SE 5000: Introduction to Systems Engineering

Course Instructor: Amy Thompson, Ph.D.

Catalog Description. 3 credits. An introduction to the hard and soft skills that are required
of good systems engineers. Lectures follow the competency models for systems engineers and
include topics such as systems thinking, needs identification, requirements formulation,
architecture definition, technical management, design integration, as well as verification and
validation of designs. Some of the key systems engineering (SE) standards will be covered and
the roles of organizations in enabling engineers to develop systems will be explored.
Applications of SE concepts and tools in various settings will be discussed through examples
and case studies. Students will learn to apply the SE methodologies in modern complex system
development environments such as aerospace and defense, transportation, energy,
communications, and modern software-intensive systems.

Pre-Requisites. An undergraduate degree in engineering or science.

Intended Audience. The course is designed for all graduate students in engineering.

Course Delivery Method. The course will be offered online, asynchronously, in small
recorded modules according to the course schedule and syllabus. Direct and live
communication with the instructor will be available each week, according to the class schedule,
for discussion, questions, examples, and quizzes. Attendance at live sessions is required, and
you must notify the instructor in advance if you cannot attend. A social networking tool called
Slack will be used to communicate with students and the instructor between live sessions.

Course Objectives.
(1) Student obtains a foundational knowledge of systems engineering processes and
practices.
(2) Student uses the knowledge and information gained in the course to expand and
improve the application of systems engineering in their field.
(3) Student pursues further in-depth education and training in systems engineering.

1
Anticipated Student Outcomes. By the end of SE 5000, a student will be able to:
(1) Describe processes, methods, and practices of systems engineering.
(2) Apply systems engineering practices and methods to relevant examples.
(3) Develop requirements, architectures, specifications, verifications, and tests.
(4) Analyze systems using systems engineering approaches to increase performance.
(5) Recognize important systems engineering and systems thinking strategies and
practices in examples and cases.

Course Organization. The contents and organization of the course follows the INCOSE,
Systems Engineering Handbook Version 4, (SEH), which is required material for the course.
Buede and Miller’s The Engineering Design of Systems, Models and Methods presents more
in-depth engineering methods needed to design engineering systems, and we will use content
from that text to support the processes described in the SEH.

Course Outline. The structuring of these four learning modules into 13 lectures of a one
semester course, along with the topics and references, is described in the following:

----------------------------Module 1: Introduction to Systems Engineering-------------------------

Week 1: Introduction, INCOSE SE Vision 2025, SEH Scope, Systems Engineering

Overview

Week 2: SE Life Cycle Stages

Week 3: Decision Making and Risk Assessment in Design and Model-Based System
Engineering

---------Module 2: System Engineering Technical Processes: Down the Systems Vee-------------

Week 4: Business and Mission Analysis Process

Week 5: Stakeholder Needs and Requirements Definition Process

Week 6: Architecture Definition Process

2
Week 7: Interface Design and Definition

Week 8: System Definition Process

-------------Module 3: System Engineering Technical Processes: Up the Systems Vee------------

Week 9: Design Definition Process

Week 10: System Analysis Process and Implementation Process

Week 11: Integration, Verification, Transition, and Validation Processes

Week 12: Operation, Maintenance, Disposal Process, Tailoring SE Processes

----------------------Module 4: Systems Thinking and Course Wrap-Up---------------------------

Week 13: Systems Thinking

USEFUL READING.

Texts are available through a local or online bookstore. The UConn Co-op carries many
materials that can be shipped via its online Textbooks To Go service. For more information, see
Textbooks and Materials on our Enrolled Students page.

Required Text
(1) Buede, Dennis and William D. Miller. The Engineering Design of Systems: Models and
Methods, 3rd Edition. Wiley. ISBN: 978-1-119-02790-4.

Required Materials from INCOSE*

(2) INCOSE, Systems Engineering Handbook Version 4.
(3) M. Ryan and L. Wheatcraft, Guide for Writing Requirements, INCOSE Technical
Product INCOSE-TP-2010-006-02, 1 July 2015.

