Systems Engineering and Operations Research

You want to know how things operate so you can make them better. You want to solve puzzles and problems. Mason gives you the keys to find and create solutions.  

People-Focused Engineering 

Through our programs, you’ll get the skills and knowledge to see the big picture of how systems such as utilities, industries, communications, and digital systems work. And you’ll see how they can be improved. 

Your work might involve building systems from the ground up through development of software and hardware.  

Our MS in Systems Engineering is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top programs of its kind, taking the number 24 spot in 2020. 

Or you might like breaking things down, to see something from all angles. Knowing the component parts helps you understand how something works – and how it doesn’t – and find ways to make it more efficient.  

A degree from Mason will make you comfortable in workplaces that change and evolve. You’ll be able to adapt, because you know part of the fun is learning new things. 

Careers and Contacts 

Mason’s Systems Engineering and Operations Research department is in the D.C. metro area, which has the highest concentration of systems engineers and operations research practitioners in the nation. 

Our faculty conducts research and consults for government agencies and the contractors who support them. We also have ties through our project courses, our advisory board, and our alumni

With these contacts and partnerships, you’ll find networking, internship, and career opportunities at: 

  • Government agencies, contractors, and non-governmental organizations in the Washington region. 

  • Companies based in Virginia’s technology corridor. 

  • The health/science cluster in and around Bethesda, Maryland.