Undergraduate Programs
Our students receive exposure to a wide range of topics, including the economic, political, managerial, environmental, and technical aspects of large-scale systems design and implementation. Students are provided with diverse opportunities for hands-on experience with real-world situations and problems.
Our Programs
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B.S. in Systems Engineering
Explore the curriculum for the bachelor of science in systems engineering.
Resources for Current Students
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Student Support
As an undergraduate student at UVA Engineering, you have access to an array of student support services including peer-to-peer tutoring, professional academic coaching, access to mental health support, and dedicated advising.
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Academic Advising
Every student has an advisor in the Engineering School. While there are many resources for support at the University, we encourage students to advocate for themselves to the best of their ability and seek out support early and often.
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Student Life
Discover more about student life at UVA and in Charlottesville.
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Robert Riggs
The Systems Engineering curriculum is more flexible than many traditional engineering programs. It requires a minimum of 129 credit hours to graduate. In addition to the courses specifically required in the curriculum, students are able to take nine credits of unrestricted electives, nine credits of electives tailored to an application area, and six credits of technical electives.
The curriculum allows students to pursue a specific area of interest within the broad framework of systems engineering. The following areas are available as application sequences: chemical and biomedical systems; electrical and computer engineering systems; software and information systems; data analytics; design integration; control and mechanical systems; economic systems; civil, environmental, and infrastructure systems; human factors; and mathematical systems. Appropriate ROTC courses may be counted as an application sequence in military systems. Students wishing to design their own application sequence must submit their proposal to the Systems Undergraduate Studies Committee (UGSC) by December 15th of their third year, no proposals will be accepted after this time. Students are highly encouraged to consult with their faculty advisors prior to submitting their application to the UGSC.
The program culminates in a capstone design project, spanning both the fall and spring semesters of the fourth year. Students working in small teams under the direction of a faculty mentor are matched with a client from the public or private sector. Each team is assigned an open-ended design problem, and they apply the perspectives, methods, and tools of systems engineering that they learn in the classroom to the resolution of a problem for a client.
Current UVA undergraduate students can apply to a Master of Engineering (M.E.) degree program in the third year of their undergraduate studies through the UVACCELERATE program. The M.E. program is 30 credits of course work as part of an approved plan of study, and with the right planning, a current UVA undergradatue may be able to get a head start on taking graduate-level courses while finishing their bachelor’s degree.
Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate researchers are mentored by faculty and work closely with the lab’s graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. They are valued lab members, attending lab meetings and participating in journal clubs. They co-author publications, present at national meetings, and fund their own research through competitive awards.
Quick Links
ABET Accreditation Information and Graduation Data
The Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Engineering (BSSE) at the University of Virginia (UVA) is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org.
Graduation data for the Systems Engineering (SE) degree program is included on the UVA Engineering Undergraduate Enrollment and Graduates webpage.
Each degree program has defined Program Educational Objectives (PEOs), which are broad statements that describe the career and professional accomplishments that the program is preparing graduates to achieve. In addition, each program has defined Student Outcomes (SOs), which are narrower statements that describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. These relate to the skills, knowledge, and behaviors that students acquire in their matriculation through the program.
The primary objectives of the Systems Engineering program are to graduate students who will:
- Engage in development, implementation, and optimization of systems that include humans, data and information, hardware, software, and natural and technology resources.
- Embark on sustainable, productive careers in systems engineering, applied science, and technology management.
- Excel in the practices of analytical modeling and integrative systems engineering.
- Seek and succeed in lifelong professional education that includes advanced schooling and mentoring.
- Contribute to the profession of systems engineering and to human welfare through professional societies, public service, and civic activities.
The BS in Systems Engineering program at the University of Virginia enables students to achieve, by the time of graduation:
- an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
- an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
- an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
- an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
- an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
- an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
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The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only. The Undergraduate Record and Graduate Record represent the official repository for academic program requirements. These publications may be found here.