Admissions

Concentration in Command, Control, Communications, Computing, Intelligence, and Cyber (C4IC)

The certificate with this concentration is available to students who hold bachelor's degrees in engineering and scientific disciplines or are in graduate status in such programs. 

Concentration in Communications and Networking (CONE)

The certificate with this concentration in communications and networking is open to all students who hold BS degrees in scientific and engineering disciplines from accredited universities.

Concentration in Digital Engineering and Systems Architecture (DESA)

A bachelor's degree is required for admission to a certificate program.

Concentration in Engineering Resilient Enterprise Systems (ERES)

The certificate with this concentration is available to any student who holds a bachelor's degree in an engineering or scientific discipline or has graduate status in such a program. Math requirements include  MATH 113 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (Mason Core)MATH 114 Analytic Geometry and Calculus II, or their equivalents, and a probability and statistics course.

Concentration in Financial Systems (FNSY)

The certificate with this concentration will be open to all students who hold a BS degree in scientific and engineering disciplines from an accredited university program, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Students who are already enrolled in a master's program must submit a secondary certificate form to enroll in this certificate with concentration program; all others must apply for graduate admission to this certificate with concentration program.

Concentration in Tactical Computer Operations (TCO)

Students applying to the certificate with this concentration must hold a bachelor's degree in either computer science or computer engineering. Prospective students without these specific degrees will need to have a technical bachelor's degree and show academic competence in the areas of: C (C++, C#, Objective C), Assembler, discrete mathematics, and computer networking. An undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better (4.0 scale) is required.

Policies

The Systems Engineering Graduate Certificate may be pursued on a part-time basis only.

For policies governing all graduate certificates, see AP.6.8 Requirements for Graduate Certificates.

Banner Code: EC-CERG-SYST

Certificate Requirements

Total credits: 12-15

This certificate may be pursued on a part-time basis only.

Concentration in Command, Control, Communications, Computing, Intelligence, and Cyber (C4IC)

Administered by the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research

The certificate with concentration requires 12 credits (4 courses). Students must complete the following with an average grade of B or better:

Coursework

SYST 680Principles of Command, Control, Communications, Computing, and Intelligence (C4I)3
or ECE 670 Principles of Command, Control, Communications, Computing, and Intelligence (C4I)
or SYST 687 Cyber Security Systems Engineering
OR 542Operations Research: Stochastic Models3
or ECE 528 Introduction to Random Processes in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Select two from the following:6
Computer Network Architectures and Protocols
Principles of Digital Communications
Design and Analysis of Computer Networks
Discrete System Simulation
Heterogeneous Data Fusion
Bayesian Artificial Intelligence
Modeling, Simulation, and Gaming
Total Credits12

The C4I concentration within the Systems Engineering certificate can be fully counted towards the Systems Engineering MS. Students who complete the C4I concentration can complete the Systems Engineering MS with 6 additional courses, as defined by the requirements of the Systems Engineering MS program

Concentration in Communications and Networking (CONE)

Administered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The certificate with a concentration in Communications and Networking is awarded on completion of five graduate courses (15 credits) in communications and networking. A cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required and one course with a grade of C at most may be applied toward the certificate. The certificate courses comprise two required foundation courses and three electives.

Coursework

Foundation Courses:
ECE 528Introduction to Random Processes in Electrical and Computer Engineering3
ECE 542Computer Network Architectures and Protocols3
Total Credits6

Electives

After completing the foundation courses, students choose electives by taking three courses from the following:

Select three courses from the following:9
Learning From Data
Digital Signal Processing
Introduction to Optical Electronics
Optical Fiber Communications
Wireless Networks
Principles of Digital Communications
Digital Communications
Error Control Coding
Detection and Estimation Theory
Adaptive Signal Processing
Design and Analysis of Computer Networks
Network Switching and Routing
Applied Cryptography
Advanced Learning From Data
Probabilistic Machine Learning
Mobile Communication Systems
Discrete System Simulation
Network Modeling
Queuing Theory
Total Credits9

Concentration in Digital Engineering and Systems Architecture (DESA)

Administered by the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research

Coursework

The following four courses must be completed with a grade of B or better:

SYST 520System Engineering Design3
SYST 618Model-based Systems Engineering3
SYST 621Systems Architecture Design3
Total Credits9
Electives3
Select one course from the following list:
Introduction to Random Processes in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Introduction to Analytics and Modeling
Operations Research: Deterministic Optimization
Operations Research: Stochastic Models
Applied Predictive Analytics
Decision and Risk Analysis
Heterogeneous Data Fusion
Bayesian Artificial Intelligence

The DESA concentration within the Systems Engineering certificate can be fully counted towards the Systems Engineering MS. Students who complete the DESA concentration can complete the Systems Engineering MS with 6 additional courses, as defined by the requirements of the Systems Engineering MS program

Concentration in Engineering Resilient Enterprise Systems (ERES)

Administered by the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research.

To be eligible for a certificate with concentration in Engineering Resilient Enterprise Systems, students must complete two required courses (6 credits) plus two electives (6 credits) with an average grade of B or better.

Coursework

SYST 523Engineering Resilient and Agile Enterprise Systems3
SYST 618Model-based Systems Engineering3
Total Credits6

Electives

The remaining two electives must be taken from the list below with the approval of the advisor. Courses designated as basic methods courses may also be used as an elective. Some certificate electives may require stronger math requirements.

Electives6
Select at least one course from the following:
Systems Thinking
Information Systems Analysis and Design
Object-Oriented Software Specification and Construction
Decision Support Systems Engineering
Heterogeneous Data Fusion
Systems Engineering Management II
Select the second course from the courses listed above or from the following:
Computer Communications and Networking
Computer Network Architectures and Protocols
Principles and Practices of Communication Networks
Total Credits6

Concentration in Financial Systems (FNSY)

Administered by the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research.

To be eligible for the certificate with concentration in Financial Systems Engineering, students must complete three required courses (9 credits) plus one elective (3 credits) with an average grade of B or better.

Coursework

SYST/OR 538Analytics for Financial Engineering and Econometrics3
SYST/OR 588Financial Systems Engineering I: Introduction to Options, Futures, and Derivatives3
SYST/OR 688Financial Systems Engineering II: Derivative Products and Risk Management3
Total Credits9

Elective

Select one from the following:3
Stochastic Processes
Computational Methods in Engineering and Statistics
Heterogeneous Data Fusion
Total Credits3

The FNSY concentration within the Systems Engineering certificate can be fully counted towards the Systems Engineering MS. Students who complete the FNSY concentration can complete the Systems Engineering MS with 6 additional courses, as defined by the requirements of the Systems Engineering MS program

Concentration in Tactical Computer Operations (TCO)

Administered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Students must meet prerequisites for courses by either taking the appropriate undergraduate courses or through instructor permission.

Coursework

CS 571Operating Systems3
ECE 511Computer Architecture3
DFOR 761Malware Reverse Engineering3
Total Credits9

Electives

Select two courses from the following:6
Penetration Testing in Digital Forensics
Anti-Forensics
Mobile Application Forensics and Analysis
Kernel Forensics and Analysis
Applied Cryptography
Security Laboratory
Network Security
Secure Software Design and Programming
Security Protocol Analysis
Total Credits6