Online Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering

• Offered in an easily accessible 100% online format by UTEP’s College of Engineering
• Designed for working professionals and students who are interested in learning how to develop and manage complex systems
• Curriculum provides a solid basis in the fundamentals of systems engineering
• Provides a pathway towards a master’s degree

The online Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering (GCSE) offered by the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a convenient and flexible way for aspiring engineers to achieve the knowledge and credentials they need to succeed in the industry; credits earned may be applied to a master’s degree for those students interested in continuing their educations.

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WHY AN ONLINE GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN SYSTEMS ENGINEERING?

Systems engineering is an essential part of the way the world works today. It combines several skill areas — people, facilities, policies, hardware, software and documents — into an integrated discipline that combines human factors, technology, process engineering and management.

Graduates of this program will possess the core skills needed to

• Understand the modeling, creation and analysis of systems
• Integrate studies in human factors, technology, process engineering and management into one multi-faceted discipline
• Take a project from conception to completion by assessing a problem and providing the right solution for the customer’s need
• Manage teams throughout a system lifecycle
• Apply the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) best practices for developing products and services
• Learn the concepts for the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) ASEP/CSEP certification and be better prepared to pass the exam
• Acquire the advanced interdisciplinary knowledge required for management-level positions

A graduate-level certificate in systems engineering is ideally suited to students who

• Are limited by time and resources and/or corporate sponsorship and are only able to commit to a 15 semester credit hour program
• Want to pursue systems engineering as a secondary interest
• Are getting degrees in other fields but would like to get a GCSE at the same time

Opportunities in systems engineering are available in a wide range of industries including manufacturing, aerospace, defense, healthcare, electronics, automotive, education, software, government and other sectors that have a need for people who can understand and manage complex systems.

The UTEP Career Center provides graduates with resources to help them pursue their career goals.

Expert Faculty

Because some of our faculty serve as corporate and industry consultants, our program brings that knowledge into the classroom to provide students with the skills they need to succeed in the field. Faculty also prepare students to apply new engineering models to environments that are constantly changing. Students will have a multicultural experience and access to industry partners like Lockheed Martin and Department of Defense contractors.

Why UTEP?

The University of Texas at El Paso and its access and excellence mission are redefining public higher education not only in Texas, but also across the nation. At UTEP, we believe that an accessible and affordable education should be available to all. Online degrees such as these help make higher education a possibility for those who are unable to come to campus because of other responsibilities. Here’s what sets UTEP apart:

• UTEP is one of the major economic engines in the Paso del Norte region, adding $1.4 billion to the local economy annually.
• UTEP enrolls more than 25,000 students – about 80% of them Hispanic – and is the only doctoral research university in the nation with a majority Mexican-American student body. With its 36%-Hispanic faculty composition, UTEP also boasts one of the highest proportions of minority faculty among research universities in the United States.
• UTEP has attained a coveted R1 designation (top tier doctoral university with very high research activity) in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. UTEP is one of only 130 (4.5%) top tier universities among the 2,883 four-year higher education institutions across the U.S. to earn this prestigious R1 distinction, joining the ranks of such universities as Stanford, M.I.T., Michigan, Arizona and California-Berkeley. 
• With $90 million in total annual research expenditures, UTEP ranks third among University of Texas System academic institutions in federal research spending. Funding is received from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, National Endowment for the Humanities and other agencies.
• UTEP is ranked as the best return on investment and one of the most affordable emerging research institutions in higher education in the country according to collegecost.ed.gov. Also, per collegescorecard.ed.gov, the average net price per year at The University of Texas at El Paso was significantly lower than other universities across Texas.
• Affordableschools.net also ranks UTEP as one of the top most affordable Latinx/Hispanic-Serving Institutions with online bachelor’s degrees.
• UTEP awards $88 million in scholarships annually and $192 million in financial aid (over 88% of UTEP students receive financial aid).
• The Brookings Institution in 2017 ranked UTEP as the No. 1 leader in equal access to higher education, based on a combination of research productivity and student social mobility.
• The Carnegie Corporation of New York also recently recognized the University for its institutional vision and commitment to quality, diversity, curricular innovation and investment in our community.
• UTEP is a part of the Military Times’ Best: Colleges 2018 rankings.
• Hispanic Business magazine consistently ranks graduate programs in both Business Administration and Engineering in the Top 10 in the nation.
• UTEP is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

ONLINE GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN SYSTEMS ENGINEERING CURRICULUM

The online systems engineering graduate certificate requires a total of 15 semester credit hours which consists of 12 semester credit hours of coursework and a three-hour project practicum in industry. Students will acquire core knowledge in key areas of Systems Engineering and the project practicum allows students to take on a project for a real customer from beginning to end. Students must complete the following core courses with a B average or better with no more than one C to be awarded the certificate. Credits may be applied towards a master’s degree if so desired.

Applicants are generally expected to have a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, computing, physical sciences or the like.