Online Degrees in Systems Engineering

Systems Engineering Degrees

Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary specialty within the broader field of engineering. As a systems engineer, you'd combine principles from mechanical, electrical and computer engineering and apply them towards the construction of complex engineering devices. Some of the projects on which you might work include the design of spacecraft, motor vehicles, and industrial robots.

In a systems engineering degree program you will need to study subjects including systems modeling and simulation, requirements analysis and control systems, and may be able to learn about special topics such as robotics or autonomous vehicles. Upon graduating from such a program, at either the bachelor's or master's degree level, you should have the capability to determine design compatibility, to define requirements, to manage projects, to analyze costs, to create schedules, to determine maintenance needs and ease of operation, and to assess the need for systems upgrades. You should also have the communications skills necessary for you to share your expertise and to get input from fellow engineers and from project managers, suppliers and customers.

With a systems engineering degree, you could position yourself for a career in a number of different fields. You could work in the computer industry as a software systems engineer, in the oil and gas industry as a petroleum engineer, in the manufacturing industry as an industrial systems engineer, in the electronics industry as an electronic systems engineer, or in the field of "green technology" as an  environmental systems engineer.