Systems Engineering is an interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realization of successful systems. It focuses on defining customer needs and required functionality early in the development cycle, documenting requirements, then proceeding with design synthesis and system validation while considering the complete problem, including operations, cost & schedule, performance, training & support, testing, disposal, and manufacturing.
Systems Engineering integrates disciplines and specialty groups into a team effort forming a structured development process that proceeds from concept to production to operation.
Systems Engineering considers both the business and the technical needs of all customers with the goal of providing a quality product that meets the user needs.
Check out our “What is Systems Engineering” page to learn more or you can visit the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE).
The application process, curriculum, and degree earned are all the same for both the on-campus and online program!
The On-Campus Experience
Students who attend classes at our Fort Collins campus have opportunities for increased interaction with our professors, more connections in-person with guest speakers and industry professionals, and access to labs, equipment, and other resources for cutting-edge research. In addition, on-campus student may choose to take online courses within their program.
The Online Experience
Our hybrid course technology allows online students to participate synchronously or asynchronously in courses happening on-campus. Students might also attend a selection of courses at our Spur campus in North Denver. Our Certificate, M.E., M.S., and Ph.D. programs are all able to be completed 100% online.
Yes, all courses required for our certificate, M.E., M.S., Ph.D., and D.Eng. are offered online and there is no residency requirement.
Ph.D., D.Eng., or M.S. Plan A students may be required to have weekly phone or email meetings with their faculty advisor and/or some committee members, but this will depend on individual faculty preference.
Some Ph.D., D.Eng., or M.S. Plan A students also choose to travel to campus for major dissertation/thesis exams, but all exams can also be completed using video teleconferencing technology.
On-campus students will use the student portal RAMweb to register.
Online/distance students must use the CSU Online website to enroll in courses.
Online/distance students may not use RAMweb for any course registration.
You can view our registration flow chart for a more detailed view of this process.
Absolutely, many of our students are working professionals and it is common for students to take only one or two courses per semester.
Please note that all graduate degrees have a 10-year time limit on coursework. Coursework older than 10 years when the Graduation Application is filed may not apply to the degree.
If you are relying on federal financial aid, there may be additional restrictions. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid to check on your status and requirements.
Our current student research page lists the many different projects that are in-progress.
Our student exam page lists upcoming thesis and dissertation defenses, which can give a sense of completed projects.
An M.E. or M.S. student may transfer up to 6 credits provided all Graduate School requirements are met, including:
Per the Graduate School, there is a 10-year time requirement on individual courses counting toward any graduate degree. If a transfer course will be at least 10 years old at the time the student applies to graduate, it may not count toward your degree.
Please see the Graduate and Professional Bulletin for full information on transfer credit policies.
The Systems Engineering Department has newly implemented summer offerings for a select few of our ‘regular’ courses (with a set syllabus). Our goal is to offer one or two course options each summer.
We also regularly offer ‘non-regular’ independent study or dissertation credits each summer (ENGR 597, ENGR 695, ENGR 699, ENGR 795, or ENGR 799). Eligibility for these courses depends on your degree program. These non-regular courses require a faculty advisor, so if you would like to take one of these courses during a summer semester, you must check with your advisor that they will be available during that time.
Additionally, some Systems Engineering electives that are run through other departments may be offered during the summer.
Engineering Technology Services (ETS) recommends using a Windows computer while you are a student at CSU. Many programs were written for Windows and may be difficult or impossible to use on a Mac/Chromebook.
For more information about what software you may need as a student, talk to your advisor.
For complete and detailed application instructions, please see our application instructions on our Getting Started page.
These degrees have somewhat similar curriculums, but there are a few differences:
Master of Engineering (M.E.)
Master of Science (M.S.)
Our two doctoral degree options have very different curriculums and outcomes:
The Ph.D. is intended as a research degree and generally as preparation for a faculty position at a college or university.
The D.Eng. prepares individuals for professional engineering careers in business, industry, and the public sector.
Please view our Ph.D. v. D.Eng. information sheet to help decide which program is best for you.
Beginning for the Spring 2022 application cycle and afterwards, GRE scores are optional for all applicants. Scores may be submitted to be considered in our holistic evaluation process, but there is no penalty for students who do not submit scores.
All applicants may check their application status by logging into the Application Portal at any time after they have applied.
