Many of the challenges facing modern society require not only new technological solutions, but also efficient, effective, and equitable implementations of these technologies to ensure the betterment of society. Venturing beyond the confines of traditional engineering coursework, the Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Engineering is trans-disciplinary and collaborative, connecting mathematics, engineering, social and physical sciences, and medicine.
The program provides students with knowledge of theory, computational methods, and research in the fundamental frameworks of optimization, network theory and uncertainty quantification, providing the tools required to envision solutions to big-picture problems in a range of applications. Examples include monitoring and modeling the COVID-19 outbreak, optimizing hospital resource allocation, optimizing equitable access to food, and designing infrastructure, energy systems, and smart cities that are interconnected, resilient to hazards, and cybersecure.
Students will gain significant experience in collaborative problem solving that will serve them well in a broad range of careers, including those related to future energy infrastructure, smart cities, decision-making in healthcare, data mining and decision making, and cybersecurity of infrastructure.
Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs
The Department of Civil and Systems Engineering offers two options for earning a combined bachelor’s/master’s degree.
One option combines a B.S. in Systems Engineering with a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) in Civil or Systems Engineering. For students who are admitted to this program, the two degrees typically require five years total to complete. Students who enroll in the combined Bachelor’s/Master’s program or pursue a master’s degree after having earned a the B.S. in Civil Engineering at Hopkins may double-count one advanced course (400-level or higher) towards both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees with the permission of the master’s faculty advisor. More detail on double-counting courses can be found here.
The other option combines a B.S. in Systems Engineering with a Master of Science in Engineering Management (M.S.E.M.). Students are required to submit a formal application through the M.S.E.M. Program.
Students enrolled in either the B.S./M.S.E. or B.S./M.S.E.M program are awarded a Dean's Master's Fellowship, covering half their tuition, after they have completed eight semesters of undergraduate study. More information about these programs can be found here.
The information below describes the academic requirements for students entering JHU as degree-seeking students in Fall 2024. Students who entered JHU as degree-seeking students prior to Fall 2024 should view the appropriate archived catalogue.
Students must meet the University requirements and the Whiting School of Engineering requirements (see Requirements for a Bachelor's Degree in this catalogue), as well as the departmental major requirements, to complete a bachelor’s degree.
The Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering requires 125 credits.
The CaSE department recognizes students with exemplary academic records by awarding Departmental Honors to students with a Grade Point Average of 3.75 GPA or higher in systems engineering courses.
UNIVERSITY AND WSE SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS
These requirements are described in this section of the catalogue.
First-Year Seminar (FYS)
All students entering Hopkins from high school are required to complete a First-Year Seminar with a Satisfactory (S) grade in their first year of study. First-Year Seminars are offered only with the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading system; they are not offered for letter grades.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| One FYS course. Recommended course: | 2-3 | |
| FYS: Design Cornerstone | ||
| Total Credits | 2-3 | |
Writing Intensive for BS in Systems Engineering
A grade of C- or higher is required. No Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grades will be accepted. Courses must be at least 3 credits each and courses applied here may also be used towards satisfying the Distribution requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.661.110 | Professional Writing and Communication 1 | 3 |
| One additional Writing Intensive (WI) course | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
- 1
EN.661.110 Professional Writing and Communication will satisfy both Writing Intensive and Distribution requirements.
Distribution for BS in Systems Engineering
A maximum of 3 credits of a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grade will be accepted. Courses must be at least 3 credits each and may overlap with the Writing Intensive requirement. Elementary language courses, which do not carry an area designator, can be used to satisfy the Distribution requirement for engineering students.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.661.110 | Professional Writing and Communication 1 | 3 |
| Five Humanities (H) or Social Sciences (S) courses at any level | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
- 1
EN.661.110 Professional Writing and Communication will satisfy both Writing Intensive and Distribution requirements.
