/Institutions/Naval-Postgraduate-School/json/Current/Academic-Catalog-local.json

/Institutions/Naval-Postgraduate-School/json/Current/Academic-Catalog.json

Department of Systems Engineering

Chair

Oleg Yakimenko, Ph.D.

Ingersoll Hall, Room IN-304

(831) 656-2826, DSN 756-2826, Fax (831) 656-3840

oayakime@nps.edu

Associate Chair for Instruction

Mark Stevens

Spanagel Hall, Room139

(831) 656-7545

mstevens@nps.edu

Associate Chair for Operations

Alejandro (Andy) Hernandez, Ph.D., COL, USA (Ret.)

Watkins Hall Annex, Room 186

(831) 656-3823, DSN 756-3823

ahernand@nps.edu

Associate Chair for Distributed Programs

Walter E. Owen, DPA

Code SE/WO, St Louis, MO

(831) 402-6086

wowen@nps.edu

Deputy Associate Chair for Marketing, Outreach, and Engagement

Warren K. Vaneman, Ph.D.

Code SE/VA, Sebastian, FL

(831) 233-4148

wvaneman@nps.edu

Timothy Anderson, Lecturer (2007); M.S., Naval Postgraduate School, 1994.

Paul T. Beery, Assistant Professor (2009); Ph.D, Naval Postgraduate School, 2016.

Katherine M. Cain, Education Associate (2002); M.S., University of Massachusetts Amherst, 1989. 

Rama Gehris, Professor of Practice (2011); DSc, George Washington University, 2008.

Ronald Giachetti, Professor (2011); Ph.D., North Carolina State University, 1996.

Kristin Giammarco, Associate Professor and Academic Associate (2009); Ph.D., Naval Postgraduate School, 2012.

Kathleen Giles, Assistant Professor (2018); Ph.D., Naval Postgraduate School, 2018.

John “Mike” Green, Senior Lecturer (2002); MBA, University of New Haven, 1998.

Joel Hagan, Professor of Practice (2020); M.B.A. Naval Postgraduate School, 2006.

Lois K. Hazard, Faculty Associate – Research (2013); B.A., Holy Names University, 1978.

Alejandro Hernandez, Associate Professor (2011); Ph.D., Naval Postgraduate School, 2008.

Bonnie W. Johnson, Senior Lecturer (2020); Ph.D., Naval Postgraduate School, 2012.

Rabia Khan, Faculty Associate-Research (2012); M.S., Naval Postgraduate School, 2014.

Joseph T. Klamo, Assistant Professor (2015); Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 2007. 

Jonathan Lussier, Faculty Associate - Research (2021); B.S., University of Denver, 2020.

Raymond J. Madachy, Professor and Academic Associate (2008); Ph.D., University of Southern California, 1994.

Gregory Miller, Senior Lecturer (2004); M.S., Naval Postgraduate School (1992).

Hyatt Moore VI, Research Assistant Professor (2023); Ph.D., Stanford University, 2013.

Walter Owen, Senior Associate Chair, Academic Associate and Program Officer (1992); DPA, Golden Gate University, 2002.

Fotis A. Papoulias, Associate Professor (1988); Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1987. 

Eugene P. Paulo, Associate Professor (2000); Ph.D., University of Central Florida, 1998.

Mark M. Rhoades, Senior Lecturer (1999); M.S., Naval Postgraduate School, 2006.

Mark R. Stevens, Senior Lecturer and Academic Associate (2003); M.S., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1988.

Joseph Sweeney III, Lecturer and Program Officer (2010); M.S., Southern Methodist University, 2018.

Douglas Van Bossuyt, Assistant Professor (2018); Ph.D., Oregon State University, 2012.

Warren Vaneman, Professor of Practice (2012); Ph.D., Virginia Tech, 2002. 

Corina White, Lecturer (2021); M.S., Naval Postgraduate School, 2014.

Christopher Wolfgeher, Faculty Associate-Research (2011); M.ENG., Colorado State University, 2011.

Oleg Yakimenko, Distinguished Professor and Chair (2001); Ph.D., Russian Academy of Sciences, 1991.

The year of joining the Naval Postgraduate School faculty is indicated in parentheses.

