system engineering phd online

PhD in Systems Engineering Online

Traditional PhD programs are designed to support full-time, primarily on-campus students. WPI’s Online PhD in Systems Engineering program is different. We expect the majority of our students to be part-time, off-campus professionals who have full-time jobs and have been or are involved in systems engineering related work.

The implications of this expectation are that the WPI systems engineering program faculty and administrators will:

• Offer all program courses online, without a traditional on-campus residency requirement.
• Offer the required research seminars in a virtual classroom setting where all participants can readily interact with each other.
• Support student research by strongly encouraging our students to submit papers and presentations to national conferences.
• Expect regular, well-documented, research advisor(s) interactions.
• Utilize best-practice methods to enhance student engagement and encourage professional development.

While we accept applications at any time, faculty review applicants for this program only twice per year – March 1 and November 1.  Click here to apply now .

Refer a Friend

Do you have a friend, colleague, or family member who might be interested in Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s (WPI) graduate programs? Click below to tell them about our programs.

On-Demand Webinar: Systems Engineering and SE Leadership Info Session

View our on-demand webinar to be introduced to WPI's online Systems Engineering graduate programs. Get an overview of program logistics, what online learning looks like, the application process, and more!

PROGRAM OVERVIEW (a minimum of 60 credits beyond MS)

DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS Selected in consultation with the Research Advisor Focus Area 1: A minimum of 12 credit hours of thematically related graduate courses selected from the areas of Science (including Computer Science), Mathematics, and Engineering excluding Systems Engineering (which can be waived for students with an MS in Science, as defined above) Focus Area 2: A minimum of 9 credit hours of thematically related courses, as defined above and different from the first Focus Area

RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS A minimum of 30 credits registered as SYS 699. Dissertation Research

EXAM REQUIREMENTS Qualifying Exam: Successfully completed no later than 18 credits beyond the MS degree Area Examination: Successfully completed after the Qualifying Exam and no later than 42 graduate credit hours after matriculation into the PhD program Defense: A public defense after certification of the final PhD dissertation research is required. The defense can be scheduled any time after the end of the semester in which the Area Examination was completed

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS Students must establish residency by being a full-time online graduate student for at least one continuous academic year. Full-time graduate students are required to take a minimum of 6 credits per semester.

Admissions Qualifications

Preferred program applicant.

The preferred program applicant will have an MS in systems engineering with a minimum GPA of 3.5. Applicants who have earned an engineering master's degree, but not in systems engineering, and who have demonstrated systems engineering work experience, are also strongly encouraged to apply. All applicants will be considered for admission into the PhD program based on a thorough review of their application materials.

Students who have not yet earned an MS degree will not be considered for the WPI Systems Engineering PhD program until completion of the MS program.

PhD Application Process

We are now accepting applications for the online part-time se phd program. if you are interested in a full-time se phd, please contact prof. shams bhada ..

• Non-refundable $70 application fee (waived for WPI alumni and current WPI students)
• Official transcripts in English from accredited institutions
• Three letters of recommendation (can be done through the application portal)
• Statement of purpose (to be submitted with the online application )
• A statement of relevant and related SE work experiences
• Proof of English language proficiency from all applicants for whom English is not their first language: TOEFL or IELTS

Note: GRE scores are not required; we strongly encourage applicants to submit their GRE scores though if they are still current (3 years or less)

For specific application requirements, visit  our admissions for online programs  page.

Experiential PhD: Working Full-Time While Pursuing Your PhD Degree

WPI supports individuals working full-time in industry to pursue PhD degrees either part-time or full-time on topics related to their employment. Want to learn more about this opportunity and how to obtain this industry-based PhD degree, visit the WPI Experiential PhD program page.

Other online graduate programs in Systems Engineering: 

• Online graduate certificate in Systems Engineering
• Online MS in Systems Engineering

See all the events and webinars that the Graduate Studies team are hosting and attending.

View the Calendar

Got 7 minutes? Take this short survey and help improve the grad-school-research experience for you and your peers.

Take the Survey  

• Doctoral Degrees

Doctor of Philosophy in Systems and Engineering Management

Hybrid/Blended Requires some face-to-face courses.

About the Program

The Doctor of Philosophy in Systems and Engineering Management program prepares competent industrial engineers and engineering managers for industry, consulting, university teaching and research. The Bureau of Labor Statistics growth rates for engineering management professionals project that these roles will increase by 30% in the next decade.

Visit the program website for more details.

Some programs may require you to come to the main campus or regional site for a course or activity. Make sure and check with the Department/Program Advisor to ensure you are able to meet the programs' requirements before you apply. Visit the program website for more details.

