MSc in Engineering Systems and Management

Overall Structure and Requirements

The MSc in Engineering Systems and Management (ESM) program consists of a minimum of 36 credit hours. The required program credits are distributed as follows: 12 credits of Program Core courses, 12 credits of Elective courses, and 12 credits of ESM Master’s Thesis work. A student may organize the selection of the elective courses and the master’s thesis topic to follow a specialization track within the broad field of ESM.  In such cases, the track will be noted on the student’s transcript.  The table below presents a summary of the MSc in ESM degree program structure and requirements. All the MSc in ESM program courses, with the exception of the Seminar in Research Methods and the Master’s Thesis, have a credit rating of three credits each.

Summary of MSc in ESM Degree Program Structure and Requirements

Program Requirements

Students seeking the degree of MSc in ESM must successfully complete a minimum of 36 credited hours as specified in the categories detailed in this section, with a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0.

Program Core

The MSc in ESM degree program core requires a minimum of 12 credits, consisting of program core courses, and the research seminar course, which has zero credit rating.  The courses for each one of the core categories are specified below.

I. ESM Core Courses (12 credits):

It is mandatory for the students to complete the following listed courses:

• ESMA 603 Systems Optimization
•  ESMA 604 System Dynamics for Business Policy, Or, ESMA 650 Cost Engineering
• ESMA 605 System Project Management
•  ESMA 610 Business Analytics, Statistics for Engineering Systems

II. ENGR 695 Seminar in Research Methods (0 credits)

• ENGR 695 Seminar in Research Methods

Program Electives

Students must complete a minimum of 12 credits of electives. The ESM program electives that students can select from are listed below. Students can select up to 2 elective courses (6 credits) from other MSc programs at KUST subject to the approval of their research advisor.

–          ESMA 601 System Architecture

–          ESMA 602 Product Design and Development

–          ESMA 607 Management and Entrepreneurship for Engineers

–          ESMA 608 Environmental Policy and Economics

–          ESMA 617 Innovation Creativity Entrepreneurship

–          ESMA 618 Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation

–          ESMA 619 Advanced Quality Systems Management

–          ESMA 621 Production, Operations and Inventory Management

–          ESMA 623 Advanced Lean Manufacturing

–          ESMA 633 System Simulation: Modelling and Analysis

–          ESMA 641 Supply Chain, Logistics and Transportation Networks

–          ESMA 642 Global Supply Chain Management

–          ESMA 643 Warehousing and Distribution

–          ESMA 671 Healthcare Operations Management

–          ESMA 672 Lean Service Systems

–          ESMA 673 Healthcare Information Systems

–          ESMA 694 Selected Topics in Systems and Engineering Management

Engineering Systems and Management Master’s Thesis

ESMA 699 Master’s Thesis (12 credits)

A student must independently complete a master’s thesis that involves original research-oriented work within the broad field of ESM, under the direct supervision of at least one full-time ISYE faculty advisor. The outcome of research should demonstrate the synthesis of information into knowledge in a form that may be used by others. The research findings must be documented in a formal thesis and defended successfully in a viva voce examination.

Program Tracks and Concentrations

A student may choose to organize the selection of the elective courses and the master’s thesis topic to follow one of the identified concentrations or specialization tracks within the field of Engineering Systems and Management.

For the specialization tracks the selected track will be noted on the student’s transcript provided that the student completes:

–         A minimum of 9 credits from the group of courses designated by the track.

–         A master research thesis within the domain of the track.

The tracks identified by the MSc in ESM program and the required courses for each of the tracks are as indicated below.

Concentration in Technology Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (TMIE):

The MSc ESM program offers its students the choice to register in the Technology Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (TMIE) concentration, which will be noted on the student diploma and transcript upon completion of the concentration and the graduation requirements. To fulfill the course requirements for the TMIE Concentration, students need to successfully complete (in addition to the MSc in ESM requirements); The TMIE 3 program elective courses (9 credits), fulfilled by taking the courses listed below, also the MSc thesis field of research should be relevant to the general area of Technology Strategy and Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and should count for 6 credits out of the thesis 12 total credits. Thus, the total TMIE course requirements are 15 credits (9 credits coming from courses and 6 credits from thesis).

–         ESMA 618 Managing Technology and Innovation

–         ESMA 607 Management and Entrepreneurship for Engineers

–         ESMA 617 Innovation and Creativity in Technology Organizations

–         ESMA 699 Master’s Thesis

Concentration in Space Systems and Technology:

The concentration will be reflected on students’ diploma and in the official transcript. The objective of this program is to foster the advanced research areas in space science and technology for the development of the UAE national space program and provide the space industry with human resources and infrastructure. In addition to the course requirements listed under the Space concentration technical elective courses, students’ thesis must include challenges and scientific research opportunities in space science and technology as well as relevancy to designing, building, and testing a small satellite.

Study Plan

Typical study plans for full-time and part-time students enrolled in the MSc in ESM program are shown below. Each student is expected to select the courses in consultation with her/his academic advisor.

Study Plan

Typical study plans for full-time and part-time students enrolled in the MSc in ESM program with Complex Systems Acquisition and Management concentration are below. Each student is expected to select the courses in consultation with her/his academic advisor.