SE 6340  - Systems Thinking and Dynamics

Credits: (3)
Typically Taught Fall Semester: Full Sem-Online
Typically Taught Spring Semester: Full Sem-Online
Course Fee: $25.00
Course Fee Purpose: Systems Engineering course fees partially offset costs including enterprise software used in foundational courses and the program’s INCOSE Academic Equivalency.
Description: Systems thinking deals with understanding the higher-level behavior and issues that emerge from interaction between components in complex socio-technical systems. Most of the complex and wicked problems in the real world are not purely technical, are usually dynamic, and are often an unintended consequence of a prior solution. One method to approach system thinking is with System Dynamics.

System Dynamics is not new in a purely technical sense. However, applying this type of model-based systems thinking to solve Complex Engineering Systems (that fall into the full socio-technical spectrum) is relatively new. This course emphasizes Systems thinking, dynamic cause and effect relationships, and the higher-level emergent behavior that results from the interaction of many smaller effects that are individually well understood, but more difficult to grasp at the higher emergent or integrated level. Software tools are used in this class but developing the intuition and skills to solve real world complex system type problems is the major take away for the students. This course will benefit engineers who want to gain an appreciation for the associated Socio-Technical problems that arise in the real world in developing complex engineering systems.

Computer tools will be introduced to provide hands-on practical skills with the above topics. Mastery of the concepts introduced in this course should give students a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Students apply methods and tools through in-class lab work and deliverables. The objective of the course is to study the application of systems thinking to enhance proven systems engineering practices to increase the success of meeting societal needs for the development of complex systems.
Pre-requisite(s): SE 6010 .