University of Southern California

 

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Master of Science in Systems Architecting and Engineering

This program is recommended to graduate engineers and engineering managers responsible for the conception and implementation of complex systems. Emphasis is on the creative process by which these systems are conceived, planned, designed, built, tested, certified, used and retired.

Engineers with several years of work experience will learn tools and approaches for making decisions in the technical environment of today's corporations and institutions. The architecting experience can be applied to industries in defense, space, aircraft, communications, navigation, sensor, computer software, computer hardware, and commercial systems and activities. Industrial relevance is maintained through regular meetings with industry contacts and industry experienced instructors. The Master of Science in Systems Architecting and Engineering (MSSARE) is an interdisciplinary program administered by the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering in cooperation with the departments of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and the USC Marshall School of Business. Specialization Tracks are available in the following areas:

  • Aerospace and Mechanical Systems
  • Dynamics and Control
  • Artificial Intelligence/Neural Networks
  • Engineering Management
  • Astronautics
  • Integrated Media Systems
  • Automation and Control Systems
  • Manufacturing Systems
  • Communication & Signal Processing Systems
  • Net-Centric Systems
  • Computation Fluid & Solid Mechanics
  • Software Process Architecting
  • Computer and Information Systems
  • System Safety & Security
  • Computer Security
  • Systems

Available On-Campus and Online
In addition to our traditional on-campus classroom environment, this program is also available via online delivery through the Viterbi School’s Distance Education Network (DEN). This flexible option is ideal for engineering professionals who choose to pursue an advanced degree while employed. Visit our 'Getting Started' section to find out if DEN is right for you.


Application Criteria & Materials
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Application Criteria

An undergraduate degree in an engineering, math, or hard science from a regionally-accredited university.

Satisfactory cumulative undergraduate GPA (grade point average)

Satisfactory GRE test scores. All scores must be officially reported to the university directly by ETS.

Satisfactory performance in previous coursework related to the intended major.

A minimum of three years of industrial experience is highly recommended prior to taking Systems Architecting, Systems Engineering, and Design Experience courses. This program is not recommended for Bachelor’s Degree graduates without industrial experience.

Apply Online: www.usc.edu/admission/graduate/apply


Application Materials
All Applicants
 
International Applicants

USC Online Application: All applicants must complete and submit the USC Online Application.

Transcripts: Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, sealed by the institution.

Mail transcripts to:

USC Graduate Office of Admission
University Park Campus
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0915

If via private carrier (UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.):

University of Southern California Office of Admission & Financial Aid
3601 South Flower Street
Tyler 1
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0915

GRE General Test: Satisfactory scores less than five years old. Official scores must be reported from ETS directly to USC using ETS school code 4852. A department code is not required.

Letters of Recommendation (three required): Letters of recommendation should be from faculty or others (supervisors, professional colleagues, etc.) qualified to evaluate your potential for graduate study. They should be written on official letterhead.

Statement of Purpose (required): The statement of purpose should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program at the Viterbi School of Engineering, your preparation for this field of study, study interests, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study.

 

TOEFL: The TOEFL is not required for admission to USC, however, we strongly encourage all international students to submit a TOEFL score. USC administers an English placement (ISE) exam during orientation for all international students to determine if additional courses in English are needed. Students can place out of the exam with a score of at least:

  • 100 or higher on the internet-based TOEFL (with a minimum score of 20 in each section)
  • 250 or higher on the computer-based TOEFL
  • 600 or higher on the paper-based TOEFL

Students whose native language is English and/or obtained their bachelor's degree from a U.S. college or university are also exempted from this requirement.

The TOEFL must have been taken within the last two years to be valid.



Completion Requirements
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A minimum of 30 units is required for the general MS in Systems Architecting and Engineering degree.

  • Required courses: 12-13 units
  • Technical management area elective course: 3 units
  • General technical area elective course: 3 units
  • Technical specialization area elective courses: 12 units
  • Minimum number of units in the Viterbi School of Engineering: 24 units
  • No more than 9 units at the 400-level may be counted toward the degree. Remaining units must be taken at the 500-level or above.
  • No more than 6 units of Special Topics courses (499 or 599) may be counted towards the degree.
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required for graduation.



Program Details and Course Offerings
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Click on these icons next to a course name for more information:
Available Online through the Distance Education Network. Visit our 'Getting Started' section to find out more information.


Please note that the courses listed below are those typically available. Students should always consult with the USC Schedule of Classes and USC Catalogue for the most updated and official information. If you have any questions about these courses, please contact our office directly.


