Systems Program Overviews
Systems Master of Science (M.S.) program overview
The Master of Science (M.S.) in Systems program students will pursue methodologies that are relevant for planning, optimizing, and executing multi-disciplinary solution efforts for design and operational problems in engineering, business, and the social sciences. The program also serves as a natural home for multi-disciplinary research projects that require the cooperation of researchers from different domains. Cornell University has a long tradition of fostering projects that are large in scope. With its pursuit of methodologies that are relevant for planning, optimizing, and executing multi-disciplinary solution efforts and its focus on the study of the structure and behavior of complex systems, the program provides the methodological foundation for carrying out such projects. This degree is intended for students who are interested in a research career in Systems Science and Engineering as opposed to our M.Eng. program which is intended for students interested in working in applications after graduation.
Systems Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Program
Our Ph.D. program pursues methodologies and modeling techniques that are relevant for planning and executing multi-disciplinary solutions for design and operation programs in engineering, business, and the social sciences and combinates of these. The goal is first to generate tools and techniques that start with understanding the needs of the end consumer of the solution to convert these needs into quantifiable requirements and then to investigate how these requirements can be satisfied by devising possible solutions, to evaluate solutions that are under consideration, and implementing solutions that effectively serve the need of the end consumer.
Systems Degree Requirements
Systems M.S. Degree requirements
| Course Number | Course Name | Semester | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| SYSEN 6000 | Foundations of Complex Systems | Fall | 3 |
| SYSEN 6150 | Model Based Systems Engineering | Fall | 4 |
| SYSEN 8000 | Systems Doctoral Colloquium | Fall | 1 |
| SYSEN 8100 | Systems Seminar Series – Ph.D. (every semester in the first two years) | Fall and Spring | 1 |
One Minor is required based on the interest of the students and his/her committee, ideally within the human-oriented social sciences areas.
An M.S. student must complete a satisfactory M.S. thesis. The student will take the M.S. final exam upon completion of all requirements for the degree but no earlier than one month before completion of the minimum registration unit requirement. This oral exam covers the topic of the master’s thesis.
Systems Ph.D Requirements
| Course Number | Course Name | Semester | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| SYSEN 6000 | Foundations of Complex Systems | Fall | 3 |
| SYSEN 6150 | Model Based Systems Engineering | Fall | 4 |
| SYSEN 8000 | Systems Doctoral Colloquium | Fall | 1 |
| SYSEN 8100 | Systems Seminar Series – Ph.D. (every semester in the first two years) | Fall and Sspring | 1 |
Ph.D. students must take two minors. All courses for the two minors are selected in coordination with the student’s special committee.
Elective Courses
Students are expected to take courses in Risk Modeling, Human Centered Modeling, Systems Design, and/or Systems Science. Selection of Elective Courses should be approved by the student’s special committee.
Requirements for the Ph.D. and M.S. Graduate Minors in Systems
A Ph.D. student majoring in another graduate field can obtain a minor in Systems by successfully completing four courses, including SYSEN 6000 and SYSEN 6150. The four courses must be approved by a member of the Field of Systems who is a member of the student’s special committee. Any course used to satisfy requirements of the student’s major field of doctoral study may not be used to satisfy the minor in Systems. An M.S. student majoring in another graduate field can obtain a minor in Systems by successfully completing two Systems courses, including SYSEN 6150, and one more course, preferably SYSEN 6000. The other systems-related course must be approved by a member of the Field of Systems who is a member of the student’s special committee. Any course used to satisfy the requirements of the student’s major field of master’s study may not be used to satisfy the minor in Systems.
M.S. Exams
M.S. Exam (M Exam)
There is one required exam for M.S. Students, the M Exam, also referred to as a thesis exam. The M Exam is an oral exam which takes place in front of the M.S. students special committee and other systems faculty. A master’s student takes the final M-Exam upon completion of all requirements for the degree but no earlier than one month before completion of the minimum registration requirement. The Oral exam covers the topic of the master’s thesis.
Scheduling the M Exam
- The Code of Legislation requires students to submit a completed draft for committee review six weeks before scheduling the exam.
- Communicate with your committee members to agree on a date and time for your exam.
- All Members of the Special Committee must attend the M Exam either in person or remotely.
- Submit the online M Exam Scheduling Form at least two weeks before the exam.
- Book your exam room. You can reach out to the Graduate Field Assistant to help to book a room.
- Send a PDF of your abstract to the Graduate Field Assistant at least one week before your exam. This will be sent to all Systems field members.
- Supply each committee member with a final draft of your thesis at least one week before the exam.
- Take your final M exam, oral thesis defense for master’s candidates, six to eight weeks before the conferral date.
- Visit the Understanding Deadlines and Requirements page of the Graduate School website to better understand the final exam and thesis submission process.
