a combination of the best of both of these schools.”
Dean Magda noted that this program isn’t just for engineers. It’s also for people who want to learn how to think about complex systems as a whole, “We are bringing systems engineering concepts to those outside the traditional engineering space, while still retaining the complexity required to make it useful for those in engineering fields. The program takes systems thinking concepts to projects like healthcare, cybersecurity, and work in developing countries.”Who are the Masters of Engineering students at Georgetown?
The program has attracted people from all walks of life. For instance, people in finance might certainly be interested in large systems. Additionally, people working on government policy like the affordable care act or foreign aid can benefit from big scale thinking.
“System engineering is traditionally used by those working in aerospace and defense industries. But getting others to think about the systems engineering lifecycle, the big picture and how small changes affect the whole project, is very useful,” remarked Dr. Magda.
This approach has given this relatively new program a wide demographic. Magda clarified, “Most of our students tend to be in their mid to late 20’s and they tend to be the engineers that want to learn a management skill set. However, others with no background in engineering see the benefit of being more technical. They want to understand how complex systems affect their industries. They see that in order to advance, they need that master’s degree.”
“We are looking for students who are committed to the program. They should know where they want to go and what they want to use systems engineering for,” Dean Magda stated. She offered a personal connection, “If you aren’t sure if systems engineering can help your projects then I am happy to have a conversation with you and see if you are a good fit for the program.”
The benefits of the Georgetown Systems Engineering Management program
One might ask, ‘why not just go to Stevens or take their distance education programs?’
One answer lies in Georgetown’s government and industry connections. Big names like Todd Park (USA’s CTO), Eugene Kaspersky (CEO Kaspersky Lab), and Vivek Kundra (USA’s first CIO) have all come in to speak to an intimate class of 25-30 students at Georgetown. The school even has high profile faculty members like Lisa Schlosser, deputy CIO for the United States.
“We love our guest speakers,” boasted Magda. “We’re lucky that Georgetown University is in Washington D.C and we have a lot of high profile speakers passing through. If we know they are going to be around, we can reach out to them to speak to a class.”
“A lot of our classes are very hands on and interactive with real-life scenarios. You are not just coming in for a 2-3 hour lecture. You are coming into a classroom where you are expected to participate. Our students come in with a lot of their own experience, and that makes the classes very engaging,” she added.
Another benefit of the program is their connection to SERC (the Systems Engineering Research Center). The center was established by the Department of Defense (DoD) for Universities around the USA to help solve problems for the DoD using systems engineering approaches. Students at Georgetown will be able to work on these projects, work with the SERC and faculty, and participate in their meetings, providing experience and networking within the school environment.Finally, as this is a new and unique program, Georgetown is offering students a tuition reduction for fall 2014, spring 2015 and summer 2015 semesters. Those students interested in taking this novel program will have some of the financial risks mitigated.
Format of the Master of Systems Engineering Management Program
Similar to Georgetown’s technology management program, the systems engineering management program will start out on-campus only. However, the technology management program did spin-off an online version so there is potential for an online systems engineering management program in the future.
To make the classes more convenient for working professionals, they are offered in the evening. Lectures are also recorded using Echo360 and posted online on Blackboard in case a student misses a class or two.
“Because there is a lot of group work, many of our students want those on-campus interactions,” said Dean Magda. “They want that Georgetown experience of networking between the students, faculty and high profile guest speakers. Students are expected to participate and attend class and not rely on the recorded lectures.”
Commenting on the curriculum, Magda explained, “It’s a lot of hard work and it’s typical for our students to be continuing education students. Many of them are working full time while pursuing their master’s degree. Some students may have been out of the classroom for many years before entering our programs. I suggest they take it just one class until they can get a feel for what the workload will be like when balanced with their jobs and other obligations.
Why wouldn’t you get a Masters in Systems Engineering Management from Georgetown University?
- You want a degree from a University better known for engineering
- You want the time management freedom of online learning
Georgetown University has sponsored promotion of their Master of Professional Studies in Systems Engineering Management on ENGINEERING.com. They have no editorial input to this post - all opinions are mine. Shawn Wasserman