1.0 // MISSION
Closing the MBSE Workforce Gap
IDEA connects community colleges, students, and the defense industry through a proven Model-Based Systems Engineering talent pipeline.
MBSE is the backbone of digital engineering. The workforce starts here.
1.1 // THE PIPELINE AT A GLANCE
2-YR
Associate degree pathway — no four-year degree required
3
Pipeline tiers: high school, community college, professional
100%
Skills-based curriculum built around real SysML tooling
5
Courses in the SET Academy MBSE sequence
2.0 // FOR EDUCATORS
A complete program, ready to launch.
IDEA provides the curriculum, lab setup, and instructor training your college needs to launch a Systems Engineering Technology program, helping you grow enrollment and connect graduates with well-paying jobs.
2.1 // S1
Training for the Educator
An instructor preparation course that gives faculty what they need to teach MBSE.
2.2 // AAS
Degree & Certificate Paths
A full AAS degree or short certificate in Systems Engineering Technology, designed with industry input.
2.3 // K12
High School Foundations
Systems-thinking lessons that introduce students to the field early and help grow future enrollment.
3.0 // FOR INDUSTRY & GOVERNMENT
Trained modelers, ready to join your team.
Defense contractors, aerospace firms, and government agencies partner with IDEA to hire MBSE modelers through internships, apprenticeships, and direct hiring, helping them fill open roles and deliver programs faster.
4.0 // FOR STUDENTS
A high-tech career without a four-year degree.
Model-Based Systems Engineering is central to modern engineering, and employers need more trained modelers. Here's how you get from enrollment to a job:
4.1
ENROLL
Join a SET Academy program at a partner community college. No four-year engineering degree required.
4.2
CERTIFY
Earn an AAS degree or short certificate through hands-on MBSE modeling courses.
4.3
DEPLOY
Move into well-paying roles on aerospace and defense programs such as NASA Artemis.
4.4.1 // Personnel File // SET Graduate
"I never thought of myself as an engineer. Through SET, I'm now building system models that support NASA and the Artemis missions."
— SET ACADEMY GRADUATE, HUNTSVILLE AL
4.4.2 // Personnel File // SET Graduate
"Two years at community college put me on a defense digital thread team. The demand for modelers is real."
— SET ACADEMY GRADUATE, AAS in SET
5.0 // THE CURRICULUM
Five courses. From student to systems modeler.
Students progress step by step, starting with systems thinking basics and finishing with a capstone project that models real, complex systems.
INPUT //
STUDENT
5.1
INTRO TO SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
Systems thinking foundations
5.2
SYSTEMS MODELING I
SysML language & structure
5.3
SYSTEMS MODELING II
Behavior & requirements
5.4
SYSTEMS MODELING III
Advanced digital threads
5.5
CAPSTONE PROJECT
Model a real system of systems
OUTPUT //
SYSTEMS MODELER
STUDENT → FIVE COURSES → MODELER OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS OF SYSTEMS
6.0 // THE ECOSYSTEM
The SET Academy is at the heart of our work.
6.1 // HIGH SCHOOL
An introduction to systems thinking, before students choose a career path.
6.2 // COMMUNITY COLLEGE
An AAS degree or short certificate focused on hands-on modeling skills.
6.3 // PROFESSIONAL
Courses for working professionals moving into digital engineering.