Ph.D. Exams
Q Exam – Qualifying Examination (Internal)
- Taken between August and January of year two.
- Min Grades in SYSEN 6000 and SYSEN 6150 (B)
- Oral Presentation about research with Q&A
- Questions about material in SYSEN 6000 and SYSEN 6150 as applicable to research presented.
- Does not need to be scheduled through the graduate school
A Exam
- The Cornell Graduate School requires that all Ph.D. students must schedule and attempt their Admission to Candidacy Examination (A Exam) prior to the start of their seventh semester of enrollment unless a petition if filed.
- This is a comprehensive exam that gauge’s students’ knowledge of their chosen research area and their readiness for independent research.
- This is an oral examination, administered by the members of the student’s Special Committee.
- The exam typically begins with a presentation of preliminary research results and future plans by the student.
- The Special Committee members ask questions on the presentation as well as on general knowledge relevant to the student’s research area(s).
- In this exam, students are expected to demonstrate broad knowledge in their research area as well as communication and presentation skills.
- Successful completion of the A Exam may result in the student earning a Non-Thesis Master of Science (MS) degree, providing the student’s Committee Membership deems it appropriate.
Thesis Defense/ B Exam
- The Cornell Graduate School requires that all Ph.D. students must schedule and attempt their B Exam prior to the conclusion of their 14th semester of enrollment.
- This is an oral examination, administered by the members of the student’s Special Committee.
- The main component of the exam is a public presentation of the scholarly content of the Ph.D. dissertation and is open to the public for dissemination and defense of findings.
- A successful candidate is expected to clearly demonstrate unique and novel ideas in this presentation and be able to convey them to an audience of critical experts with a balanced presentation of key findings, and a well written dissertation that will become part of the public record.
- A pass of the B exam indicates completion of a Ph.D. program and completion of a dissertation with significant scholarly content and impact in the field of study.
Scheduling A/B Exams
Scheduling the Admission to Candidacy Examination (A Exam)
The student will need to schedule the A/B Exam at a time that is convenient for both them and their Special Committee Membership. Students are encouraged to complete the scheduling process well in advance of the date of the A Exam itself.
Reserving a Room for the A Exam
Once a date and time have been established, the student should reserve a conference room where the A/B Exam will be held or reach out to Jessica Beebe to help reserve a room.
Deadline for Submission of A/B Examination
- The completed Schedule A/B exam Form (below) must be submitted to the Graduate School a minimum of seven (7) calendar days prior to the date of the scheduled exam.
- There are no exceptions to this rule. Late submission of the Schedule A/B Examination Form will result in the A/B Exam having to be re-scheduled.
- The date, time and location of the students A/B exam will be announced to all Systems faculty. This also has to be done seven (7) calendar days prior to the date of the scheduled Exam.
Forms for Scheduling either A or B Exam
- A Exam Form (Online)*
- B Exam Form (Online)*
*On the day of your scheduled exam, you will receive an email from the Graduate School instructing you to initiate the results submission process immediately after your exam takes place. A direct link to the online results submission form is included in the email. Once signed and submitted by you, the results form is sent automatically first to your chair for official recording of your results, then to your committee members for review and confirmation that the results reflect the consensus of the special committee. The form will then go to the Director of Graduate Studies to indicate the graduate field accepts the results of the exam. Once the electronic review and approval process concludes, the completed form is routed to Jessica Beebe to review and acknowledge. Once this step is completed the form will be automatically routed to the Graduate School.
Helpful Links
Special Committee Requirements
- The Rule: The Graduate School requires that all doctoral students have a full special committee no later than the end of the third semester.
- What constitutes a Special Committee?
- A minimum of three members of the Cornell graduate faculty constitutes a special committee for a Ph.D. student.
- One member, the chair of the committee (major advisor), represents the Systems field.
- One minor member must represent a minor outside of Systems.
- The third minor member may either:
- Represent another minor outside of the other two fields (major and first minor) or
- An internal minor in some sub-specialty of Systems
- To request additional time please submit a General Petition
- For more information about committee requirements visit the Graduate School’s, Nominating Your Special Committee page
To find the faculty members of any given field, go to Fields of Study – Graduate Catalog and look under “faculty” toward the bottom of the first page for the field. To find all the fields to which any given faculty member belongs, go to the same page, on the right-hand side (narrow your search) you can enter the faculty member’s name at the top and check the box halfway down “Filter by Faculty”. This will display all the fields and concentrations that a person can represent.
The Philosophy
The selection of the special committee is up to the student in consultation with his/her major advisor. Theoretically, your minor/s can be in any field; however, in practical terms, you will want to select faculty who will, in some way, contribute to or support your research goals. The field requires that at least two of the members of your committee are qualified to read and understand the technical aspects of your dissertation.