Required courses (9 units)
Notes
Student should take only one of the following: ISE 460, ISE 561, ISE 563 or SAE 560
ISE 460 | Engineering Economy (or ISE 561 or ISE 563 or SAE 560)   Available Online
ISE 561 | Economic Analysis of Engineering Projects (or ISE 460 or ISE 563 or SAE 560)   Available Online
ISE 563 | Financial Engineering (or ISE 460 or ISE 561 or SAE 560)   Available Online
SAE 560 | Economic Considerations for Systems Engineering (or ISE 460 or ISE 561 or ISE 563)   Available Online
SAE 541 | Systems Engineering Theory and Practice   Available Online
SAE 549 | Systems Architecting   Available Online
In addition to the above, the student must take one design experience courses or an equivalent approved by the program director.

 

Electives
Notes
Technical Management Area: Take one course (3 units) from the following:
CE 556ab | Project Cost Estimating, Control, Planning and Scheduling   Available Online
IOM 525 | Quality Improvement Methods  
IOM 527 | Managerial Decision Analysis  
IOM 537 | Global Businesses and Markets: Strategies Enabled by Technology  
IOM 580 | Project Management  
ISE 515 | Engineering Product Management   Available Online
ISE 517 | Modern Enterprise Systems   Available Online
ISE 544 | Management of Engineering Teams   Available Online
ISE 562 | Value and Decision Theory   Available Online
ISE 585 | Strategic Management of Technology   Available Online
MOR 561 | Strategies in High-Tech Businesses  
SAE 550 | Systems Architecting and the Political Process   Available Online
General Technical Area: Take one course (3 units) from the following:
CSCI 510 | Software Management and Economics   Available Online
CSCI 577ab | Software Engineering   Available Online
IOM 535 | Database Management  
ISE 580 | Advanced Concepts in Computer Simulation   Available Online
SAE 542 | Advanced Topics in Systems Engineering   Available Online
SAE 543 | Case Studies in Systems Engineering and Management   Available Online
SAE 550 | Systems Architecting and the Political Process   Available Online
SAE 551 | Lean Operations   Available Online

Technical Specialization Area:
Twelve units are required, usually in the student's present or intended technical specialty. Courses are intended to complement the student's prior education and experience toward becoming a well-rounded systems architect-engineer or architect-manager. With a few exceptions, the courses should come from the recommended list, and usually all from a single specialization.

The student may choose from a large variety of technical specializations spanning all departments in the Viterbi School of Engineering. Flexibility is emphasized in this choice; the program director is expected to work closely with the student in choosing the best set of courses to meet the student's need.

Several sample specializations are listed below but are not intended to be complete.

