Oct 06, 2024  
2024-2025 Florida Tech Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Florida Tech Catalog

Systems Engineering, M.S.


Major Code: 8097 Degree Awarded: Master of Science
Delivery Mode(s): Classroom Admission Status: Graduate
Admission Materials: Letters of recommendation, statement of objectives, résumé/CV, transcripts Location(s): Main campus - Melbourne

The Master of Science in Systems Engineering meets the professional needs of engineers who are looking to advance within the technical leadership of engineering organizations. Today’s highly complex, highly interoperative engineered systems require full life-cycle oversight to properly address the challenges of developing and integrating such systems within a global marketplace. The program prepares engineers to further their technical careers by meeting these system design and integration challenges, emphasizing the development of a high-level, interdisciplinary mindset toward system development.

Admission Requirements

An applicant for admission should have a bachelor’s degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program, though applicants with bachelor’s degrees in physical sciences, computer science or mathematics will also be considered. Applicants must submit letters of recommendation, a statement of objectives, a résumé/CV and transcripts. 

International applicants for whom English is not their primary language must submit internet-based TOEFL scores of 79 or higher.

General admission requirements and the process of applying are presented under Graduate Academic Information .

Degree Requirements

The program requires a minimum of 30 semester credit hours. Students without adequate undergraduate courses in linear and matrix algebra, calculus, probability theory and/or statistics will be required to make up these deficiencies. Courses taken to satisfy these deficiencies or any other admission prerequisites cannot be counted toward the degree requirements. Thesis students must earn at least 6 semester credit hours of SYS 5999 Thesis Research in Systems Engineering . More credit hours may be necessary to satisfactorily complete the thesis requirement, but only 6 may be counted toward the degree requirement.

Nonthesis students have the option to complete SYS 5380 Systems Engineering Design Project , in which students formulate and solve an industry problem and submit a project system design paper. ln so doing, SYS 5380  satisfies the final program examination requirement in the program. If nonthesis students choose not to take SYS 5380, they must instead choose an elective from the department’s list of acceptable technical electives and pass a final program examination. For nonthesis students, the capstone design project option or the final program examination must be completed during the student’s final semester before graduation.

General degree requirements are presented under Graduate Academic Information .

Curriculum


The master of science degree program consists of required core courses and electives as outlined below. Students who are newly admitted to the program must submit a program plan of study and have that program plan approved by their designated advisor and department head before registering for any course to be applied toward graduation requirements. Students must not register for any courses not on their approved program plan without the approval of their advisor and department head.

Students pursuing this degree as a second or subsequent graduate degree must complete the change of major process and new program plan at least two semesters before graduation and no later than four weeks after starting the program. Only graduate courses in engineering, physical sciences, computer science or mathematics may be counted as transfer credit from the first graduate degree program.

There are five required core courses as listed below. Nonthesis students must either take an additional four elective courses plus the capstone design project course or take an additional five elective courses and a final program examination. Thesis students substitute 6 semester credit hours of thesis for two elective courses and are not required to take the capstone design project course or final program examination. 

Electives


A comprehensive list of elective courses is maintained by the department and is available on the department’s website. Students must choose the appropriate number of courses from this list (five for nonthesis students who do not take SYS 5380 Systems Engineering Design Project , four for nonthesis students who complete SYS 5380 , three for thesis students) to meet the elective requirement. 

Spacecraft Systems


This interdisciplinary area of emphasis includes electrical and systems engineering, offering a unique opportunity to learn advanced collaborative system design to meet most aerospace industry needs. The curriculum requirements are separated into two parts as follows:

  • All courses from the core curriculum list credit hours: 21
  • Approved electives (may include 6 credit hours of thesis) credit hours: 9

Total Credits Required: 30