 

Mission

The mission of the Systems Engineering department is to provide relevant, tailored, and unique advanced education and research programs in Systems Engineering in order to assure technological leadership, to increase the combat effectiveness of U.S. and allied armed forces, and to enhance the security of the United States.

Brief Overview

The Department of Systems Engineering provides rigorous academic programs on the design, development, and operation of large, complex weapon systems. The programs cover the technical activities for the entire system life-cycle.

Students in the Systems Engineering Department are admitted to one of several available curricula. Curriculum details are provided in the catalog with each one identified by a unique curriculum number. Each curriculum is defined using educational skill requirements and related academic coursework. For active duty US naval officer students, the successful completion of a curriculum leads to the award of a sub-specialty code, or p-code, and award of a degree in one of the masters programs offered for the curriculum. For other active duty US military, foreign military, and civilian students, successful completion of a curriculum leads to the award of a degree in one of the masters programs offered for the curriculum.

The Systems Engineering Department offers six degree programs:

• Master of Science in Systems Engineering (MSSE) Program – requires an ABET EAC undergraduate engineering degree, or equivalent. Four curricula options (308, 311, 312, 580) allow a student to earn a MSSE degree.
• Master of Science in Engineering Systems (MSES) Program – does not require an undergraduate engineering degree. Three curricula options (311, 312, 580) allow a student to earn a MSES degree.
• Master of Science in Systems Engineering Analysis (MSSEA) Program – does not require an undergraduate engineering degree. One curriculum option (308) allows a student to earn a MSSEA degree.
• Master of Science in Systems and Defense Management (MSSDM) Program – does not require an undergraduate engineering degree. One curriculum option (721) allows a student to earn a MSSDM degree.
• Master of Science in Systems Engineering Management (MSSEM) Program – does not require an undergraduate engineering degree. Four curricula options (522, 721, 722) allow a student to earn a MSSEM degree.
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Program in Systems Engineering. One curriculum option (581) allows a student to earn a Ph.D. degree.

Any student study plan leading to award of a degree offered by the SE department must be approved by the Chairman of the Department of Systems Engineering at least two quarters before completion. In general, approved curricula may require more than minimum degree requirements in order to conform to the needs and objectives of the service or agency sponsoring the student.

A specific curriculum must be consistent with the general minimum requirements for the degree program as determined by the Academic Council.

SE Degree Programs

Master of Science in Systems Engineering Program

The Systems Engineering Department offers the MSSE Program through the 308, 311, 312, and 580 curricula options. The specific course of study leading to the MSSE differs for each curriculum. Refer to the 308, 311, 312, and 580 curricula for details.

The MSSE program is ABET EAC accredited. The other Systems Engineering Department programs, MSES, MSSEA, MSPD, MSSEM, and Ph.D. are not ABET EAC accredited.

Program Educational Objectives

The overall educational objective of the Systems Engineering Department is to support the NPS mission by producing graduates who have, at an advanced level, knowledge and technical competence in systems engineering and an application domain; and who can use that knowledge and competence to support national security. Specific program educational objectives (i.e., skills and abilities that graduates can bring to their position after having graduated from NPS and having received 3-5 more years of on-the-job training and professional development) are:

•  Technical Leadership: Graduates will be known and respected for applying their engineering knowledge in leadership roles along diverse career paths in government service.

•  Program Management: Graduates will be known and respected for their research, design, development, procurement, integration, maintenance, and life-cycle management of systems for defense and national security.

•  Operational Utilization: Graduates will be known and respected for their application of systems engineering in diverse military settings and understand its capabilities and limitations.

Student Outcomes

In order to achieve the program educational objectives for the Master of Science in Systems Engineering (MSSE) program, graduates must complete at least one year of study, or at least 45 quarter credit hours, beyond a baccalaureate level program, achieve a mastery of systems engineering, and complete a thesis or capstone project report, where each student attains outcomes demonstrating competency in:

1. Subject Matter Competence: Advanced mathematics, including probability and statistics, and computing
   fundamentals, with practical applications thereof.
2. Technical Merit: Engineering topics necessary to define, synthesize, analyze, design, and evaluate
   complex systems containing hardware and software, and human elements (where
   appropriate), in a holistic manner across the lifecycle.
3. Engineering Reasoning: Systems design and analysis topics, such as decision analysis, risk analysis (cost,
   schedule and performance), trade-off analysis, optimization, modeling based
   engineering, simulation, sensitivity analysis techniques, or requirements
   engineering.
4. Communication: Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

