Course Description

Concept Exploration and Systems Architecting (APPEL-CESA)

 

Audience

This course is designed for NASA's technical workforce, including systems engineers and project personnel.

 

Goal

This 4.5-day workshop introduces participants to the primary processes and tools for successfully performing up-front system engineering analysis. Participants learn how to define proper system scope, acceptance criteria, create context diagrams and develop use case scenarios, and synthesize a first level logical architecture for the system to help meet customer objectives, requirements and constraints. In addition, participants are introduced to the fundamentals of life-cycle cost analysis as well as risk management and other program issues.

 

Learning Methods

The learning methods include lectures, discussions, group exercises, and other activities, including actual system engineering problems of all types, with an emphasis on NASA missions and systems.

 

Specific Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the rationale for and the value of systems engineering concepts and principles.
• Define various systems engineering-related terms and explain the systems engineering process.
• Describe the system life cycle and various systems engineering life-cycle models, phase gates, reviews, and standards.
• Apply the systems engineering process and principles from the identification of a customer or other stakeholder need through a System Requirements Review (SRR).

Competencies and Technical Areas Addressed

• Mission Needs Statement
• Stakeholder Management
• System Architecture
• Technical Requirements Definition

Notes

• This course is based on the Stevens Institute of Technology's "Fundamentals of Systems Engineering course (SYS 625)."
• The American Council on Education (ACE) has recommended that 2 transferable graduate-level credits be awarded for the successful completion of this course.
• This course is registered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) for 36 Professional Development Units (PDUs). PMI Course ID: CESA30