How many of you know about the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) or the various INCOSE Certifications including Associate Systems Engineering Professional ( ASEP ), Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP), or Expert Systems Engineering Professional ( ESEP )?

The purpose of this Blog post is to enlighten those who are not aware of the INCOSE organization, or the INCOSE certifications.  Both of these are things that most Systems Engineers should already know about, and if you don’t, you may find this informative.

INCOSE is comprised of nearly 20,000 Systems Engineering Professionals.  Their mission, as stated on their web page, is “to address complex societal and technical challenges by enabling, promoting, and advancing Systems Engineering and systems approaches.”  Also from their web page, the goals of INCOSE are to 1) be a focal point for dissemination of systems engineering knowledge, 2) promote international collaboration 3) Assure the establishment of professional standards in systems engineering, 4) improve the professional status of all systems engineers, and 5) encourage governmental and industrial support for Systems Engineering.  There is a wealth of other information on their web page, so anyone interested in INCOSE should visit the INCOSE Web site.

One of the services that INCOSE has provided is a mechanism for Systems Engineers to be certified at some level as a Systems Engineering Professional ( ASEP, CSEP or ESEP ), indicating that they have met all of the standards defined by INCOSE, indicating that the individual is a qualified Systems Engineer.   Earning an INCOSE certification is not easy, but it is something that over 3000 individuals have accomplished to date.

Mark Wilson, from Strategy Bridge and INCOSE recently published a study where he pontificates on whether or not the INCOSE CSEP certification is worthwhile.   Warning, spoilers coming, leave this page immediately if you don’t want to know how the story ends …….  He concludes that the INCOSE SE certifications ARE worthwhile, both for the individual who earns the certification, and for the organization that employs that individual.

Earning the ASEP certification requires that the individual pass a rigorous exam demonstrating knowledge of Systems Engineering concepts.  CSEP certification also requires that the individual have a demonstrated track record of having worked successfully in a Systems Engineering role.  ESEP certification simply raises the bar and requires more experience.    To prepare for the exam, candidates often take a short-course which reviews many of the concepts that are tested.

Applied Technology Institute offers a 3-day short course called CSEP Preparation which will prepare students for the INCOSE SE exam, applicable to any of the three certification levels.  This course walks through the CSEP requirements and the INCOSE Handbook to cover all topics that might be on the INCOSE exam. Interactive work, study plans, and three sets of sample examination questions help you to prepare effectively for the exam. Participants leave the course with solid knowledge, a hard copy of the INCOSE Handbook, study plans, and a sample examination.

ATI will be offering the next CSEP Prep ( live virtual ) class starting on November 15, 2022.  Students may register for this class using the link above. 

We hope to see you at the CSEP Prep course in November. 

If you are interested in other courses currently offered by ATI, you can view our schedule of upcoming classes here.