Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering
Vision
Our vision is to deliver a high-quality student-centered engineering education that provides distinctive, authentic, and supportive experiences that inspire students to make a positive difference.
Mission
Our mission is to provide engineering students with a holistic education so they are prepared to take on society's challenges and opportunities in socially, ethically, and professionally responsible ways.
Values
Our core values that are critical to the success of our mission and vision are academic excellence, caring, collaboration, curiosity, empathy, innovation, diversity, and global awareness.
Program Descriptions
The Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering offers Master of Science programs in applied data science; applied artificial intelligence; engineering, sustainability and health; engineering management and leadership; and cyber security engineering. All programs are designed to meet the needs of working professionals seeking to gain the skills needed to advance their careers or transition into new career paths.
Master of Science in Applied Artificial Intelligence (MS-AAI)
The MS-AAI program is an intensive, practice-oriented graduate program designed for technical professionals seeking to advance their careers in artificial intelligence or transition into AI-focused roles. The program emphasizes real-world implementation of AI technologies and prepares graduates to design, build, evaluate, and deploy modern AI-driven solutions that address complex organizational and societal challenges.
The program prepares candidates for a wide range of industry roles focused on the ethical design, development, and deployment of AI-based systems within corporate, governmental, and nonprofit environments. The curriculum supports candidates from both STEM and non-STEM backgrounds who seek to apply machine learning, generative AI, and intelligent automation techniques to enable data-driven decision-making and operational innovation within business and technical organizations.
Graduates of the program are prepared for technical and applied AI roles across diverse industries, including finance, healthcare, cybersecurity, automation, technology, and engineering. The program integrates strong technical training with professional and leadership skill development, preparing graduates to contribute to interdisciplinary teams, lead AI initiatives, and pursue entrepreneurial ventures involving AI-powered products and services.
The Master of Science in Applied Artificial Intelligence program is offered in two modalities: (1) online part-time asynchronous learning modules or (2) on-campus full-time classroom meetings. All programs have the same degree requirements, but require separate program applications before admission. Online students are not permitted to take the on-ground modality courses.
Master of Science in Applied Data Science (MS-ADS)
The MS-ADS program is designed to specifically address the cross-functional needs of industries for data scientists who come with a strong foundation of technical knowledge and expertise in statistical modeling, machine learning, data engineering, and advanced analytics methodologies, as well as algorithms, tools, and techniques for analyzing structured and unstructured data across diverse data ecosystems, and are able to apply such tools to complex, domain-driven, and decision-focused problems.
The mission of the program is to offer state-of-the-art, applied, and robust courses that enable students to master the technical skills and soft skills necessary for solving challenging analytics problems and communicating actionable insights to technical and non-technical stakeholders across a wide range of data-rich domains. The project-based curriculum instructs students on technical topics that are seen as critical to equip and prepare graduates from the program to be able to apply powerful analytical tools to work with large-scale, real-world, and industry-relevant datasets using modern data science workflows and platforms. This Master’s program is designed based on extensive feedback and recommendations from industry professionals who lead data science groups in global organizations, ensuring alignment with evolving workforce demands and emerging analytics technologies.
The Master of Science in Applied Data Science program is offered in two modalities: (1) online part-time asynchronous learning modules or (2) on-campus full-time classroom meetings. All programs have the same degree requirements but require separate program applications before admission. Online students are not permitted to take the on-ground modality courses.
Master of Science in Cyber Security Engineering (MS-CSE)
The MS-CSE develops advanced skills in engineering trusted and resilient systems, from secure design through deployment and operational validation. Students study assurance and secure system engineering principles and then apply them through hands-on laboratory work to architect, implement, evaluate, and harden secure solutions against sophisticated threats.
The program expands trusted-systems engineering into today’s platforms with focused work in cloud security engineering, offensive security and adversary techniques, and AI security (protecting AI-enabled applications, ML pipelines, and enterprise adoption of generative AI). The curriculum is delivered by scholar-practitioner faculty who teach applied competencies aligned with workforce needs and cybersecurity job roles.
The Master of Science in Cyber Security Engineering program is offered in three modalities: (1) online part-time asynchronous learning modules, (2) on-campus part-time classroom meetings, (3) or on-campus full-time classroom meetings. All programs have the same degree requirements but require separate program applications before admission. Online students are not permitted to take the on-ground modality courses.
Master of Science in Engineering Management and Leadership (MS-EML)
The master’s program in Engineering Management and Leadership (MS-EML) program that successfully develops “leaders of tomorrow” will cultivate skill sets that enhance their ability to manage technology teams and projects. It will engage them in a process that explores changes in their mindset necessary for influencing technology organizations. The MS-EML program is an intensive project-based program for technical professionals looking to assume leadership positions in global technology organizations. It is valuable for experienced managers who intend to serve as CEOs, Directors, Vice Presidents, or C-level executives in technology companies.
The Master of Science in Engineering Management and Leadership program is offered in two modalities: (1) online part-time asynchronous learning modules or (2) on-campus full-time classroom meetings. All programs have the same degree requirements but require separate program applications before admission. Online students are not permitted to take the on-ground modality courses.
Master of Science in Engineering, Sustainability and Health (MS-ESH)
The Master of Science in Engineering, Sustainability and Health (MS-ESH) is a 30-unit program that provides a graduate learning experience in the intersections of engineering, development, and planetary health. It consists of eight three-unit courses and a six-unit capstone. The first two courses are foundational and intended to develop a student mindset about planetary health. Following this, there are four courses dedicated to the pillars of sustainability and planetary health, namely, energy, water, food, and waste. The fifth and sixth courses provide integrative experiences that investigate cross-cutting issues. While specific projects will be run within each course across the entire program, the six-unit capstone course will be a culminating experience, involving the development and completion of a major project related to the intersection of engineering, sustainability and health. Graduates from the MS-ESH program will be well-equipped to transform their own area of practice and gain the experience and insight needed to explore new transdisciplinary career options.
Center for Cyber Security Engineering and Technology
The University of San Diego’s Center for Cyber Security Engineering and Technology (CCSET) is designed to develop and coordinate opportunities for world-class education, research, and service to address threats to information systems. CCSET assists business, government, law enforcement, and private citizens to better prepare and respond to highly motivated, highly trained adversaries who are responsible for billions in lost revenue each year; catastrophic disruptions in service; terrorism and activism; a dark web of criminal activity; and constant peril to critical infrastructure.
CCSET is committed to mitigating cybersecurity risks, developing and coordinating opportunities for education, research, outreach, and service to secure the future prosperity and freedom of the digital realm. This effort combines the best technology, world-class curriculum and programs, and the mindset to approach the challenge holistically. Stakeholders from engineering, technology, law, policy, business, and major industry sectors will all play a role in improving cybersecurity. USD is committed to uniting these communities to find real solutions and changing the mentality in cybersecurity from reactive to proactive.