■ Systems Engineering and Operations Research

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Phone: 703-993-1670
Web: seor.gmu.edu

School: Volgenau School of Engineering

Faculty

Professors: Adelman, Chang, Chen, Hoffman, Nash, Polyak, Schum, Sage, Sofer (chair)

Associate professors: Brouse, Laskey, Loerch, Sherry, Shortle, Speller, White

Assistant professors: Ganesan

Affiliated faculty members: Houck, VanTrees

Research and term professors: Costa, Gross, Sherry, Wagenhals, Wagner, Wolman

Adjunct professors: Alexander, Barry, Camp, Carley, Charboneau, Humphrey, Killam, Laveson, McDevitt, Morris, Ness, Rothwell, Soller, Stanojevic, Stephenson, Stevens, Wieland, Yost

Emeritus faculty: Donohue, Palmer

The Systems Engineering and Operations Research (SEOR) Department offers a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering, a minor in systems engineering and operations research, master’s degrees in systems engineering and in operations research, and a PhD degree in systems engineering and operations research. In addition, the department offers seven certificate programs at the master’s level: architecture-based systems engineering; command, control, communications, computing, and intelligence (C4I); discovery, design and innovation; military operations research; computational modeling; systems engineering analysis and architecture; and systems engineering of software intensive systems. The Department also offers a dual degree MS in Operations Research and Statistical Science jointly with the Statistics Department.

Systems engineers determine the most effective ways for an organization to use all of a given system’s components: people, machines, materials, information, and energy. The engineers plan, design, implement, and manage integrated systems, working to ensure performance, safety, reliability, and maintainability. They also work to ensure that systems are delivered on time at a reasonable cost. Examples of systems are computer networks, automobiles, intelligent robots, stereos, the Metro, and Mason. Whereas other engineering disciplines concentrate on individual aspects of a system, such as electronics, ergonomics, or software, systems engineers focus on the system as a whole. Systems engineering, perhaps more than any other engineering discipline, is involved with the human and organizational aspects of developing the desired system. Systems engineering is the people-oriented engineering profession.

Operations research is the professional field that deals with using scientific methods in engineering and management decision making, often focusing on how best to allocate limited resources. Operations researchers do for organizations what physicists do for the physical world: they try to find order in apparent chaos by identifying the structure in complex situations and understanding how the components of organizations interact. The goal is to explain and predict the effects of actions taken on these systems. Much of this work is developing and manipulating mathematical and computer models of organizational systems composed of people, machines, information, and procedures. The overall purpose is to provide a rational basis for decision making.

Mason’s operations research faculty members are principally involved in the theoretical and empirical study of managerial and operational processes, and the use of mathematical and computer models to optimize these systems. Models are needed for a variety of decision-making purposes in business, industry, scientific research, and government to describe different environments and relate alternative plans of action. Thus, the courses in operations research focus on quantitative modeling and the analysis of complex systems. Courses stress the use of contemporary computer hardware and software in modeling and analysis. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the field of operations research will be one of the fastest-growing professions of the next decade.

Obviously, there is much overlap between systems engineering and operations research. The department encourages students of either discipline to elect courses in the other. For more information, go to seor.gmu.edu.