Boeing partners with the University of Arizona to make an impact in systems engineering

The College of Engineering has been selected by Boeing – an industry-leading aircraft company – as one of only six educational partners in its collaboration program aimed at advancing systems engineering education in the workforce.

The partnership connects the college’s Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering with other top institutions, including Cornell University, Colorado State University, Florida A&M-Florida State University, University of Alabama Huntsville, and University of Detroit Mercy, all chosen for their demonstrated academic excellence.

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"This partnership represents more than just recognition, it is an opportunity to work directly with industry leaders to shape the future of systems engineering education," said Alejandro Salado, program director and SIE associate professor.

Over the last two years, Salado has led an effort to revamp the SIE program with a focus on blending rigorous theory with real-world applications. The program has been designed to meet the evolving needs of the industry by integrating model-based systems engineering and digital engineering as foundational curriculum while fostering a highly interactive learning environment.

With this partnership, the changes have been recognized on a national scale. Boeing's Digital & Systems Engineering Functional Chief Engineer's Office conducted an extensive review to identify top-tier systems engineering programs across the United States for the pilot program. The industry giant and the new academic partners will work side by side to aid Boeing staff in earning masters' degrees in systems engineering.

Salado stated that the collaboration with Boeing affirms the department’s hard work while also creating opportunities to partner with other industry leaders committed to advancing engineering education.