First Graduates from new Defence Master Degree

Thirteen engineers from Adelaide’s major defence companies have become the first to obtain the new Master of Engineering, Military Systems Integration degree from the University of South Australia.

The first cohort of graduates, from Saab Systems, BAE Systems and ASC, represents a significant achievement and a big step towards increasing the numbers and capabilities of world-class systems engineers in the Australian defence industry.

The three companies collaborated with the University of South Australia in 2006 to develop a unique industry-focussed degree specialising in Military Systems Integration. The degree was made by possible through funding from Defence Materiel Organisation’s Skilling Australia’s Defence Industry (SADI) program.

The degree has been tailored for career defence engineers to accelerate their development, and obtain superior Military Systems Integration skills.   This will ensure Australian defence companies have access to the sophisticated engineering and project management skills required to manage complex defence projects in Australia.

The current graduates began their studies in 2006 and approximately 40 more are currently in the program. Another group will start this month under a more flexible arrangement which allows students to study from other companies and Defence as well as from locations outside of Adelaide.

“Each company can be immensely proud of their graduates who have worked very hard and set a new high point for systems engineering qualifications in defence industry”, said Mr Lindsay Pears, Managing Director of Saab Technologies Australia.

“The degree curriculum has been very practical and is well supported by contributions from the University of South Australia, the industry partners, and Defence personnel. I feel I have significantly increased my knowledge of defence systems development and integration, and can readily apply that knowledge to my current and future roles,” BAE Systems graduate Tim Welburn said.

”In addition to providing sound theoretical underpinnings in systems engineering and project management, the degree also provided the opportunity for students to apply their knowledge in the context of a realistic project. I found the incorporation of material from the Defence environment to be extremely relevant to the challenges being faced by industry when integrating large, complex, military systems,” said ASC graduate Jim Burnside.

For further information, please contact:
Mark Proctor, Saab Systems Pty Ltd                       Mobile: 0413 893 446
Kaija Balodis, BAE Systems Australia Pty Ltd          Mobile: 0402 839 360
Ben Osborne, ASC                                               Mobile: 0412 251 390

20 August 2009