Mid-career technical professionals whose long-term career goals include becoming chief engineers are encouraged to apply for the upcoming fall semester of the Masters of Science in Systems Engineering program. Enrollment is open until July 17 for the 24-month program.
Tuition is fully funded by NAVAIR, and courses are offered to eligible military and civilian employees at all NAVAIR sites.
The MSSE program is a partnership between NAVAIR and the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). And for the first time, Navy-wide, a command will house an NPS satellite campus. Three NPS professors will be on site here at Pax River to teach courses and to help manage capstone projects. The projects link master’s program engineers to NAVAIR department leaders to help carry out critical missions.
‘‘It is the initial step in providing quality educational opportunities to our technical workforce,” said Mike Persson, a 4.1 Systems Engineering department employee who has helped coordinate the program.
Classes this fall are scheduled to begin the last week in September. This upcoming class will be the second group of students to enroll in the program, which first began in March. ‘‘Responses from the students have been very positive,” Persson said. ‘‘They underscored the need for quality, continued graduate-level education.”
James Nadeau, an engineer in the Air 4.5 Avionics department who recently completed two classes in the program said, ‘‘I would recommend the MSSE program to engineers throughout NAVAIR.” It’s great, he said, for anyone looking to move from an engineering specialty, such as mechanical, aeronautical or electrical areas, into the more general world of NAVAIR systems engineering, where leaders have to understand all areas of naval aircraft and related programs.
‘‘Prior to this program, I thought engineering and economics couldn’t exist in the same sentence,” Nadeau said. It’s a major time investment, but he’s hoping new opportunities will unfold as he learns and applies new skills. ‘‘I consider it an investment in myself and my future,” he said.
Coursework will include the fundamentals of systems engineering, software systems engineering, project management and systems assessment. Students’ capstone projects will cover a wide range of areas, including unmanned aerial vehicle testing and performance, and working with the Air 4.6 Human Systems department to ensure safety is integrated into all systems.
Rear Adm. Steven Eastburg, NAWCAD commander and assistant commander of the Air 4.0 Research and Engineering department, has said that program goals include creating a generation of systems engineers who foster balance, cohesiveness and success within NAVAIR programs. His 4.0 team is responsible for funding the program and overseeing its technical content.
Successful candidates will need a Bachelor of Science with course work in calculus, probability and statistics. During their studies, students will participate in curricula designed to teach the skills required to master all areas of systems engineering, including weapons, safety, aircraft structure, logistics, and cost.
The MSSE program goal is to expand the courses to various naval commands. The program is being piloted here on station and has piqued the attention of Navy officials nationwide.
E-Mail This Article
Print This Story