At some point in an engineering career, the challenge can begin to change.
The work may become less about solving one technical problem and more about understanding how multiple technologies, requirements, stakeholders, and decisions fit together.
That is the territory of systems engineering.
Cal Poly Pomona’s Master of Science in Systems Engineering is designed to help professionals develop the multidisciplinary perspective needed to design, integrate, implement, and manage complex systems throughout their life cycles.
Building beyond technical depth
CPP describes systems engineering as combining engineering principles with systems thinking.Rather than examining technical performance alone, systems engineers consider technical, economic, and social dimensions and how they affect stakeholder requirements and the performance of the larger system.
For an experienced engineer, developing that perspective can broaden the kinds of problems they are prepared to address.
CPP positions the degree as preparation for increased professional versatility and leadership opportunities, including program management, chief engineer, and director-level roles.
Graduate education without leaving your career behind
The program also recognizes that many prospective students are already working engineers.
Classes meet during evening hours, with each course meeting once per week, and the program combines in-person and online instruction.
CPP graduate Cambria Jimenez completed the program while working full-time and credits the night-class structure with allowing her to continue progressing professionally while earning her degree.
Graduate Alejandro Preciado describes a different outcome. He says the program provided a foundation that propelled his career and led to multiple systems engineering opportunities after graduation.
Together, their experiences illustrate two reasons an engineer might consider graduate study in systems engineering.
One is growth while working.
The other is preparation for what comes next.
For engineers who want to understand not only their complex problem but how the entire system comes together, systems engineering offers a way to expand both perspective and responsibility.