Applying for SIME Degrees and Certificates
This page describes how to apply for the Undergraduate Certificate in Systems Engineering (UCSE), Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering (GCSE), the Master of Science in Systems Engineering (MSSE) and the Master of Engineering Management. The undergraduate Systems Engineering emphasis is applied for with the ME Undergraduate Advising Office and is only available to degree-seeking ME undergraduate students.
The GCSE, MSSE and MEM can be pursued on-campus or through UOnline. At the moment, combining on-campus and UOnline programs is not an option at the U, as students are admitted into one of either program options. Hence, students admitted to the online group and wishing to change to the on-campus version must apply to make this change.
Students applying for the on-campus option should plan on taking classes in person with often required classroom attendance (sections 001-010). Occasionally, an on-campus course may be offered entirely online (section 090), and the student need not attend class to learn the material and receive a grade. This type of course is still considered on-campus, even though classroom attendance is never required. As such, tuition is billed according to the on-campus rates. On-campus online sections 090 are not guaranteed to be offered as a path toward graduation. The on-campus 001-010 sections have offerings that provide timely graduation. Students interested in the 090 sections should check the existing course schedules for availability.
Students not planning on attending class and desiring to watch prerecorded lectures to complete their coursework should apply as an online student (sections 290).
Occasionally companies reach a contract agreement with the department on educating their employees. A company employee serves a coordinator or liaison for the program. The section of the course is not publicized in the schedule and only individuals at the company are allowed to enroll in these sections, which are typically (030-039). Currently the Department of Mechanical Engineering has such an agreement Northrop Grumman. If you are an employee of this company, reach out to the Director of Systems Engineering or the Director of Engineering Management to see if you qualify.
It is extremely important that students apply for the correct version. The impact of applying for the incorrect version may represent a significant tuition difference. If an applicant is uncertain about their choice between the on-campus or online options, they should email a program director to discuss the best selection in their application.
Summarized Tuition Differences
Students enrolled as on-campus students are assigned either Utah resident or nonresident tuition and fees. Many fees do not increase with additional hours each semester. So, a student taking 9 hours on-campus has a tuition bill that is lower than three times the tuition of an on-campus student taking 3 hours. Students in this category have access to the benefits of on-campus students due to the payment of their fees.
Students enrolled as an online student have one tuition rate. There is no increase for out of state tuition. There are also no additional fees. So, online students will not have access to the same benefits as on-campus students. The tuition for an online three-hour course is approximately the same tuition as the tuition of an on-campus Utah resident taking exactly 3 hours of graduate Price College of Engineering hours.
Students enrolled in the contract version typically have a contracted rate for education (no in our out of state tuition), and the company pays the students' tuition.
Applying as a Nonmatriculated Student
Being admitted as a nonmatriculated student is faster than applying to a graduate program. The graduate school allows 15 hours of credit pursued as a nonmatriculated student to apply toward a degree program. Many students begin their graduate academic journey as nonmatriculated student. A nonmatriculated application is typically processed in less than a week. Thus, students submitting a nonmatriculated application about a week before courses begin typically enables the student to enroll in courses for that semester.
Typical reasons that students apply as a nonmatriculated student are:
- The student decided to start taking classes after the master's degree application deadline.
- The student just knowledge from a couple of courses or to earn a certificate.
- The student is trying to decide if the U is where they plan to pursue their education.
- The student does not qualify for admittance to a degree program (lack of a STEM degree for the MSSE or an insufficient undergraduate GPA). Through demonstrated success in graduate courses, the student may prove their capability and eventually become admitted to their desired program.
The nonmatriculated application process is different for the on-campus and online programs, but is the same as applying for nonmatriculated undergraduate. General information can be found at nonmatriculated graduate information. For on campus nonmatriculated courses, please email the Director of Systems Engineering or the Director of Engineering Management, just so they know of your interest. Follow the application link below.
Nonmatriculated Application
The process for online nonmatriculated is not intuitive so here is a more detailed description.
