Mission Statement

Modern technological programs are characterized by high and ever growing complexity, multidisciplinary character, and strong interactions between science, technology, business, and human civilization. Systems Engineering is the body of knowledge evolved to successfully manage such systems. The mission of all academic programs offered by the LMU Systems Engineering Department is to provide working engineers and scientists the knowledge and skills needed to manage such endeavors and enable the realization of successful systems as members of systems engineering, science, business and public policy teams.

Towards this goal, the LMU Systems Engineering Program offers a rich menu of study options and technical areas. The Program develops three following attributes in all of its graduates:

• The ability to execute the systems engineering process with excellence;
• The capability to lead a complex systems engineering activity and manage a multidisciplinary team of engineers and scientists;
• The capability to work utilizing ethical and sustainability principles.

The students who elect the dual degree program called Systems Engineering Leadership Program (SELP), will also gain an MBA knowledge and skills, including the business fundamentals required to perform technical and business trades and manage programs towards both business and technical success. The SELP will confer dual-degrees upon its graduates: an MBA and an MS in Systems Engineering. There is considerable interaction between the Colleges of Business Administration and Science and Engineering in creating and teaching the curriculum using the strengths of both colleges.

The Systems Engineering Program at LMU offers students a large menu of technical specializations, all leading to MS degrees, as follows:

• Systems Engineering MS (no specialization)
• Systems Engineering MS with Technical Focus in Computer Science
• Systems Engineering MS with Technical Focus in Civil Engineering or Environmental Science. Four Tracks are available:
  • Water Resources
  • Air Quality and Industrial
  • Water Resource Management
  • Environmental Management
• Systems Engineering MS with Technical Focus in Ecology and Sustainability
• Systems Engineering MS with Technical Focus in Electrical Engineering
• Systems Engineering MS with Technical Focus in Mechanical Engineering
• Electronic Systems Engineering MS

A graduate Certificate Program is also available in Electronic Systems Engineering.

Students can be admitted into any SE program throughout the year and begin their coursework in the Fall or Spring semester, or in Summer Term I or Summer Term II.

Areas of Excellence

• LMU is the coordinating center and leader of the new field of Lean Systems Engineering. The International Council on Systems Engineering bestowed the prestigious 2010 Best Product Award to the LMU-led international team of 14 experts from academia, industry and governments, supported by the 174-member Working Group for developing a comprehensive set of practices leading to a better execution of Systems Engineering programs, saving program time and cost and improving quality and customer satisfaction. The work also received the 2010 Shingo Award for Best Research and Publication. The unique Lean courses teach Lean in manufacturing, supply chain, product development, systems engineering, final engineering, administration and accounting. LMU Faculty published the book "Lean for Systems Engineering with Lean Enablers for Systems Engineering," B.W. Oppenheim, Wiley, 2011. Click to see the INCOSE review of te book.  

• LMU Faculty is involved in a joint INCOSE-Project Management Institute-MIT LAI project developing Lean Enablers for Managing Engineering Programs, integrating Lean aspects of Program Management and Systems Engineering.
• All courses combine academic rigor with practical focus. All faculty in the Systems Engineering  Program have extensive industrial leadership experience in the top national aerospace companies. Several faculty have served in management positions in some of the largest space programs in the nation.

• LMU Systems Engineering and Systems Engineering Leadership Programs have graduated numerous engineers from Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, the US Air Force and its support contractors, Aerospace Corporation, and several commercial firms.

• The LMU part-time MBA program has been ranked Number 3 in the West and Number 13 nationally.
• The LMU Entrepreneurship program has been honored with top national awards and recognitions.