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Understanding Critical Skills for Systems Engineers

Abstract

For traditional engineers – mechanical, electrical, civil, etc. – there are often clearly-defined career pathways. Professional credentialing in some fields makes it clear what it means to practice as a novice or apprentice, a journeyman, or a master or expert. Systems engineering is a younger discipline relative to many other engineering fields and in the United States at least, there is no unified professional engineering certification for systems engineers. This chapter explores what it means for systems engineers to be effective and provides practical guidance on how systems engineers can examine and plan their career paths. The discussion is based on data from over 600 individuals across over 30 organizations in three countries.

Leads

Nicole Hutchison

Stevens Institute of Technology

Publications

  1. DAU ( 2016a ). ENG: Engineering Career Field Competency Model . Version 2.0. Fort Belvoir, VA : Defense Acquisition University, Department of Defense .

  2. DAU ( 2016b ). PM: Project Management Career Field Competency Model . Fort Belvoir, VA : Defense Acquisition University, Department of Defense .

  3. Hutchison , N. , Verma , D. , Burke , P. et al. ( 2018 ). Atlas 1.1: An update to the Theory of Effective Systems Engineers . Hoboken, NJ : Systems Engineering Research Center, Stevens Institute of Technology .

  4. Hutchison , N. , Verma , D. , Burke , P. et al. ( 2020 ). Atlas: Effective Systems Engineers and Systems Engineering . SERC-2020-TR-007-A. Hoboken, NJ : Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC), Stevens Institute of Technology .

  5. IEEE ( 2014 ). Software Engineering Competency Model (v. 1.0) . IEEE Computer Society .

  6. MITRE ( 2007 ). Systems Engineering Competency Model . McLean, VA : MITRE Corporation .

  7. NASA ( 2009 ). NASA's Systems Engineering Competencies . Washington, DC : National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  8. NASA ( 2020 ). aPPEL Knowledge Services: PM&SE Career Development Framework . Washington, DC : National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  9. NAVAIR/NAVSEA Working Group ( 2020 ). Digital competency framework overview: NAVAIR/NAVSEA Working Group . Presentation.

  10. Pyster , A.B. , N.A.C. Hutchison , and Henry , D. ( 2018 ). The Paradocixal Mindset of Systems Engineers: Uncommon Minds, Skills, and Careers . Hoboken, NJ : John C. Wiley & Sons .

  11. SFIA Foundation ( 2018 ). Skills Framework for the Information Age 7: The Complete Reference . SFIA Foundation .

  12. Vesonder , G. , Verma , D. , Hutchison , N. , et al. ( 2018 ). RT-171: mission engineering competencies technical report . Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC), Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ. SERC-2018-TR-106 .

  13. Whitcomb , C. , Khan , R. , and White , C. ( 2017 ). The Systems Engineering Career Competency Model, Version 1.0 . Monterey, CA : Naval Postgraduate School .

  14. August , P.V. , Swift , J.M. , Kellogg , D.Q. et al. ( 2010 ). The T assessment tool: a simple metric for assessing multidisciplinary graduate education . Journal of Natural Resources & Life Sciences Education 39 : 15 – 21 .

  15. Michigan State University ( 2014 ). “What is the ‘T’?” Washington, DC, March 21–22, 2016, T-Summit 2016 . University of Michigan & IBM http://tsummit.org/t (accessed 3 June 2016).

  16. Waldawsky-Berger , I. ( 2015 ). The rise of the T-shaped organization . The Wall Street Journal .

  17. Giffin , R. , N. Hutchison , C. Lipizzi , et al. 2021 . WRT-1018: DAU credential development . Hoboken, NJ : Stevens Institute of Technology, Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC) . SERC-2021-TR-008 .

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The Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC) was established in the Fall of 2008 as a government-designated University Affiliated Research Center (UARC). The SERC has produced 15 years of research, focused on an updated systems engineering toolkit (methods, tools, and practices) for the complex cyber-physical systems of today and tomorrow.


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