Application deadline is August 1, 2008.

Seldom have companies and their employees confronted an environment as dynamic and challenging as the one we face today. The world markets have changed enormously in the past decade. New markets have been opened with the end of the Cold War. New economic blocks have been formed. New trading alliances are shaped. The impact of the internet / electronic commerce is enabling a new kind of global economic system--one that is creating the closest thing yet to a single "borderless" world market. Inevitably, a new way of thinking and approach to doing business is necessary in order to survive in the fast changing economy.

Today it is possible to produce product anywhere, using resources from anywhere, by a company located anywhere, to be sold anywhere. Our world today is indeed a very small place. With the birth of modern technology and communications, we have experienced the death of distance. A necessary condition for businesses to survive and thrive in the global arena is to embrace the world's cultural differences and to be able to communicate effectively in this environment.

PhotoGISE is a unique program, designed expressly for professionals and full-time graduate students; it is a hands-on, practical program of study. The GISE curriculum provides the problem-solving and analytical skills necessary to maximize existing resources and uncover breakthrough opportunities for both the individual and the organization. The program's emphasis on systems engineering, project management, and finance, combined with a multi-cultural emphasis, will produce a new generation of complex systems thinkers who can excel in a global business environment.

A key strength of the GISE Program is the integrated approach that faculty have taken in creating it. As a result, students learn to integrate concepts for improved problem-solving with business management. Participants will complete this unique 15-credit hour program in 6 months by:

  • Attending a 4-day session in September before classes begin.
  • Attending classes one full day per week, alternating between Friday and Saturday through the Fall quarter (late September - mid-December).
  • Attending a seminar series whose speakers offer unique insights into the emerging competitive world marketplace.
  • Completing a team-based systems design experience in the Winter quarter (January - March).

Features

The program was created by senior faculty at the University of Washington's College of Engineering and the Business School, in collaboration with The Boeing Company.

  • The program is a 15-credit hour program that may be transferable into existing UW graduate engineering programs.
  • For Fall 2008, the program will pilot a distance learning opportunity. Participants located outside the region may participate in real-time instruction and project work. Participants must attend the kickoff weeks and session a month in person. See the Program page for these dates.
  • Normal fees apply for full-time UW students. Fees for students from industry will be covered by company training or educational programs. Tuition costs include instruction, textbooks, course materials, guest speakers, food and refreshments during course meetings, residence session accommodations, registration service, and graduation luncheon.
  • The integrated nature of the program supports multiple faculty attending lecture sessions.
  • The program is augmented by a series of seminars presented by industry and academic leaders.

Benefits:

As a result of active participation in this course, students will be able to determine the key components, their relationships, and their impacts on the management, analysis, and design of a systems engineering project in a global business environment. Students will learn to apply multiple decision methodologies in the development of a solution to a complex engineering problem. Students will also acquire the knowledge and skill required to optimize the work of a multidisciplinary team in solving engineering design problems.

To the employer, these skills, when utilized effectively, will help the organization remain competitive in today's changing and challenging business environment. GISE participants develop an appreciation for teamwork and the impact of decision making on bottom-line profitability. Current employees can acquire needed skills to adapt to change and continue to be productive while participating in this program. To a new employee, participation should provide a head start up the company experience ladder. This result also benefits the employer by compressing the time necessary for the employee to learn these skills "on the job".

Who Should Attend:

The program is aimed at the following target audiences:
  • Practicing engineers in companies involved in global systems, and interested in strengthening their technical and/or management knowledge from a systems perspective overview.
  • Graduate students in universities studying engineering or a related discipline, who are interested in broadening their understanding of global integrated systems engineering.
  • Those who have earned a B.S in engineering or related discipline, seeking a high level of technical competence for careers as professional systems engineers.
Contact a Program Representative

To learn more about the Global Integrated Systems Engineering Certificate Program, please call 206-685-8936 in the greater Seattle area, or 1-800-543-2320 and press zero, or e-mail us.