Overview

This certificate is designed to provide graduate level foundation courses in systems engineering to anyone interested in deepening their understanding of how DoD designs, develops and produces large complex systems. Students learn a disciplined approach to finding the right solution to the right problem: on-time, on-budget, supportable, and with minimal risk.

Courses Required

Requirements for Entry

• Baccalaureate degree with at least a 2.6 undergraduate grade point average (GPA)
• At least one college level mathematics course

Learning Outcomes

After completion of this certificate, students should be able to:

• Apply advanced mathematics including probability and statistics.
• Create basic system functional and physical architectures that represent a balanced approach to meeting stakeholder needs, derived system requirements, and suitability objectives. Understand basic system architecture frameworks and their role in architecture development. Apply basic model-based systems engineering techniques, based on UML or SySML, to create, define, and develop system architectures. Create, analyze, and evaluate alternative architectures against appropriate, system-level evaluation criteria and select the best system design based on quantitative and qualitative analysis.
• Apply the basic system design process in a holistic context to include defining system requirements; conducting functional analysis and allocation to hardware, software, and human elements; designing a system; deriving and defining requirement specifications; allocating requirement specifications to sub-systems; designing for suitability, including reliability, maintainability, availability, supportability, producibility, usability, survivability, and interoperability; evaluating the system cost and risk; and incorporating risk mitigation strategies.
• Apply basic qualitative and quantitative methods of engineering design analysis to include problem formulation, alternatives development, systems analysis, alternatives comparison, cost analysis, failure analysis, and risk analysis. Mathematical techniques include probabilistic analyses.
• Demonstrate competence in the planning and management of a complex defense-related systems engineering project. Demonstrate an understanding of basic project management principles including project planning, organizational structures, cost estimating, project scheduling, time-phased budgets, earned-value management, risk and configuration management, and contracts.

Application Information

Applications are handled by the NPS Admissions Office. Please visit the admissions website or contact them at admissions@nps.edu.