Course : Military Electronic Systems Engineering MSc/PgDip (2010)

Summary

From Cranfield University:

The aim of this course is to provide education and training in selected electronic military systems. The course is intended for officers of the armed forces and for scientists and technical officers in government defence establishments and the defence industry. It is particularly suitable for those who, in their subsequent careers, will be involved with the specification, analysis, development, technical management or operation of military radar, electro-optics, communications, sonar or information systems, where the emphasis is on an electronic warfare environment. The main object of the course is to bring together the wide variety of disciplines involved and present them in an integrated manner, emphasising the system aspects.

Suitably qualified candidates who achieve an appropriate standard on the course are awarded either the MSc Degree or the Cranfield University Postgraduate Diploma in Military Electronic Systems Engineering as appropriate. The formal aims of the PGDip and MSc are as follows:

• The aim of the Postgraduate Diploma course is to provide students with a detailed knowledge and understanding of military electronic warfare systems such that they are fully equipped for roles in defence intelligence and acquisition, involving the specification and analysis of such systems, working individually or as part of a team.
• In addition, the MSc course enables the student to carry out an in-depth investigation into an area of electronic warfare to further enhance their analytical capability.

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Course : MSc Business and Systems Thinking (incorporating PG Cert/PG Dip) (2010)

Summary

From the University of Derby:

You will develop a wide and in-depth knowledge across key managerial disciplines on the MSc Business and Systems Thinking programme.

You will practice and expand key subject area skills, unlocking business potential and management capabilities within a diverse cultural context. You will develop appropriate business strategies, policies, procedures and change programmes within a dynamic business context so you will make an immediate impact in the business sector.

You will also understand the impact of professional and ethical standards and principles on business practice, and enhance your own personal business skills. At the same time you will focus on systems thinking - an innovative approach to help organisations work efficiently and effectively- and start to understand the complex world of systems.

The MSc starts with the Postgraduate Certificate stage which is also shared across other programmes so that you build a strong support network of global colleagues to learn with. You will concentrate on the broad contextual aspects of management, developing your knowledge and understanding. The main themes here are developing people, organisational dynamics and behaviours, finance and information, marketing and operations, as well personal development skills.

At the Postgraduate Diploma stage the focus is on subject specific knowledge and practical skills.  It goes beyond the operational and functional, through the tactical, and towards a more strategic level of understanding in a wider variety of business environments and global contexts.  You’ll be internationalising your capabilities and will evaluate a range of intervention theories in terms of systems thinking and change management. You will research to evaluate the application of Systems theory to an organisation.

At the Masters level you will focus on the philosophies and practice of systems thinking.  You will develop a dissertation or management project based on systems thinking and organisational change. This is a significant piece of work culminating in your resolutions of, and perspectives on, strategic managerial problems relating to systems and change management.

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Course : Systems Engineering for Defence Capability MSc/PgDip/PgCert (2010)

Summary

Suitable for those involved in systems decisions throughout the acquisition community, ie MOD, DE&S, QinetiQ and Industry (prime contractors and the wider supply chain).

Takes you on to impressive career prospects across a range of roles commensurate with your experience. This includes membership of multidisciplinary teams in acquisition, supply or research organisations. This could be in both general systems engineering roles or as a focal point for specific skills such as availability, reliability and maintenance (ARM), human factors, requirements, architecture test and evaluation, etc. It is also applicable to key roles in MOD acquisition such as IPT leader, capability manager and requirements manager.

You will be taught by Cranfield University academic staff at the Defence Academy - College of Management and Technology who understand the challenges of translating theory into practice. Visiting lecturers include experts from industry, research establishments and Government departments, particularly the MOD.

Course Description

For the Systems Engineering for Defence Capability course, we offer two variants of the MSc, PgDip and PgCert programmes of study:

• full-time
• flexible part-time
.

Both variants are delivered by a combination of electronic learning and classroom-based lectures, workshops and exercises.

The taught phase provides comprehensive coverage of modern systems engineering principles, practices, methods and tools, and places great emphasis on their practical application.

In order to develop skills in understanding and tackling complex problems in the real world, we make extensive use of case studies and student investigation.

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Course : Systems Engineering MEng/BEng (2010)

Summary

From Loughborough University:

Systems Engineering provides a structured comprehensive approach to solving today’s complex technical challenges, particularly those related to the design and development of highly sophisticated products, such as aircraft, ships, telecommunications networks, or information management systems.

It is the systems engineer’s job to integrate people, processes, tools and technologies effectively and successfully in any system to produce a required capability and performance. Systems Engineering is about the bigger picture: it provides insight into the context in which design objectives are set and enables appropriate integrated solutions to be developed and implemented as operational products or services. No matter what the system of interest, a systems engineer looks at the whole product lifecycle and all the stakeholders’ needs as well as aiming to satisfy the customer.

