Graduate Program Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find my advisor information?
Your academic advisor and your faculty advisor will be listed under your Support Network in the Academics section of your Workday Student profile.
What is the difference between my academic advisor and my faculty advisor?
Academic advisors should be a student’s first stop for assistance. Academic advisors are SSE Student Success team members who provide students with guidance on their major curriculum, course registration, academic progress, planning for summer studies, and changing a major. They are well-versed in Institute policies and procedures, and can connect students with resources across campus as needed. Students should meet with their academic advisor at least once each semester to ensure they are making satisfactory progress toward degree completion.
Faculty advisors are a student’s resource for more in-depth, subject area-specific questions and planning for long-term goals. Faculty advisors are the best resource to recommend concentrations or electives that best align with a student’s interests and goals. Students should also connect with their faculty advisor to discuss research and internship opportunities, or to get advice on their postgraduate career plans. Students can find the name of their assigned faculty advisor listed in their support network in Workday.
Do I need to submit an Academic Plan?
Graduate students are not required to submit an Academic Plan in Workday, but some may find it to be a useful planning tool. Follow the steps in the Workday user guide to create your Academic Plan. The Academic Progress section of your Workday profile is the official degree audit tool. Your courses will be applied to your degree requirements on the Academic Progress screen as you register and complete them.
We encourage all students to meet with their academic advisor during their first month at Stevens to plan out their courses to ensure they will meet all degree requirements in a timely manner.
How can I choose my elective courses?
Students are encouraged to take electives that can be applied toward a graduate certificate. Students who do not wish to pursue a graduate certificate should choose their elective courses from the graduate courses at the School of Systems and Enterprises (courses listed at 500-level or higher with one of the following prefixes: EM, ES, SSW and SYS). Students who wish to count a class outside of SSE as an elective may be permitted to do so if the class is directly related to their master’s degree and they receive approval from their faculty advisor. A complete list of courses is available in the Academic Catalog.
I took graduate-level courses at another institution. Can I transfer the credits from those courses in to Stevens and apply them toward my master's degree?
Up to 9 transfer credits may be accepted toward a 30 credit Master’s degree if these credits have not already been used to obtain an academic degree at Stevens or any other institution. All credits for transfer must show grades of “B” (3.0 GPA) or better, and the courses must be approved by the appropriate faculty in SSE and Graduate Academics. The transfer courses must be relevant to the graduate degree that the student is earning at Stevens. To initiate a transfer credit request, a student must submit an Application for Transfer Credit request in Workday. The student must also submit their final official transcript from the institution where the transfer courses were taken to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@stevens.edu.
How do I know when courses will be offered in order to plan my semesters at Stevens?
Although we do not have a permanent course schedule, we do tend to repeat our course offerings in a yearly manner; that is, a course that we offered in the past spring semester is likely to be offered again in the next spring semester, and so on and so forth. Previous and current semester schedules can be found in Workday by searching "Find Course Sections." A user guide with step-by-step instructions is available on the Workday Resource page.
A class that I need to take for my degree requirements isn't on the schedule or is closed/full. What can I do?
If this is not your last semester at Stevens, we recommend that you wait to take the course during a later semester and choose another available course to round out your current schedule. If this is your last semester at Stevens, then you have a few options:
If this is an elective class, the easiest solution is to find a different elective currently being offered. Be sure to consult your faculty advisor about the change in elective, especially if the new course is outside of SSE.
If this is a core class, please bring it to our attention by emailing Jessica Rosa (jrosa@stevens.edu). Depending on the situation, we may be able to expand the number of seats in an existing section. Otherwise, we may recommend a substitute course or we may need to offer a course by application.
How do I register for classes?
Registration takes place in Workday Student. Detailed information on registration procedures can be found on the Registrar's website.
I have a registration hold. How do I resolve it?