• Like Online on Facebook Like Online on Facebook
• Follow Online on Instagram Follow Online on Instagram

Systems Ph.D.

• M.Eng. Degree On Campus
• M.Eng. Degree Distance Learning
• Systems M.S. Degree
• Minor in Systems Engineering
• Professional Certificates
• Student Organizations
• Energy Systems M.Eng. Pathway
• Health Systems Engineering M.Eng. Pathway
• Systems M.Eng. Projects
• Research Topics
• Research News
• Ezra's Round Table / Systems Seminar Series
• Academic Leadership
• Graduate Field Faculty
• Graduate Students
• Staff Directory
• Ezra Systems Postdoctoral Associates
• Research Associates
• Faculty Openings-Systems
• Get Involved
• Giving Opportunities
• Recruit Students
• Systems Magazine
• Academic Support
• Experience and Employment
• Graduate Services and Activities
• Mental Health Resources
• Recruitment Calendar
• Tuition and Financial Aid
• Program Description
• Program Offerings
• How to Apply
• Ezra Postdoctoral Associate in Energy Systems Engineering
• Cornell Systems Summit

Are you looking to take a leadership role within a research group or company division or as a professor? The employment prospects for the graduates of this program, both in academia and industry, are remarkably high as demand for systems experts far outweighs their supply. We expect the graduates of the program to find employment in a variety of fields, including academia, and public, private and governmental agencies specializing in energy, healthcare, defense, aerospace, information technology, policy making, etc. The applicable areas are endless because systems science and engineering are essential to tackle today’s complex global challenges.

Ph.D. in Systems

Accepting applications now for fall 2025 deadline to apply: january 15.

Graduates of the program will find employment in a variety of fields, including academia and public, private and governmental agencies specializing in energy, healthcare, defense, aerospace, information technology, policy making, etc.

Active areas of research

• Multi-agent simulation framework for cooperative observing systems of systems
• Patterns in architectural decisions and fast problem formulation in system architecture
• Extreme weather forecasting using constellations of nanosatellites
• Improved human-computer interaction for design of complex systems
• Integrated materials and process design for carbon capture systems
• Cyber-physical infrastructure and informatics for healthy living in smart cities
• Enhancing the food security through sustainable regional food systems development
• Forecasting evacuation behaviors of coastal communities in response to storm hazard information
• Willingness to improve the resiliency of New York City’s transportation system
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing modeling and control
• Systems design of chemical manufacturing from shale gas

Research Vision for Systems@Cornell

•    Strongly rooted in Cornell identity         • Rigorous theoretical foundations         • Disciplinary breadth         • Integrative and multi-disciplinary

•    Focused on solving global societal challenges         • Water-food-energy nexus         • Global climate change         • Built environment, infrastructure, transportation, energy, manufacturing  

“This PROGRAM is not ABOUT learning existing techniques. These are people who are going to create the state of the art… And so who do you turn to when appropriate techniques don’t exist for innovating complex systems? That’s a systems Ph.D.” –    Pat Reed, Professor,       Systems Engineering Field Faculty Member

582: Systems Engineering PhD - NPS Online

Systems engineering ph.d..

Ph.D. Degree #582

Starts: Quarterly

Program Area: Naval Engineering

POC: Program Director

Modality: Hybrid

The Department of Systems Engineering offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Systems Engineering (DL). Students take graduate level courses 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 periodic extended stays (nominally two weeks per quarter) at an NPS campus spread throughout the duration of the student's program.

Eligibility

The following are eligible for this offering:

• Naval Officers
• Non-Naval Officers
• DON Civilians
• DOD Civilians
• Non-DOD Federal Employees
• International military personnel
• International non-military personnel

Requirements for Entry

• Ideally, 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 of an MSSE degree program) to pass the qualifying examinations. Unless an M.S. thesis and any other ABET EAC accreditation requirements are also satisfied, an M.S. in Systems Engineering degree will not be awarded for this preparatory work.

Application Information

Applications are handled by the NPS Admissions Office. Please visit the admissions website or contact them at [email protected] .

Tuition & Service Obligation

For information regarding tuition, please contact the NPS Tuition office at [email protected] , or contact this offering’s POC at [email protected] .

For information regarding service obligation, please visit the Admissions Office’s Eligibility/Service Obligation page .