The course contains material drawn from the following academic departments, together with contributions from industrial organisations:

• Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering
• Business School
• Computer Science
• Electronic and Electrical Engineering
• Ergonomics
• Materials Engineering
• Politics, History and International Relations
• Mathematical Sciences
• Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
• Civil and Building Engineering

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Course : T306_1 Managing Complexity: A Systems Approach (2000)

Summary

Provided by The Open University under their OpenLearn website as a free study units with a discussion forum. Study independently at your own pace or join a group and use the free learning tools to work with others.

Time: 20 hours
Level: Advanced

From The Open University:

Do you need to change the way you think when faced with a complex situation? This unit examines how systemic thinking and practice enables you to cope with the connections between things, events and ideas. By taking a broader perspective complexity becomes manageable and it is easier to accept that gaps in knowledge can be acceptable.

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Course : T551_1 Systems Thinking and Practice (1999)

Summary

Provided by The Open University under their OpenLearn website as a free study units with a discussion forum. Study independently at your own pace or join a group and use the free learning tools to work with others.

Time: 8 hours
Level: Intermediate

From The Open University:

What is systems thinking and practice? The essence of systems thinking and practice is in ‘seeing’ the world in a particular way, because how you ‘see’ things affects the way you approach situations or undertake specific tasks. This unit will help you to learn about the problems of defining a system and meet some of the key concepts used in systems theory: boundary, environment, positive and negative feedback, etc.

After studying this unit you should be able to:

• develop confidence in using systems concepts and language;
• describe accurately the set of key systems concepts;
• understand what is distinctive about systems thinking as opposed to other forms of thinking;
• understand how systems thinking is useful in analysing and improving situations;
• understand the notion of a system as a creation of the observer, i.e. as an intellectual construct, as opposed to using the term system in other ways, i.e. as entities that exist ‘out there’;
• identify and represent systems of interest (that are not ‘out there’).

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Course : T552_1 Systems Diagramming - OpenLearn (2002)

Summary

Provided by The Open University under their OpenLearn website as a free study units with a discussion forum. Study independently at your own pace or join a group and use the free learning tools to work with others

.

Time: 12 hours

Level: Introductory

From the Open University:

Pictures speak louder than words. But how can you use diagrams to help you? This unit looks at how diagrams can be used to represent information and ideas about complex situations. You will learn how to read, draw and present diagrams to help illustrate how ideas or processes are connected.

After reading this unit you should be able to:

• appreciate diagrams as a powerful aid to thinking and acting;
• distinguish between systems diagrams and diagrams helpful in systems work;
• demonstrate sufficient skills to ‘read’ and ‘draw’ a wide range of diagrams, following given conventions, that help improve your understanding of a situation;
• select diagrams suited to the needs of the situation you are investigating and the purposes/preferences of you as the diagrammer.

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Course : T553_1 Systems Modelling (1999)

Summary

Provided by The Open University under their OpenLearn website as a free study units with a discussion forum. Study independently at your own pace or join a group and use the free learning tools to work with others.

Time: 4 hours

Level: Introductory

From the Open University:

Maps and plans, architects and engineers, drawings, graphs and tables: all are models we use in everyday life. This unit will introduce you to the modelling process enabling you to recognise that systems models may be used in different ways as part of a process for: improving understanding of a situation; identifying problems or formulating opportunities and supporting decision making.

Learning Outcomes

After working through these materials you should be able to:

• describe and use a general classification of models;
• outline and discuss the process of systems modelling, where models are used as part of a systemic approach to a range of different situations;
• recognise that systems models may be used in different ways as part of a process for: improving understanding of a situation; identifying problems or formulating opportunities; supporting decision making.

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Course : TD866_3 Nature Matters: Systems Thinking and Experts (2009)

Summary

Provided by The Open University under their OpenLearn website as a free study units with a discussion forum. Study independently at your own pace or join a group and use the free learning tools to work with others.

Time: 15 hours
Level: Advanced

This unit explores conceptual tools for assisting our thinking and deliberation on what matters. The notion of ‘framing’ nature is introduced and three readings provide an understanding of systems thinking for explicitly framing issues of environmental responsibility.

From The Open University:

This unit explores conceptual tools for assisting our thinking and deliberation on what matters. In Section 1, a reading by Ronald Moore introduces the notion of ‘framing’ nature, raising the perceived paradox of inevitably devaluing an aesthetically pleasing unframed entity. Three further readings, two from Fritjof Capra and one from Werner Ulrick (all of which are quite short and markedly reduced from their original courses), provide an understanding of systems thinking for explicitly framing issues of environmental responsibility. The development of systems literacy (referred to by Capra in terms of ecoliteracy and by Ulrich in terms of critical systems thinking) is explored to counter the sometimes debilitating dualistic positioning on environmental matters alluded to by writers such as Talbott, Light and Higgs amongst many others.

Section 2 focuses more on how conceptual tools can help to inform better policy and action regarding environmental matters. Here, a reading by Robyn Eckersley critically explores the importance and limitations of environmental pragmatism for informing policy. Finally, ideas of cognitive justice are explored in a reading by Shiv Visvanathan, who suggests a need for continually developing constructive space between scientific experts and lay experts in order to inform policy and action on what matters that reflects a wider constituency, and that is more specific to eco-cultural circumstances.

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