If you have a registration hold, you will be able to view it in your Workday Student profile. The holds section of your profile will also provide instructions on how to clear the hold. If you have a registration hold and you are not able to clear the hold on your own, contact Hannah Morris (hmorris1@stevens.edu) for assistance.
How can I tell if a course is offered online or on-campus?
Online courses always have a section number ending in WS (i.e. SYS 660-WS). On-campus course sections will be marked with a single letter (i.e. SYS 660-A).
I am an on-campus student. Am I allowed to take online courses?
Yes! Our online (WS) sections are open to all students, but there are limitations if you are an international student. Graduate students on an F-1 visa must enroll in at least 9 credits per semester. Of these 9 credits, one course (worth up to 3 credits) may be online or distance learning. Any courses taken above this requirement may be online or on-campus. For example, if a student is enrolled in 3 courses worth 3 credits each for a total of 9 credits, 2 courses must be on-campus and 1 course may be online. If a student is enrolled in 4 courses worth 3 credits each, 2 courses must be taken on-campus and 2 courses may be online. International students should always confirm their plans with International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) to ensure compliance with visa regulations.
How long will it take to complete a graduate program at the School of Systems & Enterprises?
The time to completion depends on how many courses a student takes per semester. Part-time students can take 8 or fewer credits per semester (usually 1-2 courses) whereas full-time students take 9-12 credits per semester (usually 3-4 courses). Additionally, courses may be taken during the summer term, resulting in a faster completion.
A graduate certificate (4-5 courses) may be completed in as little as 1 semester, and at most, 4-5 semesters.
A master’s degree (10 courses) may be completed in as little as 3 terms (1 calendar year), and at most, 10 terms (5 calendar years).
A Ph.D. degree requires a total of 84 credits (or 54 credits post-master’s degree) and varies in time of completion due to the nature of independent research. Some students complete it in 4 years; some take longer.
Stevens' Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) provides high-achieving undergraduate students the opportunity to begin taking graduate-level courses during their undergraduate studies, enabling them to earn both a bachelor's and master's degree at an accelerated pace.
For SSE-specific AMP information, click HERE.
Where can I get help and information regarding internships and jobs after graduation?
Please visit the Stevens Career Center for further information about their services to our students.
I am an international student who has received an internship offer. Do I need to apply for CPT (Curricular Practical Training)?
Graduate students on an F-1 visa need to apply for curricular practical training (CPT) through ISSS and enroll in a practicum course in order to participate in an internship. SSE offers three different practicum course numbers and students should enroll in the one that corresponds with their program of study:
Engineering Management or Systems Analytics: EM703 (Instructor: Dr. Kathryn Abel, kabel@stevens.edu)
Software Engineering: SSW703 (Instructor: Dr. Zhongyuan Yu, zyu7@stevens.edu)
Systems Engineering or Space Systems Engineering: SYS703 (Instructor: Dr. Mo Mansouri, mmansour@stevens.edu)
The CPT application requires multiple steps and approvals. Graduate students should first visit the ISSS web pages to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria to apply for CPT. If eligible, students can proceed with the CPT application steps as follows:
Obtain approval from the practicum course instructor: To obtain instructor approval, the student should get the CPT Advisor Recommendation Form completed and signed by the instructor of the practicum course that corresponds with their degree program (see above). Once the instructor signs the form, the student can move on to step 2.
Register for the practicum course: The registration process will take place through Workday. Students will need to submit a Prerequisite Override Request for the specific practicum course section that they wish to enroll in. This request will be routed to the instructor and to Graduate Academics for approval. Once approved, the student will receive a notification in their Workday inbox, and they will then be able to register for the course. Once registration is complete, proceed to step 3.
Apply for CPT through ISSS: The student needs to submit two documents (the internship offer letter and CPT Advisor Recommendation Form) through the ISSS Portal.
Students should submit all of their documents at least 2 weeks before their internship start date to give ample time for processing. Once ISSS approves, they will issue the student a new I-20 with CPT authorization and the student can only begin work after they receive that updated I-20.
