Posted: September 2025
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Our specialized Certificate in Systems Engineering and Complex Project Management, originally exclusive to Irving Shipbuilding, is now open to the public!
Systems Engineering is a critical, interdisciplinary field essential for success in IT, energy, defense, and beyond, focusing on managing complex projects across their entire life cycle.
Registration is now open for the online version of the first course in our Certificate in Systems Engineering and Complex Project Management. Once exclusively offered to Irving Shipbuilding, we have now opened up to the public to help advance anyone’s career in systems engineering.
In April 2023, Dalhousie’s Faculty of Open Learning & Career Development announced its partnership with Irving Shipbuilding to develop the specialized certificate, pledging industry support and more than $176,000 in funding.
Why Systems Engineering Matters Now
Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field focused on designing, integrating, and managing complex projects and systems throughout their life cycle. Most people are familiar with systems engineering through its wide use in the automotive and aerospace industries. However, the principles are now applied widely in healthcare, IT, telecommunications, oil and gas, energy, defence and many more sectors.
Systems engineering goes hand-in-hand with project management, and both the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the International Council of Systems Engineering (INCOSE) promote the belief that project managers and systems engineers need to adopt a collaborative approach to understand the interrelationships, requirements, sub-system interfaces, optimizing of system performance, safety, and reliability for project success.
The certificate consists of two required courses:
- Systems Engineering Fundamentals
- Complex Project Management and Systems Engineering Integration (in development)
Learners must choose one elective:
Ray Jonkers, PhD, PEng, PMP, is the lead instructor and architect of the certificate. He is an award-winning author in complex decision-support systems, and has over 40 years of experience in systems engineering, working with companies such as Irving, IMP, and Canadian Forces.
Don't wait, register today for the first course - Systems Engineering Fundamentals.