3
Obtaining INCOSE Materials
Each student will be required to access the INCOSE (www.incose.org) site to
download course materials. Students will be able to download their own personal
copy of the INCOSE, Systems Engineering Handbook Version 4, along with other
support material, which are important resources for the course. Employees and
students of an INCOSE CAB Organization, who are not already INCOSE individual
members, are able to sign up for a CAB Limited access account for no fee. For a list of
INCOSE CAB Organizations, click here: http://www.incose.org/ChaptersGroups/CAB.
UCONN is a CAB organization, so you can indicate UCONN as your CAB
Organization. UTC is also a CAB organization, and if you are an employee of a UTC
division, you can indicate UTC as your CAB organization.

Other Useful Reading and Materials

(1) INCOSE Materials
 INCOSE-TP-2003-002-04, 2015.
 BKCASE Editorial Board. 2015. The Guide to the Systems Engineering Body of
Knowledge (SEBoK), v. 1.5., R.D. Adcock (EIC). Hoboken, NJ: The Trustees of the
Stevens Institute of Technology. www.sebokwiki.org.
 INCOSE, Journal of the International Council on Systems Engineering, Seattle,
W.A.: International Council on Systems Engineering.
 See also the INCOSE web site: http://www.incose.org/ for other useful products
and resources.
(2) Relevant Standards
 ANSI/EIA-632-1998, EIA Standard—Processes for Engineering a System, Arlington,
V.A.: Electronic Industries Association, 1999.
 IEEE-STD-1220-2005, IEEE Standard for Application and Management of the
Systems Engineering Process, New York: IEEE Computer Society, 2005.
 MIL-STD-498, Military Standard: Software Development and Documentation,
Washington D.C.: United States of America Department of Defense, 1994.
 MIL-STD-499B, Military Standard—Systems Engineering—Draft, Washington
D.C.: United States of America Department of Defense, 1994.
 ISO/IEC 15288-2015, Systems and Software Engineering—System Life Cycle
Processes, 2015.
 ISO/IEC, ISO/IEC 29148, FDIS, Systems and Software Engineering—Life Cycle
Processes—Requirements Engineering, 2011.
 International Institute for Business Analysis, A Guide to the Business Analysis
Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide), Version 2, 2009.

4
  ANSI/AIAA G-043A-2012, Guide for the Preparation of Operational Concept
Descriptions, American National Standards Institute, American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics (sponsor), 2012.

Copyright. Copyrighted materials within the course are only for the use of students enrolled
in the course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further
disseminated.

Grading. Student grades will be based upon assignments, quizzes, class participation (50%)
and a course-long project (50%).

Grade Letter Grade GPA

93-100 A 4.0

90-92 A- 3.7

87-89 B+ 3.3

83-86 B 3.0

80-82 B- 2.7

77-79 C+ 2.3

73-76 C 2.0

70-72 C- 1.7

67-69 D+ 1.3

63-66 D 1.0

60-62 D- 0.7

<60 F 0.0

Due Dates and Late Policy. All due dates will be identified in blackboard when the work
is posted. Deadlines are based on Eastern Standard Time; if you are in a different time zone,
please adjust your submittal times accordingly. The instructor reserves the right to change
dates accordingly as the semester progresses. All changes will be communicated in an
appropriate manner.

Course Project. A project is to be developed by each student, which is expected to evolve

during the entirety of the semester. The project will entail applying system engineering
principles and methods to a product or system of your choosing, that meets certain minimum
5
criterion. A separate rubric with the details of the project will be provided to the students on
HuskyCT. A mid-term and final report are the main deliverables of this project, and are the
basis for the project grade.

Student Conduct. http://www.dosa.uconn.edu/student_code.html. Students are responsible

for adherence to the University of Connecticut student code of conduct. Pay attention to the
section on Student Academic Misconduct, “Academic misconduct is dishonest or unethical
academic behavior that includes, but is not limited, to misrepresenting mastery in an academic
area (e.g., cheating), intentionally or knowingly failing to properly credit information, research
or ideas to their rightful originators or representing such information, research or ideas as your
own (e.g., plagiarism).” Examples of academic misconduct in this class include, but are not
limited to: copying solutions from the solutions manual, using solutions from students who
have taken this course in previous years, copying your friend’s homework, looking at another
student’s paper during an exam, lying to the professor or TA and incorrectly filling out the
student workbook.

