Systems Engineering Major

Systems Engineering Major

Systems Engineering

Major

The Systems Engineering major combines elements of traditional engineering, systems engineering, finance, decision analysis, and organizational management courses. Cadets learn the methods, processes, and tools needed to understand and conduct meaningful decision analysis in support of complex systems.

Offered by the Department of Systems Engineering.

Do you like solving complex problems, designing things that work, and making sure every part of a system comes together perfectly? The Systems Engineering major at the United States Military Academy at West Point is all about learning how to plan, build, and manage the big-picture operations that make missions - and entire organizations - successful.

From military missions to real-world tech and logistics systems, you’ll learn how to make everything work better, faster, and smarter. This major also offers an honors track. Systems Engineering gives you the tools to be a strategic thinker, technical leader, and mission-focused problem solver. It’s where engineering meets real-world impact.

What is Systems Engineering?

Systems engineers innovatively solve complex problems in a technologically advanced environment, by engineering solutions that provide significant value to client organizations. They also lead interdisciplinary teams in the development and implementation of technical solutions to complex issues facing organizations. 

Systems Engineering majors learn to think systematically, engineer systematically, and approach decisions systematically. This involves understanding the entire environment in which the system operates and includes the needs, wants, and desires of all the stakeholders of the system. Engineering systematically involves identifying and understanding the required system functions, developing alternative system solutions, and applying the basic modeling and simulation tools required to analyze the system from an engineering perspective. Approaching decisions systematically involves leading and participating in multi-disciplinary teams to innovate and implement visionary solutions to these complex problems.

Advances in technology and the transition to a highly networked, global information age has trigged rapid growth in the field of systems engineering. These problems require systems thinking and a holistic approach to problem-solving that is at the heart of the systems engineering discipline. It is the challenge of systems engineers to harness and direct technology toward solving problems most often related to processes and operations. 

The Systems Engineering major is all about solving complex, real-world problems by thinking about how all the parts of a system - people, technology, resources, and information - work together. It's a mix of engineering, math, data analysis, and leadership, with a big focus on designing solutions that actually work in the real world.

Unlike traditional engineering majors that focus on one thing (like mechanical or electrical), systems engineers look at how everything connects - whether they're managing a battlefield operation, improving logistics, or designing better equipment or strategy for soldiers.

Why Choose Systems Engineering at USMA?

  • Solve Real-World Problems
    Cadets learn how to tackle challenges like mission planning, supply chain management, or battlefield decision-making, using logic, data, and creativity.
  • Get Hands-On Experience
    From labs and simulations to capstone design project, cadets apply what you learn to real Army or civilian problems - sometimes even working with outside organizations.
  • Combine Tech and Leadership
    Cadets understand technical systems and how to lead the people who operate them. That’s a powerful combo for any Army officer.
  • Highly Versatile Career Path
    Systems engineers are in demand across many Army branches - like Cyber, Engineers, Intelligence, Aviation, and Ordnance - as well as in civilian sectors like tech, consulting, logistics, and defense.
  • Stand Out as a Thinker and Problem Solver
    Cadets graduate with strong skills in critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and systems analysis - skills that make them effective wherever you go.

What To Do With This Major?

As Systems Engineering majors and Army officers, graduates will be prepared to:

  • Lead in combat engineering, cyber, aviation, logistics, or operations
  • Design, test, or improve Army systems and strategies
  • Serve in roles like Operations Research/Systems Analyst (ORSA) or Acquisition Corps
  • After the Army, work in technology, defense, management consulting, or project leadership
  • Pursue graduate degrees in engineering, analytics, public policy, or business

Interested Cadets

If you enjoy solving problems, working with technology and people, and want to be a leader who makes smart, practical decisions, this program may be the direction for your future. this At West Point, Systems Engineering is about more than machines - it’s about people, missions, and results. You’ll graduate ready to lead teams, tackle uncertainty, and design smarter systems that make a real difference - in the Army and beyond.

Why Consider This Major

  • Mission-Focused Thinking – Cadets learn how to analyze and improve Army operations, from battlefield tactics to logistics planning.
  • Team Leadership – Cadets gain the skills to lead both people and projects with confidence.
  • Tech + Strategy – Combine engineering with leadership, design, and decision-making.
  • Versatile Career Options – SE sets cadets up for success in every Army branch - and in top civilian jobs, too.

This major could be a perfect fit for cadets who:

  • Like solving puzzles and making things more efficient
  • Want to understand how technology and people work together
  • Are interested in both engineering and leadership
  • See yourself in a role that requires planning, innovation, and big-picture thinking

What Cadets Learn

Systems Engineering focuses on designing and improving complex systems - things with lots of moving parts like vehicles, computer networks, supply chains, or even an Army mission.

  • Project Management – Plan and run real-world missions and operations
  • Systems Design & Integration – Bring together people, machines, and processes
  • Data Analysis – Use statistics and modeling to find the best solutions
  • Operations Research – Learn how to make the smartest choices when facing tough problems
  • Decision-Making Under Pressure – Train to lead in fast-moving, high-stakes environments

As a Systems Engineering majors, cadets take courses like:

  • Engineering Design & Systems Modeling
  • Project Management
  • Operations Research & Optimization
  • Data Analytics & Decision-Making
  • Human Factors in Engineering
  • Risk Analysis & System Reliability

Plus, they complete a senior capstone project, working in teams to solve a complex problem with real-world impact - often for Army units, government agencies, or tech companies.

Choice of Electives

Cadets can personalize their major with electives like:

  • Human Factors Engineering – Design systems that work better for real people
  • Sustainment & Logistics Systems – Learn how to move supplies and equipment efficiently
  • Risk Analysis & Simulation – Predict and prepare for future challenges
  • Cyber Systems – Explore how to protect and manage digital networks
  • Engineering Management – Learn to lead technical teams and large-scale engineering projects

Learn More

  • View the full Systems Engineering major curriculum
  • Meet the Systems Engineering faculty

Cadets in this major have the opportunity to apply for a summer Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD) program, USMA-run academic enrichment experience. Past experiences have included work with The Army Science Board, the Environmental Protection Agency, Raytheon, Boeing, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Research and Analysis Command (TRAC), and NATO. These opportunities allow cadets to travel around the world to place like France, Australia, Nicaragua, Germany, Honduras, Washington, D.C., Monterey, C.A., and Maui, H.I. Cadets can also apply to the Alpha Pi Mu - Industrial Engineering Honor Society, or the Tau Beta Pi - National Engineering Honor Society.

Other Honor Societies:

To learn more about enrichment for this area of study, visit the Department of Systems Engineering, the System Design and Analysis Center or the Operations Research Center.

The Systems Engineering (B.S.) program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the General Criteria and Program Criteria for Systems Engineering and similarly named engineering programs.

Student Outcomes

  1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  2. 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
  3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Program Educational Objectives 

  1. Effectively led interdisciplinary teams to solve complex problems.
  2. Demonstrated intellectual growth and continued self-improvement through self-study, continuing education, or professional development.
  3. Fostered an organizational ethos that promotes the professional, moral, ethical, and respectful treatment of all.
  4. Analyzed, designed, implemented, and maintained systems throughout their lifecycles.
  5. Clearly communicated engineering solutions and analysis to leaders, both orally and in writing, to enable sound decision-making in the presence of uncertain, biased, or confounding influences.   
  6. Approached problems holistically while recognizing each system as a whole, with its fit and relationship with the environment being primary concerns.