Other Information

View the Systems Engineering Distance Learning Programs Flyer (PDF 661KB)

Program Requirements and Standard Curriculum

• Six courses (24 quarter credits) above the Masters degree 
• Core required courses may be waived if students have already taken a similar course at the discretion of the PhD committee and/or advisor.  The student is still responsible for the material in the waived courses during written and oral qualifier exams.
• OS3180: Probability and Statistics for Systems Engineering
• SE3100: Fundamentals of Systems Engineering
• SE3302: System Suitability
• SI3400: Fundamentals of Engineering Project Management
• A research methods course
• Other 4000 level courses at the discretion of student’s advisor
• Within the six courses taken, three of them should form a sequence for the student to obtain depth within a specialty field of interest. For example, a student could specialize in model-based systems engineering by taking: SE4150 (Systems Architecting and Design) , SE4930 (Model-Based Systems Engineering) , and SE4900 (Advanced Studies in Systems Engineering) .

Five written exams

• SE Fundamentals
• Applied Probability and Statistics for Systems Engineers
• Three exams on 4000 level courses at the discretion of dissertation adviser
• Adviser may choose to have student sit for additional exams as necessitated by the student’s research

Dissertation Research

• A minimum of 3 dissertation research course blocks (12 quarter credits) but must stay enrolled each quarter until completion of dissertation.
• Publishing in archival, peer-review journals is considered one of the best ways to disseminate scholarly research. Additionally, publication in recognized journals entails external validation of the quality and relevance of the research.
• All PhD students are required to have a prepared manuscript for journal publication. The manuscript shall be available and deemed acceptable for submission to a journal prior to scheduling the dissertation defense.

Additional Expectations

Biennial on-campus meetings: Twice year to coincide with beginning of Fall and Summer quarters (e.g.: synched with 721 SEM-PD21 curriculum ) an orientation will be held on campus and other activities for both new and continuing PhD students. The purpose is to meet face-to-face, develop a research community among PhD students, and orient new as well as continuing students.

Admissions Requirements

Please contact the offering POC for details about where to submit application materials.

Materials required:

• Academic transcripts
• 2 Letters of academic recommendation
• Letter of intent
• Sample of technical writing
• GRE scores may be requested to be taken under certain circumstances to include candidate has marginal academic performance, lacks engineering or technical experience or significant gaps exist between undergraduate, graduate and proposed PhD degree
• A Participation Agreement
• Confirmation of funding

Application Deadlines

No upcoming deadlines.

Academic Calendar

No upcoming events.

• Request Info
• Bachelor's Degrees
• Master's Degrees
• Ph.D. & Doctoral Degrees
• Grad Certificates
• Professional Ed
• Undergraduate Minors, Certificates, & Training
• Professional Development & Training
• Credit Courses
• Noncredit Courses
• All-University Core Curriculum
• Free Online Courses
• Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
• Professional Ed d
• Contact Us d

Select one of the options below:

Online Doctoral Programs

Push your learning past a master's with an online doctoral program.

Colorado State University's online doctoral programs are taught by renowned faculty, known both for their and industry practice. Your accredited doctorate will be awarded without denoting the online delivery format. All students earn a CSU degree, regardless of how they take courses.

Systems Engineering Ph.D. The online Ph.D. in systems engineering prepares students to work with multi-disciplinary teams and methods to solve complex problems in any industry. The online format offers the advantage of synchronous or asynchronous delivery, allowing you the flexibility to study when and where it works best for your situation.

Doctor of Engineering in Systems Engineering This program is suited for both practicing engineers and professionals who desire to transition into a systems engineering career from a related discipline. Study online and on campus to earn your doctorate in engineering.

Hybrid and Classroom-Based Ph.D. Programs

CSU offers graduate degree programs and course instruction provided to students in classrooms off campus, during a short on-campus residency, and/or in combination with online learning. The amount of time that students are required to be in a physical classroom varies, so it is important to check each graduate program or course webpage for detailed information.

Higher Education Leadership Ph.D. (Online with classroom component) CSU's Ph.D. in higher education leadership provides the opportunity to study online and also to connect with your professors and cohort in person during two short visits to campus. Become a more accomplished leader with the practical knowledge needed to advance your administrative leadership career in higher education.

Organizational Learning, Performance, and Change Ph.D. (Denver) The OLPC Ph.D. develops skills and competencies in students who seek to improve organizational effectiveness, enhance decision-making skills, and develop analysis and research expertise. Designed for working executives, researchers, academics, and professionals, classes meet on Saturdays at CSU Extended Campus - Denver.

Request Information

By providing your information, you consent to receive calls, emails, and/or text messages from CSU Online. Consent not required to purchase goods or services. For more info, call 1-970-491-5288 . We respect your privacy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Graduate Student Experience

Find out how online courses allow students to work full-time, access cutting-edge research, and connect with the CSU community from across the world.

• Accreditation
• Dates & Deadlines
• Faculty & Staff Resources
• Classroom Locations
• p (970) 491-5288
• e 2545 Research Blvd. Fort Collins, CO 80526
• Privacy Information
• State Authorization Disclaimer
• Equal Opportunity