If the student has specific questions about the application process or CPT requirements/regulations, they should reach out to ISSS (isss@stevens.edu) for the most up to date information. Further details are available on the ISSS web pages .
Is a thesis required for the master's programs in SSE?
No, none of our master’s degrees require a thesis; however, all students have the option to write one. Students who choose to do a thesis will need to enroll in a master's thesis course (EM 900, SSW 900, SYS 900). The master's thesis is a longer research project that is worth 6 credits and must be completed over 2 semesters. The thesis must be published with the library and defended upon completion.
The master's thesis must have a thesis advisor and a thesis reader. Because the thesis is worth 6 credits, it usually replaces 2 elective courses toward a master's degree. Further information about master's theses is available on the library's website.
Please note that our master’s programs in Systems Engineering and Space Systems Engineering require the completion of a 3-credit master’s project, SYS 800. If a student wishes to write a thesis rather than complete the master’s project, 6 credits would be earned for it and these credits would replace SYS 800 plus one elective course.
Is there a possibility for master’s students to enroll in research without completing a thesis?
Yes, master’s students can enroll in a special problems course (EM800, SSW800, SYS800). Students take these courses to earn credit for a master's research project done individually with the advice of a faculty member. The result is a project report. A special problems course may be taken twice for a total of 6 credits. For students in Engineering Management, Systems Analytics, or Software Engineering, these courses count as an elective course toward the master's degree. Students in Systems Engineering and Space Systems Engineering are required to complete SYS800 as part of their degree program.
Are there any scholarships available?
All institutional scholarships are awarded by the Office of Graduate Admissions at the time of admission.
Due to our limited funds, assistantships at the School of Systems & Enterprises are very competitive and are limited to our Ph.D. students. However, there are other options that you could consider. These options are available for your review on the graduate funding and aid page.
You may also consider working on campus during your course of study. Several departments hire students for a variety of different jobs ranging from grading assistants to administrative office work. Additional information can be found on the student employment page. Additionally, once you are on campus and get to know the faculty, you may reach out to them to see if they have any job opportunities for you.
Lastly, you may pursue an off-campus internship, which might be an additional source of funding as you gain experience in your field of study. More information is available through the Career Center website. Note: International students on an F-1 visa are not eligible to work off-campus until they have completed one full academic year (one fall + one spring) in active F-1 status.
I am interested in applying for a student job at the School of Systems & Enterprises. Where can I apply?
Please refer to the student employment website for all on-campus job opportunities.
I have completed all of my degree requirements. What do I need to do to ensure that I graduate?
Students who are nearing the completion of their degree requirements must submit an application for program completion in Workday. There are different submission deadlines for undergraduate and graduate students, so please be sure to check the Academic Calendar for updated deadlines.
I have completed the requirements for a graduate certificate along with my master's or doctoral degree requirements. What should I do in order to receive the certificate at the time of graduation?
Please make sure that your certificate is listed as a program of study on your Workday profile, in addition to your master's or doctoral degree. If you are completing a graduate certificate and it is not listed as a program of study in your record, please notify Hannah Morris (hmorris1@stevens.edu) immediately.
Once all of your programs of study are accurately reflected on your record, submit a separate application for program completion for each degree and each graduate certificate you are completing.
When is the commencement ceremony?
Commencement takes place only once each academic year - in May. Information can be found on the University Events Commencement page.
I'm an international student and I would like to invite family from outside the US to attend my commencement ceremony. What steps do I need to take?
Please visit the ISSS pages for detailed instructions on acquiring a visitor visa.
How will I receive the hard copy of my diploma?
Graduates receive both a digital copy and a hard copy of their diploma 4-6 weeks after the degree is conferred. A link to retrieve your digital diploma will be emailed to your stevens.edu address and your hard copy diploma will be mailed to the mailing address you provide on Workday (so please make sure your contact information is up to date)!