In addition to attaining these student outcomes, each student will have had post-secondary educational and/or professional experiences that supports that attainment of student outcomes as defined in the ABET EAC general criteria for baccalaureate programs, Criterion 3; and includes at least one year of math and basic science, at least one-and-a-half years of engineering topics, and a major design experience that meets the requirements in the general criteria for baccalaureate programs, Criterion 5.  Students that have attained an ABET EAC accredited undergraduate degree meet these post-secondary requirements.

Requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Systems Engineering:

An ABET EAC accredited Bachelor of Science degree in an engineering discipline or established equivalency.

1. Completion of an approved curriculum that includes:
   1. A minimum of 36 quarter credit hours of 3000 and 4000 level courses, 16 of which must be at the 4000 level.
   2. A series of courses in systems engineering defined by each curriculum.
2. Completion of a 12 quarter credit hour thesis course sequence and a thesis or a capstone project course sequence and capstone project report, depending on curriculum requirements.

Master of Science in Engineering Systems Program

A candidate shall have earned the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree. Degree requirements:

1. Completion of an approved curriculum that includes:

a.  A minimum of 36 quarter credit hours of 3000 and 4000 level courses, 16 of which must be at the 4000 level.

b.  A series of courses in systems engineering defined by each curriculum.

2. Completion of a 12 quarter credit hour thesis course sequence and a thesis or a capstone project course sequence and capstone project report, depending on curriculum requirements.

Master of Science in Systems and Defense Management Program

The Systems Engineering Department offers the MSSDM Program through the 721 curriculum. Refer to the 721 curriculum for details.

A candidate shall have earned the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree. Degree requirements:

1. The Master of Science degree in Systems and Defense Management requires a minimum of 48 quarter-hours of graduate level work.
2. The candidate must take all courses in an approved curriculum, which must satisfy the following requirements:
   1. There must be a minimum of 36 quarter-hours of credits in 3000 and 4000 level courses, including a minimum of 16 quarter-hours at the 4000 level.
   2. The course work must include four courses in systems engineering methods, defined by each curriculum.
3. Additional courses must be selected from an approved list.
4. The candidate must complete an approved thesis.

Master of Science in Systems Engineering Management Program

The Systems Engineering Department offers the MSSEM Program through the 522, 721 and 722 curricula options. The specific course of study leading to the MSSEM differs for each curriculum. Refer to the 522, 721 and 722 curricula for details.

The MSSEM program is not ABET accredited.

Program Educational Objectives

The overall educational objective of the Systems Engineering Department is to support the NPS mission by producing graduates who have, at an advanced level, knowledge and technical competence in systems engineering and an application domain; and who can use that knowledge and competence to support national security. Specific program educational objectives (i.e., skills and abilities that graduates can bring to their position after having graduated from NPS and having received 3-5 more years of on-the-job training and professional development) are:

• Technical Leadership: Graduates will be known and respected for applying their engineering management knowledge in leadership roles along diverse career paths in government service.

• Program Management: Graduates will be known and respected for their research, design, development, procurement, integration, maintenance, and life-cycle management of systems for defense and national security.

• Operational Utilization: Graduates will be known and respected for their application of systems engineering management in diverse military settings and understand its capabilities and limitations.

Student Outcomes

To achieve the program educational objectives for the Master of Science in Systems Engineering Management (MSSEM) program, graduates must complete at least one year of study, or at least 48 quarter credit hours, beyond a baccalaureate level program, achieve a mastery of systems engineering management, and complete a thesis or capstone project report, where each student attains outcomes demonstrating competency in:

1. The engineering relationships between the management tasks of planning, organization, leadership, and control, as well as the human element of managing engineering professionals in production, research, and service organizations.
2. The stochastic nature of management systems.
3. Systems engineering management to include an understanding of the systems engineering process, and the ability to contribute to the definition of system requirements, evaluation of system architecture, verification and validation activities, system integration, and system design.
4. Deriving and defining system requirements and specifications. This includes performing system assessment, evaluating system design alternatives, estimating and analyzing the system cost, schedule, and performance risk, and analyzing and planning for system verification and validation.
5. The planning and management of complex projects and the principles and current approaches to manage systems design, integration, verification and validation in a holistic manner across the system lifecycle.
6. Communication: Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Systems Engineering Management:

• An accredited Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree.