The Power of the Special Committee
The faculty member who represents a particular subject/concentration on the committee determines the specific requirements for that student (e.g. coursework needed). The committee evaluates the student at the time of the A Exam and B Exam and determines whether you have met the appropriate standards for original research contributing to the knowledge base of the field (approving your dissertation). Students are encouraged to meet with their full committee at least once a year to ascertain that everyone agrees regarding the progress toward the degree (hint: committee members can be useful allies)
Procedure
- To nominate your committee, visit Student Center
- Click on the dropdown arrow next to “Advisor.”
- Click on “Graduate Committee Selection”
- Click on “Chairperson”
- Use the dropdown menu to select your Chairperson/Advisor
- Click on “Concentration”
- System Engineering
- Click on “Save”
Once the request has been submitted, I’ll receive an email and approve the submission
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Per the Systems Ph.D. degree requirements, students need to have two minors. Who determines the minors: student, chair, committee, or a combination?
The student, committee chair and the minor advisors decide. It can be slightly iterative—the student and major advisor (committee chair) discuss options for the special committee.
-
How many credits/courses determine a minor?
Minor requirements depend on the field and the faculty member representing that minor field in the student’s special committee. Minor courses are thus selected in coordination with the student’s special committee. The number of credits can vary. For example, if a student is minoring in ECE, the advisor and the special committee ensure the student has sufficient background in the specific field that it is credible. If they have an undergrad in ECE that would be minimal additional course work.
-
Changing Special Committee Membership
Students may change their Special Committee Membership at any time during their Ph.D. Program.
Special Committee Membership changes after the completion of the A Exam will require the Dean’s approval from the Cornell Graduate School.
A Student cannot schedule their B Exam within three (3) Months of making a Special Committee Membership change.
Changing the Committee Chair / Advisor should be discussed in advance with the Director of Graduate Studies.
It should be noted that any Special Committee Membership changes will require the approval from all Members of the newly formed Committee, including the Committee Chair / Advisor.
Any Member of the Special Committee, including the Committee Chair / Advisor, has the right to resign at any time.
It is the responsibility of the student to reconstitute their Special Committee Membership. Failure on the part of the student to reconstitute their Special Committee will result in them not being permitted to continue to register as a student in the Graduate School.
More information can be found at Cornell Graduate School: Changing Your Committee.
Financial Support
M.S. Financial Support
All admitted M.S. students will be required to be self-funded for the duration of their degree.
Ph.D. Financial Support
There are three types of available funding that we offer to applicants who receive admission offers. Each of them includes a Fellowship, academic year Stipend and a student health insurance package.
Fellowships
Generally, fellowship offers will be made to the very best applicants and for the most part last only one (1) semester or two (2) semesters, depending on the type of fellowship. Stipends for fellowships tend to be slightly higher for the first year only. Applicants who are awarded fellowships enter the program without any formal obligations such as teaching or research for a specific sponsored project for the duration of the fellowship itself.
Diversity Fellowships
The Graduate School offers several Diversity Fellowships and encourages our applicants to apply for them if they qualify (U.S. citizens or permanent residents only). Included are a Sloan Fellowship, Colman Fellowship, a Sage Fellowship, and simply a Diversity Fellowship. Each of these funding opportunities is geared towards providing aid for applicants that meet several of the following criteria:
- A history of overcoming disadvantage
- First-generation college student
- Raised in a single-parent household
- Member of an under-represented minority group (American Indian or Alaskan Native, Black/African American, Mexican American, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Puerto Rican, Other Hispanic)
If you meet the criteria listed above, we encourage you to submit a Diversity Essay in your online application that clearly demonstrates how any of these eligibility criteria apply in your case. Please be sure to include at least a sentence or two at the conclusion of your Statement of Purpose that you have submitted a Diversity Essay and that you hope to be considered for this Fellowship opportunity.
Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA)
Ph.D. students typically serve as GRAs for most semesters of the program. The GRA is the most common of all types of financial support and allows students to conduct research. GRAs usually come from the Ph.D. student’s thesis advisor and committee chair. Students on a GRA receive full tuition and stipend for the academic year. Stipends are typically paid in biweekly pay checks. Summer support appointments are made separately.
A GRA is given to a student whose research interests coincide with a sponsored research project. The faculty member making the offer will become the applicant’s advisor upon entering the Systems program. Being admitted as a GRA does not have any teaching obligations and applicants are expected to immediately begin focusing on research in the group of the faculty member who made the offer. GRAs are generally given to continuing, rather than incoming, students.
