Program Overview
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Build the Digital Engineering Workforce

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SET Academy

Systems Engineering Technology for the Next Generation of Technical Professionals

SET Academy is a five-course Systems Engineering Technology curriculum developed and managed by the Institute for Digital Enterprise Advancement (IDEA). The sequence introduces systems thinking and systems engineering, then builds practical experience using SysML and model-based systems engineering methods and tools, culminating in a capstone that integrates requirements, architecture, behavior, interfaces, and verification information in a system model.

The program helps colleges, workforce organizations, and employers prepare learners to participate in the development of increasingly complex products, technologies, and mission-critical systems.

Two-Year Academic Concentration

SET Academy can be integrated into a two-year degree program as a concentration within engineering technology, information technology, computer science, advanced manufacturing, or a related technical discipline.

The five-course sequence provides progressive instruction in:

10–16 Week Continuing Education Program / Certificate

The same curriculum can be configured as an accelerated workforce or continuing education certificate. This format is designed for:

• Working technical professionals
• Career changers
• Veterans and transitioning service members
• Engineering and software technicians
• Employers developing internal digital engineering talent
• Learners seeking an introduction to MBSE and systems modeling

The continuing education pathway emphasizes focused instruction, guided modeling exercises, practical assignments, and an applied capstone experience.

The delivering institution may award academic credit or a certificate of completion under its own policies. Where included in the approved program design, students may also receive preparation for the OMG SysML Model User certification exam and an opportunity to sit for that independent industry certification. Completion of SET Academy does not guarantee a passing exam score.

SET Academy prepares students to understand how complex systems are defined, modeled, developed, tested, and sustained. Students build skills in:

• Systems thinking and structured problem-solving
• Stakeholder needs and requirements development
• Requirements traceability and flowdown
• System architecture and decomposition
• Modeling system structure and behavior
• Interfaces, interactions, inputs, outputs, and constraints
• Verification and validation planning
• SysML and MBSE concepts
• Digital thread, digital twin, and authoritative-source-of-truth concepts
• Model interpretation and technical communication
• Cross-disciplinary teamwork and project execution
• Industry-relevant systems modeling tools

Students learn that MBSE is more than creating diagrams. A well-developed model connects requirements, architecture, behavior, interfaces, components, and verification evidence to create a reliable digital representation of a system.

Modern products are rarely developed by one discipline. Aircraft, vehicles, autonomous systems, manufacturing equipment, energy systems, medical devices, software platforms, and defense technologies combine hardware, software, data, people, processes, and connected services.

Systems engineering helps technical teams understand how these elements work together. MBSE extends that discipline into a connected digital environment where teams can:

• Identify design conflicts earlier
• Maintain traceability from requirements through testing
• Evaluate alternatives before physical development
• Improve communication between engineering disciplines
• Manage system complexity and change
• Support simulation, automation, and data-informed decision-making
• Preserve technical knowledge throughout the system lifecycle

SET Academy provides a foundation that can support entry-level technical work, continued education, employer-based training, and future professional certification. Relevant career pathways may include:

• Systems Engineering Technician
• Junior Systems Modeler
• MBSE Support Specialist
• Requirements Analyst
• Requirements Management Technician
• Digital Engineering Technician
• Systems Integration Specialist
• Verification and Validation Technician
• Engineering Configuration or Data Specialist
• Modeling and Simulation Support Specialist
• Software or Systems Analyst
• Technical Project Coordinator

SET Academy is not intended to replace the education or experience required for professional engineering positions. It creates an accessible starting point for learners who may later continue into engineering, computer science, cybersecurity, software development, advanced manufacturing, or systems engineering degree programs.

The future of engineering in the United States will be increasingly model-based, data-connected, interdisciplinary, and digitally integrated.

Organizations are developing systems that combine artificial intelligence, autonomy, advanced software, connected sensors, robotics, cybersecurity, and complex supply chains. These technologies increase the need for professionals who can understand the complete system—not only an individual component.

Although the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not maintain one single occupational category for every systems engineering role, related engineering fields demonstrate strong demand. Employment of industrial engineers, whose work includes designing and improving integrated systems, is projected to grow 11% from 2024 through 2034, compared with 3% for all occupations. BLS projects approximately 25,200 industrial engineering openings each year during that period.

Beyond 2026, systems engineering professionals will increasingly work alongside AI-enabled tools, digital twins, connected engineering environments, simulation platforms, and automated analysis systems. AI may accelerate routine modeling and documentation, but qualified people will still be needed to define the right problem, evaluate system tradeoffs, manage risk, validate model results, and make responsible technical decisions.

Systems engineering skills are expected to remain relevant across:

The Institute for Digital Enterprise Advancement is a nonprofit organization focused on advancing the United States digital engineering workforce.

IDEA develops education, training, curriculum, implementation resources, and industry partnerships that help make digital engineering and MBSE skills more accessible to students, educators, technical professionals, and workforce-development organizations.

Through SET Academy, IDEA works to:

• Expand access to systems engineering and MBSE education
• Support community and technical college instructors
• Connect classroom instruction with industry practices
• Create new pathways into digital engineering careers
• Strengthen the domestic technical workforce
• Provide organizations with curriculum, implementation guidance, and instructional resources

Deliver SET Academy as:

Prepare learners to understand complex systems, work with connected engineering information, and contribute to the future of America's digital engineering workforce.