• Completion of an approved curriculum that includes:

1. A minimum of 36 quarter credit hours of 3000 and 4000 level courses, 16 of which must be at the 4000 level.
2. A series of courses in systems engineering defined by each curriculum.

• Completion of a thesis course sequence and a thesis, or a capstone project course sequence and capstone project report, depending on curriculum requirements.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree Programs

The Department of Systems Engineering offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Systems Engineering. Students take graduate level course in systems engineering (as needed to pass the oral and written qualifying examinations), advanced graduate courses in systems engineering and an application domain and perform research that leads to a dissertation involving some aspect of systems engineering. Research topics may be selected from a broad variety of studies of the systems engineering process, applications of systems engineering to solving complex problems, systems level modeling and simulation, and systems suitability assessment. Subject to approval of the student's dissertation committee chairman, dissertation research may be conducted away from NPS at cooperating facilities. Students must satisfy a one-year residency requirement. This may be met by completing an NPS M.S. degree plus periodic extended stays (nominally two weeks per quarter) at an NPS campus spread throughout the duration of the student's program. The M.S. degree may be completed before enrollment in the Ph.D. program.

Applicants should possess an M.S. degree in Systems Engineering. Applicants with only a B.S. degree or an M.S. degree in another discipline will be required to take a number of systems engineering courses (equivalent to the coursework portion ofj an MSSE degree program) to pass the qualifying examinations.

Laboratories and Research

Students in the Systems Engineering Department participate in a variety of research activities ranging from course-based experiments and individual classroom projects to larger team-based design projects and individual thesis research. To support these instructional and research activities, the Systems Engineering Department maintains a number of laboratories. Specifically, these laboratories serve to:

• Provide broad, hands-on, practical engineering experiences to systems engineering students enhancing application domain understanding at the component and subsystem levels and balancing analysis with exploratory development and prototyping
• Provide an environment (facilities and equipment) that fosters student projects with resulting hardware prototypes and investigations that reach beyond concept definition to later stages of the life cycle
• Provide an environment that facilitates student and faculty experimental research in applications of systems engineering

Laboratories

These laboratories include seven instructional and team-based project spaces:

• The Systems Engineering Computation Lab provides exceptionally substantial computational support for large-scale simulation, modeling, and systems engineering projects. It provides a general-purpose computing facility for students and faculty and serves as a classroom for computer-intensive courses.
• The Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) & Warfare Integration and Programming Division (N8F) Electromechanical Systems Lab provides space for conducting introductory experiments in mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity, and magnetism.
• The Sensors, Dynamics, and Control Lab (SDCL) provides a number of sensing, guidance, navigation and control systems workstations and experimental setups allowing students to investigate different aspects of a synergistic loop where sensors provide information about a system's state, dynamics describe how the system behaves over time, and control systems manipulate the system to achieve a desired behavior. Sensing and control may involve using artificial intelligence techniques.
• The Laser/Lidar Development Lab provides space for conducting experiments with optical systems that require darkened conditions, such as optical imaging and night vision devices.
• The Combat Systems Lab provides space for conducting experiments in support of the courses in the Combat Systems track. Experiments provide hands-on experience with important concepts and permit direct observation of critical phenomena associated with sensors, weapons, and sensor/weapon networks.
• The Systems Engineering Analysis (SEA) / Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate (CDIO) Projects Labs consist of several spaces that provide an environment in which students in the MSSE program can work together on the team-based CDIO and SEA projects.
• The Design Commons provides an additional environment for the students to work together on the team-based CDIO projects.