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
MATHEMATICS
A grade of D or higher is required. No Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grade will be accepted.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AS.110.108 | Calculus I (Physical Sciences & Engineering) | 4 |
| AS.110.109 | Calculus II (For Physical Sciences and Engineering) | 4 |
| AS.110.202 | Calculus III | 4 |
| or AS.110.211 | Honors Multivariable Calculus | |
| EN.553.291 | Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | 4 |
| Total Credits | 16 | |
BASIC SCIENCES
A grade of D or higher is required. No Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grade will be accepted.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AS.030.101 | Introductory Chemistry I | 3 |
| AS.030.105 | Introductory Chemistry Laboratory I | 1 |
| AS.171.101 | General Physics: Physical Science Major I | 4 |
| or AS.171.107 | General Physics for Physical Sciences Majors (AL) | |
| AS.173.111 | General Physics Laboratory I 1 | 1 |
| EN.560.312 | Electromagnetism & Sensors Lab | 1 |
| Basic Science Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 13 | |
- 1
If a student earns exam credit for Physics I, they MUST still take either AS.173.111 General Physics Laboratory I or another 1 credit N laboratory course.
- 2
Recommended courses: AS.171.102 General Physics: Physical Science Major II, AS.171.108 General Physics for Physical Science Majors (AL), AS.270.305 Energy Resources in the Modern World, AS.270.356 A Modern History of Climate Science, or with permission from the Director of Undergraduate Studies, a 300-level or higher course with area N designation.
The Systems Engineering-specific requirements are comprised of Systems Engineering Fundamentals, Analytics and Optimization Electives, CaSE Experience, CaSE Professional Practice, and CaSE Technical Electives. A grade of C- or higher is required, but a maximum of two D grades may be counted in the following categories: Civil Engineering Fundamentals, CaSE Professional Practice, CaSE Experiences, and CaSE Technical Electives. No Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grade will be accepted.
SYSTEMS ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.500.113 | Gateway Computing: Python | 3 |
| EN.500.115 | Gateway Data Science | 3 |
| EN.500.132 | Bootcamp: Java (or another advanced programming course) | 1 |
| EN.560.100 | Civilization Engineered | 3 |
| EN.560.101 | Civilization Engineered: Data-driven Solutions for Communities | 3 |
| EN.560.192 | Civilization Engineered: Cornerstone Design Project | 1 |
| EN.560.201 | Statics & Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
| EN.560.211 | Statics and Mechanics of Materials Laboratory | 1 |
| EN.560.240 | Uncertainty, Reliability and Decision-making | 3 |
| EN.560.250 | Intro to Mathematical Decision Making | 3 |
| EN.560.315 | (Data Science for Systems Engineers) | 3 |
| EN.560.342 | (Smart and Resilient Cities) | 3 |
| EN.560.350 | (Optimization for Systems Engineers ) 1 | 3 |
| EN.560.355 | Dynamical Systems | 3 |
| EN.560.458 | Natural Disaster Risk Modeling | 3 |
| Total Credits | 39 | |
- 1
EN.560.450 Operations Research is an acceptable replacement for this course.
SYSTEMS ENGINEERING ELECTIVES
See below for the Systems Engineering Elective course listing.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Data & Analytics or Optimization & Modeling Elective 1 (e.g. Energy Systems) | 3 | |
| Data & Analytics or Optimization & Modeling Elective 2 (e.g. Systems Dynamics) | 3 | |
| Data & Analytics or Optimization & Modeling Elective 3 (e.g. Intro to Network Modeling) | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
CaSE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
In preparation for CaSE Professional Practice, students must also take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam in the spring of their graduating year.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.560.391 | CaSE Careers I | 0.5 |
| EN.560.392 | CaSE Careers II | 0.5 |
| EN.560.401 | Design Theory and Practice | 3 |
| EN.560.402 | Integrated Design Project | 3 |
| EN.660.463 | Engineering Management & Leadership | 3 |
| EN.661.110 | Professional Writing and Communication | 3 |
| Total Credits | 13 | |
CaSE TECHNICAL ELECTIVES
Courses may be taken as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grades only with approval from the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Two Technical Elective Courses 1 | ||
| Total Credits | 6 | |
- 1
Technical electives are designed to provide students with opportunities to explore systems engineering in greater depth. To that end, these courses must have E distribution and be 300-level or higher. 300-level courses with N or Q distribution may be allowed with the Director of Undergraduate Studies' approval.
