Streamlined Admissions Process
A bachelor's degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution (or international equivalent) and a minimum GPA of 2.7 is required. The GRE/GMAT is not required.
We are the engine in engineering
M.S. in Systems Engineering
The M.S. in Systems Engineering program is a 10 course (30 credit) program. This applications-oriented Master's program is designed to help students transition from the role of a Domain-Expert Engineer to a Systems Engineer, and is intended for people who need to design, develop and manage large and complex systems in industry.
Systems Engineering expands the capabilities of engineers by applying proven structured methodologies to broaden perspective and hone problem solving skills. The increased complexity of technologies ranging from medical devices to manufacturing designs to larger systems of networked devices require a systems perspective.
Industrial Engineering is a specialization within systems engineering that focuses on optimizing production systems and manufacturability of new product development, enabling students to explore various aspects of this field. By integrating workers, machines, materials, information, and energy, industrial engineers improve efficiency, enhance productivity, and ensure systems function effectively across diverse industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and transportation.
Students in the M.S. in Systems Engineering program focus their area of study by choosing one of the following tracks: Industrial Engineering or Systems Engineering.
Contact
Dr. Robert Monson
Program Director, M.S. in Systems Engineering
What is a Systems Engineer?
Systems Engineering is a creative human activity in which engineers design and develop complex interconnections of devices, sub-systems, and components to meet human needs.
Systems Engineering activities include:
- Determination of the need
- Developing possible basic conceptual designs
- Determination of what existing devices and systems might meet the need
- Development of the requirements that such a system must meet
- Development of testing and validation procedures
- Development of maintenance, upgrading, and improvement of the system
- Planning effective means for disposal and recycling of components at an appropriate time.
Program Advantages
Industry-focused curriculum
At the request of local industry, the faculty of the School of Engineering at the University of St. Thomas researched, developed, and reviewed the Systems Engineering program to ensure that it would meet the needs of local and regional industries.
Instructors with extensive industry experience
The curriculum is multi-disciplinary and oriented toward industry needs. Faculty with industry experience teach classes based in theory and emphasize applications that are relevant to the regional industries.
Systems Engineering affects people's lives
- “Houston, we’ve had a problem,” finds Apollo 13 astronauts communicating across 200,000 miles to Earth asking for and receiving assistance from NASA's systems engineers.
- A fully loaded airliner is struck by a bolt of lightning, sending billions of watts of electrical energy through the plane, it yet remains in control due to quality systems engineering.
Industry-focused curriculum
At the request of local industry, the faculty of the School of Engineering at the University of St. Thomas researched, developed, and reviewed the Systems Engineering program to ensure that it would meet the needs of local and regional industries.
Instructors with extensive industry experience
The curriculum is multi-disciplinary and oriented toward industry needs. Faculty with industry experience teach classes based in theory and emphasize applications that are relevant to the regional industries.
Systems Engineering affects people's lives
- “Houston, we’ve had a problem,” finds Apollo 13 astronauts communicating across 200,000 miles to Earth asking for and receiving assistance from NASA's systems engineers.
- A fully loaded airliner is struck by a bolt of lightning, sending billions of watts of electrical energy through the plane, it yet remains in control due to quality systems engineering.
Graduate Programs That Work For You
Our evening class schedules allow both industry professionals and career changers to achieve their educational goals. And each class meets just once per week.
Admission Requirements
Convenient Schedule
Our programs serve working professionals with busy lives. You choose how quickly you move through the curriculum. And you may start in any of our three starts: fall, spring or summer.
Coursework and Degree Requirements
To complete the requirements for the M.S. in Systems Engineering, students must successfully complete 10 courses (30 credits) with a minimum GPA of 2.7.
See course descriptions in our course catalog
STEM Approved Program
The Systems Engineering concentration places emphasis on System Design, Verification & Validation, Simulation, and Project Management. Students in this program are required to complete five required core courses, four elective courses and one Engineering project course.
REQUIRED CORE COURSES (5 courses = 15 credits)
- ETLS 507 Introduction to Systems Engineering
- ETLS 508 Systems Design
- ETLS 509 Verification and Validation
- ETLS 601 Program/Project/Team Management
- ETLS 790 Modeling and Simulation
ELECTIVE COURSES (4 courses = 12 credits)
Choose four electives from the course categories list below. (Note that no more than 3 electives can be taken from any single category without prior advisor approval.)
