M.S. in Systems Engineering

The Master of Science (M.S.) is a graduate degree for those who desire not only to acquire fundamental knowledge but also to contribute to the advancement of knowledge through independent, original research. It provides a springboard for careers as an academician, as a researcher, as a consultant or in management/leadership within a university, institute, industry, or government setting.

The Systems Engineering (SE) Master of Science (M.S.) is built of three (3) components:

  • Coursework to gain fundamental and advanced knowledge.
  • Research conducted in a collaborative environment leading to a thesis and scholarly papers.
  • Engagement in UVA’s intellectual life.

See below for information on the Systems Engineering M.S. program, or download the SIE Graduate Student Handbook.

Admissions Criteria

The deadlines for M.S. applications with financial aid requests are January 6th for fall semester and September 30th for spring semester. All SIE faculty are eligible to advise students enrolled in the SE M.S. program. We accept applications from candidates with degrees from all engineering and some affiliated backgrounds. In some cases, candidates who do not have engineering or similar credentials will be offered conditional admission, which will require them to take selected undergraduate coursework in addition to the coursework required for their M.S.

All candidates are evaluated by one (1) or more of the SIE research subgroups. Some students are admitted directly into a specific research group with a specific advisor. Other candidates are admitted into a subgroup and are then connected with an advisor during the first year.

Most accepted M.S. students receive financial aid. Funding offers take the form of graduate research assistantships (GRAs), graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs) and/or various fellowships. The department’s default stipend for master’s students is $27,037.50 per year. Funded offers also include tuition and health insurance. Some M.S. students are funded by third-party entities (e.g., their employer or government or military agencies), and a small number of students are self- funded.

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Engineering School Requirements

Engineering School requirements for M.S. degrees are described on the UVA Graduate School of Engineering’s information webpage. This page also addresses admission requirements, rules and regulations pertaining to financial assistance and outside employment, and other matters. The portion of the Engineering School’s website devoted to current graduate students contains many helpful resources, including required forms.

Time limit: All requirements for the M.S. degree must be completed within five years after matriculation to the graduate program.

Coursework, Seminar Series, and Training Engagement

The M.S. in SE requires thirty (30) credits of coursework and research beyond the B.S. program. The following requirements should be met:

  • Three (3) credit hours of SYS 6001 Introduction to Systems Analysis & Design
  • Six (6) credit hours of Foundation Courses: two (2) courses selected from SYS 6003 Optimization Models and Methods I, SYS 6005 Stochastic Modeling I, SYS 6007 Human Factors I, and SYS 6021 Statistical Modeling I.
  • Fifteen (15) credit hours of graded, graduate-level elective courses distributed thusly:
    • At least three (3) credit hours of systems engineering courses at the 6000 or 7000 level. (These credit hours cannot be earned through SYS 6993 and SYS 7993  Independent Study;  SYS 6995 and SYS 8995 Supervised Project Research; SYS 8997 and SYS 9997 Graduate Teaching Instruction; SYS 8999 Thesis; and SYS 9999 Dissertation.)
    • No more than three (3) credit hours of SYS 6993 or SYS 7993 Independent Study.
    • No more than three (3) credit hours of SYS 6995 or SYS 8995 Supervised Project Research.
  • Two (2) semesters of SYS 7096 Systems Engineering Colloquium (required) in the first academic year (1 zero-credit hour per semester).
  • At least six (6) credit hours of SYS 8999 Thesis (of which six count toward the thirty-credit requirement).

Special Circumstances

  • Prerequisites: The student who does not have the prerequisites (i.e., calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics, computer programming) should take articulation courses. These courses cannot be used to satisfy the degree requirements.
  • Equivalent Courses: The student who, prior to enrolling in our graduate program, has already taken a course equivalent to a core course may petition the graduate programs director for the substitution of the core course by an elective course.
  • Transfer Credit: Up to six (6) credit hours of graduate courses may be transferred. Only courses with a grade of B or better that have not been applied toward another degree may be transferred. The request for credit transfer must include the following: a completed Request Approval of Transfer Credits form, a description of course content and level, and an official transcript. The documents are uploaded with the form submission. If the student is already admitted into a UVA program, then the request for credit transfer must be pre-approved before the course is taken.

Seminar Series: SIE is committed to providing members of our community with the opportunity to learn from a wide range of scholars and practicing engineers through seminars. These seminars are organized as (a) our weekly Graduate Colloquium and (b) Distinguished Speakers invited by our faculty. As an essential component of graduate education, M.S. students should register for at least two (2) semesters (preferably in their first year) of SYS 7096 Systems Engineering Colloquium with zero credit hours. Students are expected to attend and participate actively in scheduled SIE and UVA seminars and student thesis/dissertation defenses. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, it is expected that seminars and defenses are held in person at the university.

Training and Engagement: M.S. students are expected to be good citizens of the department by engaging in required training activities and participating in departmental activities (e.g., symposiums, workshops, social events).

 

Thesis and Committee

M.S. students will work with their advisor to identify a suitable master’s research topic. Up to six (6) of the thirty credits toward the M.S. will typically comprise thesis research via the SYS 8999 Thesis listing. The M.S. candidates and their advisor will also select an M.S. thesis committee comprising at least three (3) UVA faculty members. One (1) of these three (3) members may be from outside SIE. At least two (2) of the three (3) members must be faculty members with non-zero percentage appointments in SIE. The thesis committee must review and approve the student’s academic requirements report, written thesis, and oral thesis defense. M.S. students should check the accuracy and completeness of their academic requirement report in the Student Information System (SIS) frequently, at least at the start and end of each semester and in consultation with their faculty advisor. The Appointment of Final Examination Committee form to appoint the M.S. thesis committee must be submitted at least fourteen (14) days before the proposed final defense date to the SIE Student Services Coordinator, as they will obtain graduate program director approval and submit the request form to the graduate office. Degree candidates must apply for graduation in SIS at the beginning of the semester in which they’re expected to graduate.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to email the SIE Student Services Coordinator their announcement information which consists of the committee members list with the chair and advisor identified, the meeting date, time, and location information, and the thesis defense title and abstract at least two (2) weeks before the final defense. The SIE Student Services Coordinator will provide the student with the information regarding the final defense forms, ideally the day before so the forms can be initiated and sent to the chair before the final defense starts. The chair completes the forms based on committee feedback and assessment. In addition, after successful completion of their final defense, the candidate must submit the dissertation via Libra (see Graduation Procedure).

Academic Progress

Good academic standing is defined as a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and Satisfactory grade(s) in research and in teaching, when applicable. Unsatisfactory work during any semester or a cumulative grade point average of less than 3.0 may be considered a sufficient reason for withdrawal of financial assistance or for enforced withdrawal from the graduate program. Non- degree and visiting graduate students are also expected to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 to remain in good academic standing.

Graduate students may incur academic probation any fall or spring semester in which they fail to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Students on academic probation have one (1) semester to increase their cumulative grade point average to 3.0 or above, or they will be placed on academic suspension.

Students who do not raise their GPA to 3.0 during their academic probation will incur academic suspension. Academic suspensions may be appealed within thirty (30) days of notification to the UVA Engineering Graduate Studies Committee. Without an approved academic suspension appeal from the UVA Engineering Graduate Studies Committee, students are permanently academically suspended from the School of Engineering and are not eligible for readmission. Approved academic suspension appeals from the UVA Engineering Graduate Studies Committee provide the student a prescribed number of semester(s) of academic probation to increase their cumulative grade point average to 3.0.

The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only.  The Undergraduate Record and Graduate Record represent the official repository for academic program requirements. These publications may be found here.