There are no obligatory prerequisites for enrolling in Architecture of Complex Systems. However, individuals with the following suggested career experience may find the course/program more relevant:
- Bachelor's degree
- Minimum Career Experience: 1-2 years of work experience in a technical field
- Average Career Experience: 5-15 years of work experience
- Past experience in modeling, regardless of the domain, can be beneficial. This includes modeling for computation, physics-based simulation, testing, or other purposes. Such experience will provide a solid foundation for understanding the challenges and opportunities of modeling, although specific modeling languages or experience are not required.
- No management experience is required, but some class materials will involve writing about teamwork and general management topics as they relate to architecture and complex projects.
This certificate program focuses on System Architecture and Model-Based Systems Engineering. Incoming learners are expected to be familiar with the following concepts:
- Systems Engineering "V" model
- Product Development Reference Models: Stage-Gate Reviews, Waterfall, Spiral, Agile
- Requirements engineering, including principles for developing clear and concise requirements, as well as requirements flow-down and management tools
- Identifying customer needs and conducting voice-of-the-customer analysis
- Proficiency in spreadsheet software, such as Excel, and the ability to create simple spreadsheet models
Preferred familiarity or experience (not obligatory) in the following areas:
- Early-stage product development
- Product lifecycle, including aftermarket and maintenance
- Functional analysis
- Basic concept development methods, such as the Morphological Matrix and Quality Function Deployment (QFD)
- Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
- Integrating or connecting models together
- Verification and validation processes
While these prerequisites are not mandatory, having knowledge or experience in these areas will enhance your understanding and engagement with the course content.
For more information on enrolling in the course or program, please visit the course home page or contact the support team at support@xpro.mit.edu.