Systems Engineering Non-Resident Master's Degree Program

Systems Engineering Non-Resident Master's Degree Program
Program Schedule and Announcements
Program Requirements and Standard Curriculum
Eligibility and Admissions Standards
Program Delivery Methods and Technology Requirements
Application Process
Tuition
Contact Information
Frequently Asked Questions

Systems Engineering Non-Resident Master's Degree Program (Curriculum 311) The SE Non-Resident Degree Program is designed for DoD organizations faced with a wide range of systems engineering and integration challenges. These commands can now partner with NPS to educate and train engineers with tools and technologies relevant to their work, resulting in employees with greater knowledge and expertise to enable them to better meet the needs of their customers. DoD organizations or sponsors provide the students, and the Naval Postgraduate School provides the instruction and hands-on experience. Courses are delivered at the students’ local site using a combination of on-site instruction, video teleconferencing and/or web-enhanced online courses.

Printable Brochure (pdf)

Program Schedule and Announcements

The projected program starts for Academic Year 2011 and 12 are listed below. Projected sponsors, domain tracks, and cohort codes are provided.

 Academic Year 2012

Academic Quarter	Program Starts* (Sponsor/Cohort Code)	Application Deadline	Classes Begin
Fall	Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)/311-121A Expected Domain Track:  Aviation Systems Open Enrollment/311-121O Domain Track:  Systems Development	07/08/2011	09/26/2011
Winter	Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR)/311-122W Expected Domain Track:  To be determined Open Enrollment/311-122O Domain Track:  System of Systems	10/21/2011	01/04/2012
Spring	Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)/311-123A Expected Domain Track:  Aviation Systems Naval Sea Systems Command (Port Hueneme-lead) (Logistics)/311-123L Domain track: Logistics Degree: Systems Engineering Management	01/06/2012	03/26/2012
Summer	U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM)/311-124G Domain Track:  To be determined	02/15/2012	07/05/2012
	Open Enrollment/311-124O Domain Track:  System of Systems	03/30/2012	07/05/2012

*Program length is two years (eight consecutive academic quarters).

Note: this information is subject to change without notice.

For information about the specific start dates for the listed quarters, please refer to the NPS Academic Calendar.

Program Requirements and Standard Curriculum

The SE Non-Resident Degree Program consists of a minimum of 48 academic quarter credits taught in two three hour courses per quarter. All coursework is offered by the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). Sponsors work with the SE Non-Resident Degree Program manager to determine a technical focus for the domain/track elective portion of the curriculum, and the SE Department DL Program Manager determines the track for Open Enrollment cohorts

The program meets the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) level III training requirements for the System Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering (SPRDE) career field.

A Master of Science in System Engineering (MSSE) or a Master of Science in Engineering Systems (MSES) degree will be awarded to graduates at program completion. The MSSE degree will be awarded to graduates with ABET accredited engineering undergraduate degrees or equivalency (as determined by the program's Academic Associate), and the MSES degree will be awarded to graduates with undergraduate degrees not accredited by ABET.

The following is the standard SE Non-Resident Degree Program curriculum. The actual curriculum is determined prior to the start of each cohort, and specifics for specific program starts are included in Program Schedule and Announcements. Students in the SE Non-Resident Masters Degree Program participate in a group capstone project in lieu of writing a thesis.

The following domain tracks are available for the SE non-resident degree program.  Please note that the sponsor will select a track for centrally funded cohorts, and NPS will select a track for open enrollment cohorts.

Eligibility and Admissions Standards

The following are eligible for this program:

• US Military Officers
• US Government Civilians
• Defense Contractors (if contractor seats are available)
• International Students**

**International Students: Ensure that you read and understand the additional Eligibility requirements and Application process found here.

NPS is mission funded to provide tuition-free graduate education to active duty naval officers (USN and USMC), on a space available basis. Additional course fees may be required. The availability of seats for naval officers in distance learning programs is determined at the program level.

All others MUST be financially sponsored by their command or company.

Admissions Standards:

Graduates of this program will earn either a Master of Science in System Engineering (MSSE) or a Master of Science in Engineering Systems (MSES) degree. To earn an MSSE degree, a student must have an ABET accredited engineering undergraduate degree or equivalency (as determined by the program's Academic Associate).

   Master of Science in Systems Engineering (MSSE)

• ABET Accredited Baccalaureate Degree in Engineering
• GPA of 2.2 or better
• Completion of ACQ 101 and 201 (desired but not required)
• Successful completion of a calculus course

   Master of Science in Engineering Systems (MSES)

• Non-ABET Accredited Baccalaureate Degree
• GPA of 2.2 or better
• Completion of ACQ 101 and 201 (desired but not required)
• Successful completion of a calculus course

Program Delivery Methods and Technology Requirements

The following distance learning delivery methods may be used for this program. The primary delivery method for each cohort is determined prior to each cohort start. Please check the program announcements for details and/or contact the SE Non-Resident Degree Program Director .

Online

NPS Online classes are taken without weekly classroom attendance. After registration and enrollment, students will be sent instructions on how to access the course material.

Online courses offer the flexibility of logging on at any time, in any location, to access course material. Courses are faculty led and allow interaction between instructor and other students.

The technical requirements for an online class can be found here.

Elluminate Live!

Elluminate Live! is a web based collaboration system that supports Video and Voice over IP, text chat, an interactive white board, application sharing, document sharing, and video sharing. Elluminate Live! is compatible with the Navy/Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI).

To learn more about using Elluminate Live! in your class, please review the Elluminate Support Information and Resources page.

Video-Tele-Education

Video-Tele-Education (VTE) uses two-way audio-video teleconferencing that requires sites to have ISDN H.320 standard capable systems with 384 Kbps preferred connect speed. IP connections may be possible upon arrangement with NPS VTE support staff

A VTE location may be required for participation in this program. For additional information about locations, e-mail the SE Non-Resident Degree Program Director.

The technical requirements for a VTE location and student guidelines can be found in this document.

Face-to-Face

NPS classes are delivered in person by an NPS faculty member who is co-located with students. Primary locations for face-to-face delivery are Patuxent River, MD and San Diego, CA.

Application Process

U.S. applicants who meet the prerequisite and eligibility requirements listed above must submit a complete application package to the NPS Admissions Office. A completed application package consists of an application (via the NPS online application system) and NPS receipt of official transcriptions of all undergraduate and previous graduate work to date, degree and non-degree.   For further information about applying to NPS, please refer to the Admissions Packet Completion Information page.

International applicants interested in this program should refer to the International Student Application & Eligibility Process for CED3 Programs web page for the application process and additional eligibility requirements.

Potential students are encouraged to apply well in advance of specific program start application deadlines. If known, applicants should include cohort sponsor code in their application. This code is available on the specific program start announcement.

Tuition

Please refer to the Tuition Information page for more information regarding tuition and book costs associated with this program.

Contact Information

For additional information specific to the program, please e-mail the Program Director at SEnonResDeg@nps.edu.

For general questions about CED3 supported programs, please e-mail the CED3 Student Coordinator at CED3StudCoord@nps.edu.