ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A new master's degree program is coming to the University of Central Florida next year.
The university's Board of Trustees unanimously approved an online master's in system engineering program earlier this month.
The 30-credit hour program builds on a certificate in systems engineering already offered through UCF’s College of Engineering and the Computer Science’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems, but the new program focuses on helping engineers learn the financial, software, systems integration and people skills necessary to make project teams more productive as well as improve system and service quality.
The online format will make the program accessible to traditional and non-traditional students, such as working engineers. The program, which is scheduled to begin fall of 2020, is expected to have 20 students in the first cohort.
Michael Georgiopoulos, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science said the program will be well received because it addresses the needs of the community directly and gives college students more opportunities.
“The College of Engineering and Computer Science’s continuous pursuit of excellence involves responding to the needs of industry and our local economy,” Georgiopoulos said.
Dean of the College of Graduate Studies Elizabeth Klonoff said the new degree is in response to the industry's needs.
According to Klonoff, multiple Central Florida industry and government partners such as Lockheed Martin, the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, IBM and Siemens have asked for a program that can help their employees and future employees with these skills.