The Systems Engineering Department will not provide updates on materials applicants are still missing.
For Ph.D. or M.S. Plan A applicants: If your application status shows a complete application, but you have not sent confirmation of a faculty advisor, your application will still be considered incomplete.
If you attend an information session, or watch a recording of a previous one, and you meet the below criteria, you can receive a waiver of the normal application fee. Steps to receive the application fee waiver are discussed during the info session. Note that we cannot waive your fee until your application is submitted, with all required supplementary materials already received (i.e. fully complete except the payment).
Systems Engineering applicants meeting all the following criteria can receive a waiver of the normal application fee:
The Systems Engineering Department does not have scholarships, fellowships, or grants for Master’s or Ph.D. students.
We have limited Graduate Teaching Assistantships available. Individual faculty members may have Graduate Research Assistant positions available–you will need to contact faculty directly to inquire. Graduate Assistant positions have a residency requirements and are only available for on-campus students.
You may also explore institution or federal funding options by contacting the Office of Financial Aid.
Students can take one or more classes prior to formally applying or being admitted to ensure that the program is a good fit and to demonstrate ability to succeed in graduate-level work. Taking a course does not guarantee admission to a program, but it is one additional factor that the admission committee will consider in our holistic application process.
Students are eligible to use up to 9 credits of coursework prior to formal admissions for a Master’s program and up to 10 credits for a Ph.D. Students must have earned a B or higher in courses for them to apply to the degree.
Per Graduate School policy, grades earned in courses prior to admission do not apply to your degree GPA, which must be at least a 3.0 to graduate.
No. Securing a permanent faculty advisor is the first step to apply either to the Ph.D. program or the M.S. Plan A (with thesis). Without a faculty advisor, your application will be incomplete and will not be reviewed.
Our Ph.D. application is competitive: the program is highly sought-after and we have limited capacity for new students each application period. Because securing an advisor can be the longest and most difficult part of the application process, we encourage you to begin well in advance of the application deadline.
Students might find they are unsuccessful at securing an advisor for a variety of reasons, including:
Ultimately, students are responsible for locating a faculty member who fits with their goals; without this an applicant’s file is considered incomplete and is not reviewed for admission.
No, but you must have a Practicum Sponsor from your current employer or the organization in which you plan to do your practicum project. Please note the D.Eng. is a highly competitive program with very few openings for new students each semester.
An applicant who is admitted to the D.Eng. program would be assigned a default faculty advisor and some advisory committee members based on their project topic. Students will then work with this default committee to refine or adjust committee members as necessary before finalizing their committee on their GS6 Program of Study in their second or third semester.
More information can be found in the document Practicum Sponsor Requirements, posted on the D.Eng. page.
A Ph.D., or Doctor of Philosophy, is a terminal degree that requires an intensive academic research project. Unlike bachelor’s and master’s degrees where coursework is usually most important, the primary focus of the Ph.D. is an original and useful contribution to the field of study (Systems Engineering).
While your advisor will help guide you, Ph.D. students must take initiative and are responsible for the organization and execution of this research project. Courses taken in pursuit of the Ph.D. are intended to provide skills and knowledge necessary to advance your research in the field, not to simply check boxes in a required curriculum.
Some students have found this video helpful for learning more about the Ph.D. process and expectations, and how to approach an academic pursuit that is very different than what they have previously accomplished.
The process to determine if your master’s can count toward the Ph.D. is as follows:
We cannot guarantee the master’s can be used until the Graduate School has approved it, but master’s degrees from regionally accredited institutions that are deemed applicable by your faculty advisor are commonly transferred in.
A Ph.D. student may transfer up to 10 credits beyond the 30-credit master’s degree provided all Graduate School requirements are met, including:
Because coursework used toward a previous degree cannot transfer, a second master’s degree cannot be used, even in part, toward the Ph.D. curriculum.
Per the Graduate School, there is a 10-year time requirement on individual courses counting toward any graduate degree. If a transfer course will be at least 10 years old at the time the student applies to graduate, it may not count toward your degree. The 30-credit master’s degree is exempt from this 10-year requirement.
Please see the Graduate and Professional Bulletin for full information on transfer credit policies.
No, you may begin taking dissertation credits when you and your faculty advisor have determined you are ready.
Many students who are working full time aim to complete courses prior to beginning dissertation credits, as it can be quite challenging to juggle a job, coursework, research, and any other personal responsibilities.
