Combat Systems Engineering

Also known as: Defense Systems Engineering, Military Systems Integration, Naval Combat Systems Engineering

A Bachelor's program in Combat Systems Engineering prepares you to design, develop, integrate, and test complex systems used in defense and military applications. You'll gain a deep understanding of how various technologies—from sensors and weapons to communication networks and control systems—work together seamlessly. The curriculum blends principles from electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, software engineering, and systems engineering, focusing on optimizing the performance, reliability, and security of these critical assets for national defense.

Social SciencesSTEMEngineeringAerospaceMilitaryRobotics

A Week as a Student

Your "Intro to Systems Engineering" lecture kicks off the week, discussing high-level design processes. You ask Professor Davies about requirement traceability, getting a detailed answer. After grabbing lunch with friends, you head to a "Calculus I" recitation, working through tricky integration problems on the board. Later, you start reading for "Electrical Engineering Fundamentals," grappling with Ohm's Law and Kirchhoff's rules, preparing for tomorrow's lab. The sheer volume of new concepts is exhilarating yet daunting.

High School Preparation

Required Subjects

PhysicsCalculusChemistryPre-CalculusComputer Science

Recommended GPA

3.5+

Advanced Courses (AP/IB/Honors)

AP Physics C: Mechanics
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
AP Calculus BC
AP Computer Science A
Honors Chemistry
Dual Enrollment Engineering

Recommended Activities

Robotics Club or Competition Team
Engineering Design Challenges
CAD/3D Modeling Club
JROTC or Sea Cadets Program
Science Olympiad or Math Team
Cyber Security Club

Application Essay Topics

Discuss a modern combat system that fascinates you and how you believe it could be improved or integrated with emerging technologies.
Explore the ethical considerations involved in designing autonomous combat systems and the role of engineers in addressing them.
Describe a problem you've encountered that required a systems-thinking approach to solve, and how that experience relates to complex engineering challenges.
What advancements in sensing, computing, or materials science do you believe will most significantly impact future combat systems, and why?

Alternative Path

While a Bachelor's degree is standard, some individuals may enter this field by completing an Associate's degree in a related engineering technology and then transferring to a four-year program. Relevant military experience with advanced technical training or specialized certifications in areas like cybersecurity or systems integration can also provide a foundational entry point.

Core Subjects

Click on "i" to learn more about each subject

Career Prospects

Growing Study Prospects

Graduates in Combat Systems Engineering can pursue roles such as Systems Engineer for defense contractors, Combat System Integrator, Test and Evaluation Engineer, Sensor Systems Engineer, or Software Engineer specializing in military applications. You could work for government agencies like the Department of Defense, various branches of the military, or private defense and aerospace companies, designing and maintaining critical national security technologies.

Impact of AI on this Study

Artificial intelligence significantly impacts Combat Systems Engineering by enabling advanced capabilities like autonomous navigation, predictive maintenance, enhanced target recognition, and sophisticated data fusion for threat assessment. As a student, you'll learn to integrate AI/ML algorithms into system designs, understand AI ethics in defense applications, and utilize AI tools for modeling, simulation, and optimizing system performance and reliability.