Course Title: Systems Engineering Principles

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Systems Engineering Principles

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

MIET2385

City Campus

Undergraduate

115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2013,
Sem 1 2014,
Sem 2 2015,
Sem 2 2016

MIET2385

City Campus

Undergraduate

172H School of Engineering

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2017,
Sem 2 2018,
Sem 2 2019,
Sem 1 2020,
Sem 1 2021,
Sem 1 2022,
Sem 1 2023,
Sem 1 2024

Course Coordinator: Prof. John Mo

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 6279

Course Coordinator Email: john.mo@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Bundoora campus

Course Coordinator Availability: Scheduled per week or appointment by email


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Recommended Prior Study

It is recommended to have satisfactorily completed the following course/s before you commence this course:

Alternatively, you may be able to demonstrate the required skills and knowledge before you start this course.

Contact your course coordinator if you think you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning.


Course Description

This course provides students with an overview of processes and practices of systems engineering and how complex systems can be designed and developed using these processes and practices. You will learn how user requirements are captured from the stakeholders and how system requirements can be defined from analysing the user needs. You will then learn how to design the system by functional analysis and what is required to analyse to ensure your system design meets user’s expectations. You will also apply systems engineering principles to develop verification and validation test plans that are essential to secure acceptance and delivery of the system to the customer


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course contributes to the following program learning outcomes of the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) for students who commenced their program prior to 2023:

1.5. Knowledge of contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline. 
2.3. Application of systematic engineering synthesis and design processes.
2.4. Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects. 
3.2. Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains. 
3.4. Professional use and management of information. 
3.5. Orderly management of self, and professional conduct.
3.6. Effective team membership and team leadership. 

This course contributes to the following program learning outcomes of the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) for students who commenced their program in 2025:

  • PLO 2: Demonstrate a coherent and advanced body of knowledge within the engineering discipline.
  • PLO 3: Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities, bounds, design practice and research trends of contemporary engineering practice including sustainable practice
  • PLO 5: Utilise mathematics, software tools, and techniques, referencing appropriate engineering standards and codes of practice, in the design of complex engineering systems.
  • PLO 6: Use systems engineering approach to synthesize and apply procedures for design, prototyping and testing to manage complex engineering projects.
  • PLO 7: Apply research principles and methods, taking into account risk and environmental and global context, to plan and execute complex projects.
  • PLO 8: Communicate engineering designs and solutions respectfully and effectively, employing a range of advanced communication methods, in an individual or team environment, to diverse audiences.
  • PLO 9: Demonstrate the capacity for personal accountability, professional and ethical conduct, intellectual independence, cultural sensitivity, autonomy, adaptability, and reflection on own learning and career when undertaking engineering projects
  • PLO 10: Critically analyse, evaluate, and transform information, while exercising professional judgement, in an engineering context.
  • PLO 11: Collaborate and contribute as an effective team member or leader in diverse, multi-disciplinary teams, with commitment to First Nations peoples and/or globally inclusive perspectives and participation in an engineering context.

For more information on the program learning outcomes for your program, please see the program guide.


Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Apply and manage a systems engineering lifecycle development process to design, construct and commission complex engineering systems.
  2. Analyse requirements of a system and develop functions that are integrated to meet user needs.
  3. Synthesise functions in high level design and decompose into lower-level functions until they are suitable for implementation.
  4. Use model-based systems engineering tools commonly used in industry to design components and subsystems, and to integrate these parts in the system’s architecture.
  5. Develop analytical models of components and subsystems, and conduct critical analysis on performance of the overall system.
  6. Communicate solutions effectively through written reports and oral presentation to an engineering audience.
  7. Demonstrate ability to work well in a team and synthesise team ideas.


Overview of Learning Activities

You will be actively engaged in a range of learning activities such as lectorials, tutorials, practicals, laboratories, seminars, project work, class discussion, individual and group activities. Delivery may be face to face, online or a mix of both.

You are encouraged to be proactive and self-directed in your learning, asking questions of your lecturer and/or peers and seeking out information as required, especially from the numerous sources available through the RMIT library, and through links and material specific to this course that is available through myRMIT Studies Course.


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through myRMIT Studies Course.

RMIT will recommend you to use specific software tools that are either freely downloaded from the Internet, or provided on RMIT license.  Information of software download will be provided during the course.  You are responsible for providing the computer and installing the software on your system.

The prescribed text is: Demystifying Numerical Models. Authors: Mo, John P.T., Cheung, Sherman C.P., Das, Raj. (2018).  Pub. Elsevier, ISBN 978-0-08-100975-8

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal.


Overview of Assessment

X This course has no hurdle requirements.

☐ All hurdle requirements for this course are indicated clearly in the assessment regime that follows, against the relevant assessment task(s) and all have been approved by the College Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching). 

Assessment Tasks

Assignment 1 - Individual Report
User needs analysis, concepts of operations and system requirements, high level design.
Weighting: 40%
This assessment supports CLOs: 1, 2 and 4.

Assignment 2 - Group Report 1
Functional Analysis of an engineering system
Weighting: 20%
This assessment supports CLOs: 3, 4, 6 and 7. 

Assignment 3 - Group Presentation
Presentation 10 minutes maximum explaining how the system will perform.
Weighting: 10%
This assessment supports CLOs: 1, 2, and 4.

Assignment 3 - Group Assignment 2
Analysis report providing detail analytical model and demonstrating system performance meets user needs.
Weighting: 30%
This assessment supports CLOs: 4, 5, 6 and 7. 

Assessment submissions may require evidence of your learning progression.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.