Sample Specializations (Recommended Courses)
Notes
Aerospace and Mechanical Systems:
AME 503 | Advanced Mechanical Design   Available Online
AME 504 | Metallurgical Design  
AME 521 | Engineering Vibrations II   Available Online
AME 532a | Flight Vehicle Stability and Control   Available Online
AME 544 | Computer Control of Mechanical Systems  
AME 548 | Analytical Methods in Robotics   Available Online
AME 560 | Fatigue and Fracture   Available Online
AME 588 | Materials Selection   Available Online
Artificial Intelligence/Neural Networks:
CSCI 460 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence    
CSCI 545 | Robotics  
CSCI 561 | Foundations of Artificial Intelligence   Available Online
CSCI 564 | Brain Theory and Artificial Intelligence   Available Online
CSCI 566 | Neural Network Self-Organization  
CSCI 567 | Machine Learning  
CSCI 574 | Computer Vision   Available Online
EE 547 | Sensing and Planning in Robotics  
Automation and Control Systems:
EE 543a | Digital Control Systems   Available Online
EE 547 | Sensing and Planning in Robotics  
EE 585 | Linear System Theory   Available Online
EE 587 | Nonlinear and Adaptive Control   Available Online
EE 588 | Linear Quadratic Control   Available Online
EE 593 | Multivariable Control   Available Online
Communication and Signal Processing Systems:
EE 551 | Principles of Radar   Available Online
EE 562a | Random Processes in Engineering   Available Online
EE 563 | Estimation Theory   Available Online
EE 564 | Communication Theory   Available Online
EE 567 | Communication Systems   Available Online
EE 580 | Optical Communications    
EE 583 | Adaptive Signal Processing   Available Online
Computer and Information Systems:
CSCI 485 | File and Database Management  
CSCI 551 | Computer Communications   Available Online
CSCI 585 | Database Systems   Available Online
EE 552 | Asynchronous VLSI Design   Available Online
EE 554 | Real Time Computer Systems   Available Online
EE 561 | Foundations of Artificial Intelligence  
EE 562a | Random Processes in Engineering   Available Online
EE 574 | Computer Vision  
EE 658 | Diagnosis and Design of Reliable Digital Systems   Available Online
Construction:
CE 501 | Functions of the Constructor   Available Online
CE 519 | Transportation Engineering  
CE 525ab | Engineering Analysis   Available Online
CE 533 | Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering  
CE 536 | Structural Design for Dynamic Loads   Available Online
CE 556ab | Project Controls – Budgeting and Estimating   Available Online
CE 583 | Design of Transportation Facilities    
Engineering Management Systems:
ISE 515 | Engineering Project Management   Available Online
ISE 530 | Introduction to Operations Research   Available Online
ISE 535 | Continuous Systems Simulation  
ISE 544 | Management of Engineering Teams   Available Online
ISE 562 | Value and Decision Theory   Available Online
ISE 580 | Advanced Concepts in Computer Simulation   Available Online
ISE 585 | Strategic Management of Technology   Available Online
SAE 541 | Systems Engineering Theory and Practice   Available Online
SAE 550 | Systems Architecting and the Political Process   Available Online
Integrated Media Systems:
EE 450 | Introduction to Computer Networks   Available Online
EE 469 | Introduction to Digital Media Engineering    
EE 522 | Immersive Audio Signal Processing    
EE 555 | Broadband Network Architectures   Available Online
EE 569 | Introduction to Digital Image Processing   Available Online
EE 596 | Wavelets   Available Online
CSCI 480 | Computer Graphics    
CSCI 551 | Computer Communications   Available Online
CSCI 574 | Computer Vision   Available Online
CSCI 576 | Multimedia Systems Design   Available Online
CSCI 585 | Database Systems   Available Online
CSCI 588 | Specification and Design of User Interface Software   Available Online
Manufacturing Systems:  
AME 588 | Materials Selection   Available Online
EE 561ab | Foundations of Artificial Intelligence  
ISE 511 | Computer Aided Manufacturing  
ISE 514 | Advanced Production Planning and Scheduling   Available Online
ISE 516 | Facilities Location and Layout  
ISE 517 | Modern Enterprise Systems   Available Online
ISE 544 | Management of Engineering Teams   Available Online
ISE 570 | Human Factors in Engineering   Available Online
Network-centric:
CSCI 402 | Operating Systems   Available Online
CSCI 530 | Security Systems   Available Online
CSCI 551 | Computer Communications   Available Online
CSCI 555 | Advanced Operating Systems   Available Online
CSCI 558L | Internetworking and Distributed Systems Laboratory    
CSCI 577ab | Software Engineering   Available Online
EE 550 | Design and Analysis of Computer Communication Networks   Available Online
SAE 574 | Net-Centric Systems Architecting and Engineering   Available Online
Software Process Architecture:
CSCI 510 | Software Management and Economics   Available Online
CSCI 577b | Software Engineering   Available Online
EE 554 | Real Time Computer Systems   Available Online
EE 557 | Computer Systems Architecture   Available Online
ISE 544 | Management of Engineering Teams   Available Online
ISE 562 | Value and Decision Theory   Available Online
ISE 564 | Performance Analysis   Available Online
Systems:
ISE 515 | Engineering Project Management   Available Online
ISE 520 | Optimization: Theory and Algorithms   Available Online
ISE 525 | Design of Experiments   Available Online
ISE 527 | Quality Management for Engineers   Available Online
ISE 528 | Advanced Statistical Aspects of Engineering Reliability   Available Online
ISE 532 | Network Flows   Available Online
ISE 535 | Continuous Systems Simulation  
ISE 536 | Linear Programming and Extensions   Available Online
ISE 538 | Elements of Stochastic Processes   Available Online
ISE 544 | Management of Engineering Teams   Available Online
ISE 562 | Value and Decision Theory   Available Online
ISE 580 | Advanced Concepts in Computer Simulation   Available Online
ISE 585 | Strategic Management of Technology   Available Online
SAE 541 | Systems Engineering Theory and Practice   Available Online
SAE 542 | Advanced Topics in Systems Engineering   Available Online

 

 




Contact Information
contact All General Questions
Please contact our office for all general questions about this program, including courses through DEN.
Ph: 213-740-4488
Toll Free (in the U.S.): 877-740-1336
Fax: 213-821-0851
Request Information


Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering
The Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering is a world leader in education, research and innovation through the creation, expansion and communication of knowledge for the design, operation, integration and improvement of products, processes and socio-technical systems. .

http://viterbi.usc.edu/epstein


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