System Science Graduate Certificates

The Systems Science program offers graduate certificates in two specialty areas: computer modeling and simulation, and computational intelligence (currently under revision).

Admission requirements

Students admitted to the master’s or doctoral program need not apply separately for admission to a graduate certificate. But to add the certificate to their master’s or doctoral program they must submit the GO-19M or GO-19D form (see http://www.pdx.edu/ogs/forms to the Office of Graduate Studies at least one term before they apply for completion of the certificate.

Students not admitted to the doctoral or master’s program must submit to Systems Science: (1) a completed Application to Graduate Program form, and (2) official or unofficial copies of academic transcripts from an institution. The admissions committee will recommend the student’s admission if his or her academic transcript shows a completed undergraduate degree with a GPA of 2.75 or higher.

Certificate Requirements

General requirements for graduate certificates can be found at http://pdx.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2014-2015/Bulletin/Graduate-Studies/Degree-requirements/Graduate-certificates. Systems Science requires that students complete 16 credit hours of courses within the specialty area of their chosen certificate, including one required course. For the Computer Modeling and Simulation certificate, SySc 514 (System Dynamics) is the required course, and for the Computational Intelligence certificate, SySc 575 (Neural Networks I) is the required course. Students select three additional courses from those listed on the graduate certificate program page (http://www.pdx.edu/sysc/program-systems-science-graduate-certificates). One special topics course (SySc 510/610) for up 4 credit hours may be approved for inclusion by the program chair.

Graduate certificate students must earn at least a B in all courses and their cumulative GPA must be at least 3.25. More detailed information is available in the Systems Science Graduate Student Handbook at http://www.pdx.edu/sysc.