- Apply as a nonmatriculated student to the university using the above button. You must select on campus!
- Fill out the following Qualtrix form. In the online certficate, put Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering. This form will result in the following actions.
- You will be switched from an on-campus student to an online student.
- You will be applying to pursue the Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering. Even if you do not want this certificate, you are still listed as "pursuing" this certificate. This happens to be how the university software can handle nonmatriculated students. Yes it seems weird to the directors too.
Quatrix Form to Switch to an Online Student
Masters of Science in Systems Engineering or Master of Engineering Management
Requirements for Admittance
Below is a list of requirements for admittance to the MSSE or MEM. The admissions committee evaluates each application individually and decides whether or not to admit the applicant. Hence, a student meeting the requirements below is not automatically guaranteed admittance.
Minimum Requirements
Undergraduate STEM degree with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 and above.
Coursework required:
- One year of calculus
- One semester of statistics
- One semester of computer coding is encouraged, but not required.
- Note: See courses/advising web page for classes that help students master this prerequisite material.
International students need to demonstrate English proficiency. See the Mechanical Engineering website for detailed requirements.
Alternate Minimum Requirement for MSSE
A student that has earned the U’s Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering may be admitted to the MSSE without the above requirements.
Deadlines
Applications are evaluated throughout the year. Once submitted, applications are typically processed in about a month. Deadlines differ between on-campus, online and whether or not a student is an international student. The dates given below are the last day that a submitted application will be processed for an upcoming semester. If there are issues with the application, then the evaluation and admission may not be completed before the upcoming semester. Please note that the U has their own deadlines that occur prior to the MSSE deadlines (e.g. April 1 for Fall semesters). While applications are still processed after the U's deadline, students may need to pay a late application fee.
| Semester | Domestic Deadline | International Deadline |
| Fall | July 1 | January 15 |
| Spring | November 1 | August 1 |
| Summer | March 15 | December 1 |
Application
Apply through the Graduate SchoolMake sure that you click whether you are pursuing the degree online or on-campus correctly and select either the Systems Engineering MS or Engineering Management Master option.
Pay nonrefundable application fee. This fee is required. The department is not able to waive this fee.
Upload the following required materials with the online application:
- Statement of Purpose (2 pages maximum)
- Resume
- At least two letters of recommendation
- Unofficial transcripts
- If international, TOEFL Raw test scores (self-reported)
The GRE is not required to be admitted, but a good quantitative GRE score may help strenthen an application.
Please Check Your Application Status
Review what materials have been received by logging back into the Slate application with your email address and password.
If an item isn’t listed on the application home screen, then it has not been uploaded or received yet.
NOTE: The University of Utah application will not be considered complete until the online application is submitted and the Admissions Office has sent it to the director. We recommend submitting this application and sending supporting documents well ahead of the application deadlines to ensure timely admission.
If the Department Admits You
Mail Official Transcripts to Admissions Office
University of Utah graduates (B.S. or B.A.) are not required to submit University of Utah official transcripts
Do NOT mail transcripts to the department
Make sure you receive both your official admissions letter and your I-20 from the International Admissions Office. Take your I-20, along with notice of acceptance and proof of financial responsibility, to the visa officer of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate of your home country. You may have to make an appointment in advance. If approved, you are granted a student visa (F1 Student Status) to enter the U.S. Make your travel arrangements to arrive in the U.S. 10-14 days before classes start.
Applying for Certificates
The Undergraduate Certificate in Systems Engineering has no application. However, the student must have received a B or better in the classes used to satisfy the Preliminary Knowledge Requirements in math, probability/statistisic and computer programming. The student is also reminded to apply to be awarded the certificate once the courses are successfully completed.
If you are admitted to a graduate program, then the Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering applications are not routed through the Graduate School and Office of the Registrar. As such the application is a simple webform with no fees.
Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering ApplicationIf you are not admitted to a graduate program, then the application to the GCSE is as a nonmatriculated student, see the directions above for how to apply.