There is no requirement to finish Ph.D. coursework within a certain time frame. It is common, but not required, for students with full-time employment to take 2-3 years to complete coursework, and then begin dissertation research. The only time limit that applies to the Ph.D. is that coursework must be no older than 10 years at the time the Application for Graduation is filed.
The Systems Engineering Ph.D. does not have a qualifying exam to test students’ knowledge of the subject. In lieu of a qualifying exam, students must earn a B or higher in required coursework (18 credits for the 42-credit Ph.D. and 39 credits for the 72-credit Ph.D.). If a B is not earned (B- not accepted), students may retake a course once for a higher grade.
Ph.D. students must pass two oral exams with their advisory committee to earn their degree.
The preliminary exam generally occurs after students have started their research credits and have an idea of their dissertation goal. Its primary intention is to determine if the student is qualified to continue toward the Ph.D. and it includes:
After a student passes the preliminary exam, they become a candidate for the doctoral degree and generally commence with the significant research involved with producing a dissertation.
The final dissertation exam or defense must be taken at least two semesters after the preliminary exam has been passed. This is the culmination of all Ph.D. work and includes feedback for the student to incorporate into their final dissertation draft.
These exams may be taken in-person on our Fort Collins campus or students may use video teleconferencing technology to take them at a distance. It is highly recommended to schedule these exams at least a month in advance.
The D.Eng. is a terminal degree that requires an intensive applied practicum project. This is a highly practical degree intending to prepare industry professionals for advanced work applying systems engineering to various problems and issues in companies or organizations.
This is in contrast to the Ph.D., which is a terminal degree that provides advanced preparation in the area of academic research, for students intending to become a faculty member or otherwise maintain involvement in academia.
Please see our Ph.D. v. D.Eng. information sheet for more detailed information.
The process to determine if your master’s can count toward the D.Eng. is as follows:
We cannot guarantee the master’s can be used until the Graduate School has approved it, but technical master’s degrees from regionally accredited institutions that strongly inform your planned practicum project are commonly transferred in.
A D.Eng. student may transfer up to 6 credits beyond the 30-credit master’s degree provided all Graduate School requirements are met, including:
Because coursework used toward a previous degree cannot transfer, a second master’s degree cannot be used, even in part, toward the D.Eng. curriculum.
Per the Graduate School, there is a 10-year time requirement on individual courses counting toward any graduate degree. If a transfer course will be at least 10 years old at the time the student applies to graduate, it may not count toward your degree. The 30-credit master’s degree is exempt from this 10-year requirement.
Please see the Graduate and Professional Bulletin for full information on transfer credit policies.
Your coursework should be mostly, if not fully, completed prior to beginning your practicum project (ENGR 786 credits). Approval to begin the practicum rests with your advisory committee and practicum sponsor, and students must pass their preliminary exam prior to starting the practicum.
There is no requirement to finish D.Eng. coursework within a certain time frame, but it is common for students to take about 2-4 years (depending on full or part-time status).
The only time limit that applies to the D.Eng. is that coursework must be no older than 10 years at the time the Application for Graduation is filed.
The Systems Engineering D.Eng. does not have a qualifying exam to test students’ knowledge of the subject.
In lieu of a qualifying exam, students must earn a B or higher in required coursework. If a B is not earned (B- not accepted), students may retake a course once for a higher grade.
D.Eng. students must pass two oral exams with their advisory committee to earn their degree.
The preliminary exam generally occurs after students have completed their coursework. Its primary intention is to determine if the student is qualified to begin the practicum project and it includes:
After a student passes the preliminary exam, they become a candidate for the doctoral degree and are permitted to begin practicum credits.
When all practicum credits and requirements have been fulfilled, the student is permitted to register for Professional Doctorate dissertation credits (ENGR 799B), which are used while the student is completing the formal write-up of their practicum and outcomes.
The final exam or dissertation defense must be taken at least two semesters after the preliminary exam has been passed and after at least 9 credits of ENGR 799B have been taken. This exam is the culmination of all D.Eng. work and includes feedback for the student to incorporate into their final dissertation draft.
These exams may be taken in-person on our Fort Collins campus or students may use video teleconferencing technology to take them at a distance. It is highly recommended to schedule these exams at least a month in advance.
