Faculty of Engineering

Effective solutions to problems involving both society and technology must be based on a broad systems point-of-view. Not only must the overall technical factors of these problems be carefully considered, but the economic, social, human and political parameters must be given equally careful attention. When large scale engineering problems are under study, few people can be knowledgeable of the complete span of factors and parameters that must be considered. For these cases, solutions must be arrived at by interdisciplinary teams where each member contributes his or her own special expertise. In order to work effectively on this team, each member needs to be aware of the fundamental systems and design aspects of the problem. The rapid growth and complexity of industry have, indeed, created unusual problems; however, underlying the complexities of modern civilization and technology are similarities that make it possible to approach problems in many diverse fields with essentially the same concepts, theories and techniques. Systems theory has emerged as a scientific discipline for quantitative analysis, design and control of large classes of problems in engineering and social sciences.

The undergraduate program in Systems Design Engineering at Waterloo is a study of those basic skills required for system analysis, simulation, optimization and design. Numerous examples may be cited where these systems design fundamentals may be applied: transportation, engineering design, computer applications, water resources engineering, production, planning and scheduling, environmental pollution, education. Of course the importance of specialized expertise in these areas should not be minimized, but these skills usually work most effectively toward problem solutions when operating within an overall systems context.