Hand-on experience in systems design can be gained while working in three assembly and fabrication laboratories:

• The Mechanical Assembly and Integration Area provides mechanical fabrication support for instructional laboratories, student projects, and research. It houses a number of machine and hand tools and has a small supply of materials available for general use. Limited space is available for assembling mechanical projects.
• The Electrical Assembly and Integration Area provides electrical and electronic fabrication support for instructional laboratories, student projects, and research. It houses a collection of electronic test equipment and a small supply of electronic components available for general use. Several workstations are available for assembling electronic projects.
• The Advanced Fabrication Lab provides space for modern fabrication systems. The lab contains multiple 3D printers capable of printing plastic (PLA), reinforced plastic (carbon fiber, Kevlar), nylon, and 17-4 stainless steel. The lab provides capabilities for micro and electronic manufacturing. The lab also provides the facility for the department’s virtual and augmented reality systems.

The Systems Engineering Department also leverages the facilities of NPS’ maker space, the RoboDojo, that allows student to design, build, and test robotic and autonomous systems. The lab includes 3D printers, a laser cutter, and other computer-based fabrication and programming equipment, as well as bench testing space.

Four applied research laboratories help students to succeed in team-based projects and individual thesis research related to robotics and uncrewed / autonomous systems:

• The Autonomous Systems Engineering & Integration Laboratory (ASEIL) provides space for experiments involving indoor ground and air vehicles. These vehicles enable mission engineering / collaborative autonomy experiments within an instrumented netted indoor range area.
• The Advanced Robotic Systems Engineering Lab (ARSENL) represents an integrated concept generation, modeling, simulation, and field experimentation effort to design, develop, and deploy a swarm UAV in combat missions.
• The Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Lab (ADSC) is involved in different challenging projects, providing a wide variety of thesis opportunities in different areas: conceptual design, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis, computer modeling, image processing, control design, sensor integration as related to payload and crew delivery systems to deliver cargo to a specific location on Earth / Mars or transport astronauts from space.
• The Seabed-To-Atmosphere Robotics (STAR) Lab is a subsea and seabed warfare (SSW)-focused, applied technology, research and development laboratory aiming at creating a set of unique, disruptive, seabed-based robotics and weapon systems capabilities for US power projection and homeland defense that will remain resilient, effective and relevant for decades.

In addition to these applied research laboratories, the Systems Engineering Department leverages multiple proximal regional facilities for remote testing of autonomous systems and related subsystems. Currently NPS operates these systems at several locations to include McMillan Airfield at Camp Roberts (Restricted Airspace R-2504), Carmel Shore (FAA Certificate of Authorization), Monterey Bay Academy Airfield (FAA Certificate of Authorization), and Hunter Low MOA Corridor (FAA Certificate of Authorization).

Research

The aforementioned laboratories enable Systems Engineering Department faculty members to conduct a variety of research in five broad areas:

Systems Engineering Methodology which involves the investigation or development of tools and techniques for conceptualizing, designing, and developing systems. Study areas include discovery of fundamental principles of systems theory, elucidating the use of these principles through systems engineering tools and techniques, analyzing the conditions of employing the tools and techniques, and determining the efficacy of those tools and techniques. Specific methodology areas include system requirements generation, requirements allocation, system architecture, system dynamics and control, and risk engineering.

Systems Engineering Application which involves the application of systems engineering processes to the solution of specific complex problems. This can include conceptual design of systems, investigation of issues associated with integration of system components into system segments, investigation of issues associated with integration of system segments into systems, and the analysis of case studies of successful and/or unsuccessful systems engineering applied to military acquisition programs. Specific application areas include combat systems integration, ship systems engineering, and enterprise systems engineering.

System Simulation and Modeling which involves the development of simulations and models of military systems and their missions, evaluation of the efficacy of these simulations and models in providing information to accomplish systems engineering functions (especially system design requirements and comparison of alternative solutions), and investigation of the characteristics of simulations and models that lead to outputs useful in the systems engineering process.

System Suitability Assessment which involves the study of tools, techniques, and disciplines that permit the assessment of the suitability of systems in meeting requirements. Requirements can include performance, availability, operability, and cost. Specific suitability assessment areas include reliability engineering, system survivability, and system cost estimation and control.

System / Mission Prototyping, Testing and Evaluation involves hands-on experience in designing, developing, prototyping, verifying and validating systems, their components, and systems of systems. Systems and their missions testing and evaluation are conducted indoors as well as in challenging and realistic outdoor environments.

Systems Engineering Course Descriptions

SE Courses

SI Courses