Information technology as a component of system engineering education

The growth of information technology over the last several decades and the prospects for continued rapid growth in this field have precipitated the need for systems engineers who can design and integrate large-scale information systems for enterprises. The demand in this area is so large that in some schools more than half of the undergraduates find employment in information technology. Hence, engineering education in general and systems engineering in particular must provide programs to accommodate this growing need for engineers who have an education relevant to a career in this area. This paper describes our approach to combining formal instruction in information technology with other more traditional topics in systems engineering. The paper emphasizes the contribution of the capstone or senior design program to our educational goals in the area of information technology. It also provides a description of an exemplary student project in this area