Attendance. Students should make every effort to attend the live sessions and to talk with
students in the Slack chat forum to get help and assistance from others. It is practically
impossible to follow the class if classes are missed.

Absences. Make-up of missed exams requires permission from the Dean of Students, see
“Academic Regulations.” Midterm-exams are treated the same as Final Examinations.
Students involved in official University activities that conflict with class time must inform the
instructor in writing prior to the anticipated absence and take the initiative to make up missed
work in a timely fashion. In addition, students who will miss class for a religious observance
must “inform their instructor in writing within the first three weeks of the semester, and prior
to the anticipated absence, and should take the initiative to work out with the instructor a
schedule for making up missed work.”

Adding or Dropping a Course. If you should decide to add or drop a course, there are
official procedures to follow:
● Matriculated students should add or drop a course through the Student
Administration System.
● Non-degree students should refer to Non-Degree Add/Drop Information located on
the registrar’s website.
You must officially drop a course to avoid receiving an "F" on your permanent transcript.
Simply discontinuing class or informing the instructor you want to drop does not constitute
an official drop of the course. For more information, refer to the online Graduate Catalog,
6
Academic Calendar. The University's Academic Calendar contains important semester dates.

Students with Disabilities. Students needing special accommodations should work with
the University's Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD). You may contact CSD by calling
(860) 486-2020 or by emailing [email protected]. If your request for accommodation is
approved, CSD will send an accommodation letter directly to your instructor(s) so that
special arrangements can be made. (Note: Student requests for accommodation must be filed
each semester.)

Course Schedule*

Date1 Topic Module Details

No
Aug 30- Lecture 1: Introduction, SE Vision 2025, SEH Scope, 1 Live Meeting August
Sept 5 Systems Engineering Overview 30th 5:00pm
Sept 6-12 Lecture 2: Life Cycle Stages 1 Live Meeting on Sept
6th Holiday
Sept 13-19 Lecture 3: Decision Making and Risk Assessment in Design 1 Live Meeting Sept 13th
and Model-Based System Engineering
Sept 20-26 Lecture 4: Business and Mission Analysis Process 2 Live Meeting Sept 20th
Project Proposal Due
Sept 27- Lecture 5: Stakeholder Needs and Requirements Definition 2 Live Meeting Sept 27th
Oct 3 Process
Oct 4-10 Lecture 6: Architecture Definition Process 2 Live Meeting Oct 4th
Oct 11-17 Lecture 7: Interface Design and Definition 2 Live Meeting Oct 11th
Oct 18-24 Lecture 8: System Definition Process 2 Live Meeting Oct 18th
Project Mid-Term
Report Due Oct. 24th
Oct 25-31 Lecture 9: Design Definition Process 3 Live Meeting Oct 25th
Nov 1–7 Lecture 10: System Analysis Process and Implementation 3 Live Meeting Nov 1st
Process
Nov 8-14 Lecture 11: Integration, Verification, Transition, and 3 Live Meeting Nov 8th
Validation Processes
Nov 15-21 Lecture 12: Operation, Maintenance, Disposal Process and 3 Live Meeting Nov 15th
Tailoring SE Processes
Nov 22-28 Thanksgiving Recess No Live Meeting on
Nov. 22nd Holiday
Nov 29- Week 13 Systems Thinking 4 Live Meeting Nov 29th
Dec 5 Project Final Report
Due Dec 5th
Dec. 6 Course Wrap-Up 4 Live Meeting Dec 6th
* Schedule is tentative and may change
1 First Date indicates release of lecture modules

7
Instructor’s Contact Information:
 Amy Thompson: [email protected] Phone: (860)486-8462
 Office Hours: Tuesday 1:00 – 3:00pm and Wednesday 10:00am – Noon

Helpful Links:
 Virtual Computer Lab at UConn: http://skybox.uconn.edu/
 Course Material: https://lms.uconn.edu
 Institute for Advanced Systems Engineering: http://www.utc-iase.uconn.edu/