FREE ELECTIVES
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Elective courses to reach 125 credits | ||
SYSTEMS ENGINEERING ELECTIVE COURSES
Data & Analytics Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.553.413 | Applied Statistics & Data Analysis I | 4 |
| EN.553.414 | Applied Statistics and Data Analysis II | 3 |
| EN.553.432 | Bayesian Statistics | 3 |
| EN.553.436 | Introduction to Data Science | 4 |
| EN.553.439 | Time Series Analysis | 3 |
| EN.560.450 | Operations Research | 3 |
| EN.560.457 | System Dynamics | 3 |
| EN.560.459 | Production Systems Analysis | 3 |
| EN.601.226 | Data Structures | 4 |
| EN.601.433 | Intro Algorithms | 3 |
| EN.601.475 | Machine Learning | 3 |
| EN.601.476 | Machine Learning: Data to Models | 3 |
| EN.601.477 | Causal Inference | 3 |
| EN.601.481 | ||
| EN.601.482 | Machine Learning: Deep Learning | 4 |
| EN.601.484 | ML: Interpretable Machine Learning Design | 3 |
| EN.601.486 | Machine Learning: Artificial Intelligence System Design & Development | 3 |
Optimization & Modeling Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.553.171 | Discrete Mathematics | 4 |
| EN.553.361 | Introduction to Optimization I | 4 |
| EN.553.362 | Introduction to Optimization II | 4 |
| EN.553.385 | Introduction to Computational Mathematics | 4 |
| EN.553.391 | Dynamical Systems | 4 |
| EN.553.453 | Mathematical Game Theory | 4 |
| EN.553.461 | ||
| EN.553.463 | Network Models in Operations Research | 4 |
| EN.553.465 | Introduction to Convexity | 4 |
| EN.553.467 | ||
| EN.553.471 | Combinatorial Analysis | 4 |
| EN.560.449 | Energy Systems | 3 |
| EN.560.450 | Operations Research | 3 |
| EN.560.453 | An Introduction to Network Modeling | 3 |
| EN.560.459 | Production Systems Analysis | 3 |
Sample Program
This sample illustrates the general sequence of courses; individual programs may vary as a result of exam credits, study abroad, or pursuit of a minor in another department. For more information, visit the Civil and Systems Engineering website.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| AS.030.101 | 3 | AS.110.109 | 4 |
| AS.030.105 | 1 | AS.171.101 | 4 |
| AS.110.108 | 4 | AS.173.111 | 1 |
| EN.500.113 | 3 | EN.560.101 | 3 |
| EN.501.124 | 2 | EN.560.192 | 1 |
| EN.560.100 | 3 | EN.661.110 (counts as Writing Intensive and Humanities/Social Sciences) | 3 |
| Optional HEART course | 0-1 | ||
| 16-17 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| EN.500.132 | 1 | AS.110.202 | 4 |
| EN.553.291 | 4 | EN.500.115 | 3 |
| EN.560.201 | 3 | EN.560.250 | 3 |
| EN.560.211 | 1 | Humanities/Social Sciences | 3 |
| EN.560.240 | 3 | Humanities/Social Sciences | 3 |
| Writing Intensive (also counted as Humanities/Social Sciences) | 3 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| EN.560.315 (Data Science for Systems Engineers) | 3 | EN.560.312 | 1 |
| EN.560.350 (Optimization for Systems Engineers) | 3 | EN.560.342 (Smart and Resilient Cities) | 3 |
| EN.560.355 | 3 | EN.560.392 | 0.5 |
| EN.560.391 | 0.5 | Analytics or Optimization Elective | 3 |
| Humanities/Social Sciences | 3 | Humanities/Social Sciences | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Basic Science Elective | 3-4 |
| Free Elective | 3 | ||
| 15.5 | 16.5-17.5 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| EN.560.401 | 3 | EN.560.402 | 3 |
| EN.660.463 | 3 | EN.560.458 | 3 |
| Analytics or Optimization Elective | 3 | Analytics or Optimization Elective | 3 |
| CaSE Technical Elective | 3 | CaSE Technical Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 125-127 | |||