Systems Engineering and Data-Driven Decision-Making Graduate Certificate (Online)

The Systems Engineering and Data-Driven Decision-Making Graduate Certificate equips you to design, analyze, and optimize complex systems at the intersection of engineering, data science, and operational strategy. In four courses, you’ll explore systems engineering methods, data modeling, dynamic forecasting, risk analysis, and the economic frameworks that guide high-stakes technical decisions.

Designed for professionals working at the intersection of engineering, data, and operations, this fully online certificate prepares you to integrate analytical and systems-level perspectives to improve performance and guide decision-making. You’ll learn from faculty with expertise across systems engineering, data science, and decision analysis.

Through the certificate, you’ll learn to:

• Apply systems engineering methods to design, evaluate, and optimize complex systems across their full lifecycle — from requirements and architecture through deployment and performance assessment.
• Use data analysis, dynamic modeling, and forecasting techniques to identify system optimization opportunities and inform decisions under conditions of uncertainty and scale.
• Integrate risk analysis and economic frameworks to assess trade-offs, evaluate competing priorities, and support sound decision-making in high-stakes technical environments.
• Translate technical insights and analytical findings for both engineering and business stakeholders — bridging the gap between quantitative rigor and organizational decision-making.
• Apply data-driven and systems-level approaches to sustain operational reliability, reduce system risk, and build organizational resilience across complex, data-rich environments.

Organizations increasingly need professionals who can apply systems thinking and data analysis to improve performance and guide decision-making in complex environments.

After completing this certificate, you could be prepared for a variety of roles, including:

• System Analyst or Engineer
• Business or Operations Analyst
• Program Manager
• Data-Driven Decision Support Engineer
• Technical Systems Manager

The Systems Engineering Graduate Certificate includes four online courses:

• CSCI 101 Foundations of Data Science and Engineering
• CSCI 116 Dynamic Modeling and Forecasting in Big Data
• CSCI 178 Introduction to Software Engineering
• CSCI 188 System Engineering Economics, Risk, and Decision Analysis in Systems Engineering

Selecting courses. Multiple course options are available during fall, spring, and summer terms. Offerings vary by term. Explore current options in the DCE Course Search & Registration platform.

The Systems Engineering and Data-Driven Decision-Making Graduate Certificate can be completed on its own or applied toward the Systems Engineering Master’s Degree Program.

Two courses for the certificate enable you to:

• Fulfill the “earn your way in” admissions requirement.
• Earn the Systems Engineering Foundations Microcertificate.

After admission, you can complete two additional courses to earn the graduate certificate while also applying them toward your master’s degree. Learn more about degree admissions, requirements, and timeline.

If you take two courses per semester, you can complete your certificate in 8 months. If you prefer a more flexible pace, you have up to three years to finish.

There is no formal application required. You simply register for each course.

To meet the requirements for the certificate:

• Complete the four certificate courses for graduate credit.
• Earn at least a B grade in each course.
• Complete all courses within three years of starting your first eligible certificate course.

Learn more about pursuing a certificate and the process of requesting your certificate.