SYS 502: Business Practices

This course introduces students to the business aspects of Systems Engineering (SE) and is designed to help SE professionals integrate Systems Engineering concepts into a professional business practice environment and to improve systems engineers’ understanding fundamental business practices and their relationship to systems engineering. This course will cover how to prepare and evaluate professional quality business plans, project budgets, financial proposals, timelines and technical outlines. This course will also cover topics such as working with stakeholders; understanding competitive advantage and perceived value of systems engineering; various roles of systems engineers from a business practices perspective; contracting for systems engineering services, how systems engineers impact and are impacted by the various corporate operating divisions, and how to ensure quality control. The course will consist of lectures, case studies, class projects and student presentations.