SIME Degrees and Certificates Overview

The SIME degrees and certificates currently offered by the U include: Undergraduate Certificate in Systems Engineering (UCSE), Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering (GCSE), the Master of Science in Systems Engineering (MSSE) and the Master of Engineering Management. There is also an undergraduate Systems Engineering emphasis that is only available to degree-seeking ME undergraduate students and students interested should speak with their undergraduate advisor.

There are two pathways to take SIME classes at the U.  Students are classified as degree seeking or nonmatriculated.

Degree seeking students have  been admitted to one of the U's graduate or undergraduate programs (MSSE, MEM, BSME or other degree awarding program).

Nonmatriculated students have not been admitted to a degree and are just taking classes.  When a student is admitted to a graduate program, up to 15 hours of nonmatriculated credit can be applied toward that programs graduation requirements.  Thus, half of an MEM or MSSE can be completed as a nonmatriculated student.

The GCSE, MSSE and MEM can be pursued on-campus or through UOnline. At the moment, combining on-campus and UOnline programs is not an option at the U, as students are admitted into only one degree pathway. Hence, students admitted to the online group and wishing to change to the on-campus version must apply to make this change and vice versa.

All SIME classes have multiple sections, which leads to some confusion.  Fundamentally all sections have the same learning outcomes, but the delivery of the course material is different.  Students attending lecture in person on-campus should enroll in sections 001-010.  Occasionally, an on-campus course may be offered entirely online (section 090), and the student need not attend class to learn the material and receive a grade. This type of course is still considered on-campus, even though classroom attendance is never required. As such, tuition is billed according to the on-campus rates.  On-campus online sections 090 are not guaranteed to be offered as a path toward graduation.  The on-campus 001-010 sections have offerings that provide timely graduation.  Students interested in the 090 sections should check the existing course schedules for availability.

Students desiring to watch prerecorded lectures and not attend in person lectures to complete their coursework should apply and enroll as an online student (sections 290).  Online sections are offered with sufficient frequency to guarantee timely graduatation.  In fact, an online student could earn either the MEM or MSSE in a single calendar year.

Occasionally companies reach a contract agreement with the department on educating their employees.  A company employee serves a coordinator or liaison for the program.  The section of the course is not publicized in the schedule and only individuals at the company are allowed to enroll in these sections, which are typically (030-039).  Currently the Department of Mechanical Engineering has such an agreement Northrop Grumman.  If you are an employee of this company, reach out to the Director of Systems Engineering or the Director of Engineering Management to see if you qualify.

It is extremely important that students enroll in the correct sections.  The impact of applying for the incorrect version may represent a significant tuition difference. If an applicant is uncertain about their choice between the on-campus or online options, they should email a program director to discuss the best selection in their application.