Teaching Assistantship (TA)
TA offers come directly from the Systems department and or other departments depending on the advisor’s tenure location (CEE, ORIE, CBE, etc.). Admitted applicants are expected to perform the required duties of a TA at least once during their program. A TA is responsible for assisting a faculty member in administering a class. Duties could include grading, managing a course web site, leading discussion sections, holding office hours, etc. There is a maximum limit to the number of hours a student can be expected to devote to their duties. Please consult the Cornell Policy on Graduate Assistantships for further details and expectations. TA positions are a very valuable piece of a student’s experience. Being a TA helps reinforce knowledge of material and is a very attractive item to colleges and universities when considering job applicants in academia, especially for tenure track positions. While TA positions require additional work, they have a large pay-off and many students very much enjoy helping others learn and become more confident in systems. Stipends are typically paid in bi-weekly pay checks.
Student Status
Student Status vs. Registration Status
Student Status
Student Status defines the student’s current relationship with the university as active, on pause, completed, or withdrawn.
Registration Status
Registration Status is the official recognition of a student’s relationship with the university and authorizes student’s access to campus resources.
Registered Status
- Active and engaged in full-time study on campus (Ithaca, Weill, Cornell Tech, Geneva) or In Absentia, (100+ miles from Ithaca)
Non-registered Status
- Leave of Absence (Personal and Health)
- Leave Upon Completion
- Withdrawal
Events Triggering a Change in Status
- Doing an internship
- Personal or health reason
- Off-campus research
- Starting a job
- When chair leaves Cornell
- Approaching degree completion
- Writing dissertation
Leave of Absence
Leave of Absence is a non-registered status that allows students to temporarily separate from the university and can be granted for personal or health reasons. Students who take a leave of absence relinquish access to campus facilities and services that accompany student status.
- Planned, between semester leaves for job or internship
- Planned, mid-semester for when completing degree requirements
- Unplanned, mid semester leaves for personal or health reasons
International students who take a leave of absence must either (1) leave the United States or (2) receive approval for another visa status. Students on the Health Leave of Absence may have options for remaining in the United States for a limited, specified duration of up to 12 months.
Leave of Absence Rules
- Personal Leave of Absence is requested using the Leave of Absence form. Health Leave of Absence is recommended by Cornell Health.
- Students are required to notify university of planned personal leaves by the end of the term they currently have registration status.Unplanned leaves can be requested anytime during the current semester.
- Leave upon completion available to students who have met all degree requirements.
- Can extend for a period of up to 12 months, can be renewed annually to a maximum of four calendar years.
- Renewal request must be submitted one month prior to the leave expiring to avoid withdrawal.
- Time spent on leave of absence does not count towards time-to-degree limits. Cancellation of SHP may be required
In Absentia
In Absentia is a registered active status that provides an opportunity for graduate students to engage in full- time study at an off-campus location (at least 100 miles away from the student’s campus). Tuition is $200.
- Conducting research for an extended period of time at a location far from campus.
- Traveling to another institution for an extended period of time to use library, archival, laboratory, or other resources to advance your scholarship.
- Taking courses at another university that are not available at Cornell.
Ph.D. students are eligible for in absentia after completion of two semesters, master’s students after completion of one semester. Both can be in absentia a total of eight semesters.
- Ph.D. students may not complete more than two of the required semesters of registration while approved for in absentia study.
- Master’s students may not complete more than one of the required semesters of registration while approved for in absentia study.
In Absentia Status Rules
- The Graduate School In Absentia form can be found here
- Study plan and documentation required
- Travel registration with Travel Registry required for international travel
- Not eligible for TA, 20-hour limit for RA & GRA
- Auto enrolled in GRAD 9010 for fall and spring only
- Not automatically extended, new petition justifying need is required
- Auto enrolled in SHP required for fully funded PhD students
Student Resources
Staff and Faculty Contacts
| Title | Name | Contact Info |
|---|---|---|
| Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) | Cliff Whitcomb | Email: caw356@cornell.edu Phone: 607-255-2018 Office: Rhodes Hall, Room 632 |
| Assistant Director of Graduate Programs (GFA) | Jessica Beebe | Email: jd648@cornell.edu Phone: 607-255-0412 Office: Rhodes Hall, Room 602 |
Research Resources and Facilities
- Cornell NanoScale Science & Technology Facility (CNF)
- Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR)
- Biotechnology Resource Center
- Cornell RNA Sequencing Core
- Genomics Facility
- Cornell Stem Cell Program
- Cornell Energy Systems Institute
Libraries
Career Development and other Resources
- BEST Program to enhance training opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to prepare for careers beyond conventional academic research
- Pathway to Success Program
- Career Services for Graduate Students
- Tax information
- International Student & Scholars Office
- Student Health Plan
Funding Opportunities
- Information on fellowships offered by the Cornell Graduate School
- Cornell graduate school fellowship database
- Overview of opportunities
- NIH Fellowships
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowships
- Cornell Conference Travel Grants (Conference Grant Application)
- Child Care Grant Program to offset expenses for graduate student-parents
Cornell Rules, Guidelines, and Policies
- Graduate School Policy and Regulations
- Cornell Graduate School general information
- Code of Academic Integrity