Financial and Accounting Electives
- ETLS 505 Managerial Accounting and Performance Management
- ETLS 661 Engineering Economic Analysis & Prod Control
Human Aspects Electives
- ETLS 671 Human Aspects of Technical Management
Modeling and Simulation Electives
- ETLS 777 Finite Element Analysis
- ETLS 810 Advanced Controls
Software Electives
- SEIS 601 Foundations of Java I
- SEIS 610 Software Engineering (prerequisites: SEIS 601 or SEIS 603 may be taken concurrently with SEIS 610)
- SEIS 640 Ethical Hacking & Operating Systems
- SEIS 739 Software Analysis, Design, and Implementation (prerequisites: SEIS 602, SEIS 610 and SEIS 622)
Medical Device Electives
- ETLS 520 Design & Manufacturing in the Medical Device Industry
- ETLS 722 Medical Device Quality Systems
- ETLS 724 Medical Device Clinical Studies
- ETLS 731 Combination Products, Drugs and Biologics
- ETLS 737 Int’l Regulatory Affairs for Medical Devices: T1
Technical Electives
- ETLS 501 Production Operating Systems
- ETLS 506 Statistical Methods for Manufacturing Quality
- ETLS 562 Specialty Engineering
- ETLS 701 Design of Experiments
- ETLS 744 Power Systems
ENGINEERING PROJECT (1 course = 3 Credits) (Must be pre-approved by Advisor.)
- ETLS 881 Engineering Project (3 credits) Project/Written Paper and Presentation
Other courses will be considered for inclusion by the student’s advisor. The student is expected to design the program of study in advance, no later than the end of the 2nd course, and have it approved by their advisor.
Graduate Programs in Software (SEIS) course catalog
Graduate Programs in Engineering (ETLS) course catalog
The Industrial Engineering concentration emphasizes areas like Manufacturing Processing Systems, Operations Systems Design, Production Planning Systems, Mathematical and Engineering methods for Optimization Problems, and Queuing Theory. Students in this program are required to complete five required core courses, four elective courses and one Engineering project course.
REQUIRED CORE COURSES (5 courses = 15 credits)
- ETLS 525 Engineering Economic Analysis
- ETLS 560 Industrial Engineering I
- ETLS 651 Operations Research & Analysis
- ETLS 563 Sustainment and Logistics
- ETLS 601 Program/Project/Team Management
ELECTIVE COURSES (4 courses = 12 credits)
Choose four electives from the course categories list below. (Note that no more than 3 electives can be taken from any single category without prior advisor approval.)
Human Aspects Electives
- ETLS 671 Human Aspects of Technical Management
Modeling and Simulation Electives
- ETLS 777 Finite Element Analysis
- ETLS 810 Advanced Controls
Software Electives
- SEIS 601 Foundations of Java I
- SEIS 610 Software Engineering (prerequisites: SEIS 601 or SEIS 603 may be taken concurrently with SEIS 610)
- SEIS 640 Ethical Hacking & Operating Systems
- SEIS 739 Software Analysis, Design, and Implementation (prerequisites: SEIS 602, SEIS 610 and SEIS 622)
Medical Device Electives
- ETLS 520 Design & Manufacturing in the Medical Device Industry
- ETLS 722 Medical Device Quality Systems
- ETLS 724 Medical Device Clinical Studies
- ETLS 731 Combination Products, Drugs and Biologics
- ETLS 737 Int’l Regulatory Affairs for Medical Devices: T1
Technical Electives
- ETLS 501 Production Operating Systems
- ETLS 506 Statistical Methods for Manufacturing Quality
- ETLS 562 Specialty Engineering
- ETLS 701 Design of Experiments
- ETLS 744 Power Systems
ENGINEERING PROJECT (1 course = 3 credits) (Must be pre-approved by Advisor.)
- ETLS 881 Engineering Project (3 credits) Project/Written Paper and Presentation
Other courses will be considered for inclusion by the student’s advisor. The student is expected to design the program of study in advance, no later than the end of the 2nd course, and have it approved by their advisor.
Graduate Programs in Software (SEIS) course catalog
Graduate Programs in Engineering (ETLS) course catalog
Attend an Information Session
Attend an online information session to learn program details. Our programs serve working professionals with busy lives. Set your own pace and start fall, spring or summer. Classes are offered in the evenings. We look forward to meeting you.
Dr. Robert Monson
Dr. Monson is the director of the M.S. in Systems Engineering program at St. Thomas. Bob is currently employed at Medtronic in the Systems Engineering group. He has focused his work in mechanical design, software development, controls development, modeling and simulation, thermal systems, shock and vibration systems, systems design and engineering management.
Anton Beck
Mr. Beck is an adjunct faculty at St. Thomas with many years of experience in systems engineering with applications experience in: Air Defense, Air Traffic Control, Communications, and Command and Control, Mission Avionics Systems Architecture, and the Apollo program (logic design). Tony's varied interests and expertise include multicultural experience in enterprise architecture, image processing, signal processing, field engineering and more.
Anton Beck
Andrew Fried
Mr. Fried is an adjunct faculty at St. Thomas and a Lead Systems Engineer at Medtronic. Andrew’s interests and expertise include the development and application of intellectual property and in the rapid advancement of technical understanding through the course of product development.