DSE Prospective Rotating Military Faculty

DSE Prospective Rotating Military Faculty

Join Team DSE!

Thank you for your interest in joining the Department of Systems Engineering (DSE)!

The department is internationally respected as the Army's systems engineering department. It is home to world-class military and civilian scholars and offers three undergraduate majors to cadets – engineering management, systems engineering, and systems and decision sciences. Department faculty are expected to teach a wide range of systems engineering and engineering management courses, serve as advisors to cadet capstone projects, and conduct research with cadets.

DSE seeks officers from all commissioning sources and branches who are passionate about helping the Systems Team to educate, inspire, and develop the future of the U.S. Army. West Point instructor assignments include the opportunity to earn a master's degree or Ph.D. from a premier U.S. graduate school fully funded through the ACS Program.

What Would I Be Teaching?

The department continually seeks talented faculty who are experts in the disciplines that comprise its majors and minors – engineering management, systems and decision sciences, systems engineering – and are committed to enhancing the education and development of cadets.

Explore academic programs Review the DSE course catalog
What Are Some Opportunities to Advance in My Career?

The Department of Systems Engineering's research centers offer a robust selection of research, scholarship, collaboration, and professional development opportunities to help our faculty remain at the forefront of their disciplines.

Explore DSE's research centers

Application Packets Due by Nov. 1

Start your TEACH application (CAC-Enabled)
Learn More About Applying at West Point

Rotating military faculty consists of of active-duty captains, majors, and lieutenant colonels. An assignment to West Point as a rotating faculty member requires officers to submit an application through the CAC-enabled TEACH system. 

View requirements by degree type and timelines How to apply Frequently asked questions

Department-Specific Questions and Requirements

DSE searches for officers with a diverse background by using the Army's electronic Total Officer Personnel Management Information System to develop a candidate database. DSE provides three criterions for the search. It is looking for specific year groups, degree completion type (M.S. or MBA for Ph.D), and degree codes. 

Degree codes include classical engineering degrees, systems engineering, operations research, industrial engineering, decision sciences, math, economics, and business management. Yes, DSE is interested in business management backgrounds! 

DSE typically receives more than 60 applicants for the master’s program. Only 50% of the applicants fully complete their packets to be competitive for positions. The number of available positions varies from year to year, but DSE averages four rotating master’s positions each year. It typically receives 30 Ph.D. packets each year. About 75% of the Ph.D. applicants fully complete their packets. DSE averages one to two rotating Ph.D. positions per year.  

The essay questions and CV/Resume allow you to provide additional detail about yourself that is not readily apparent in your OERs and ORB. List personal interests, motivations, professional/personal experience, and academic interests/achievements that would assist the department in achieving its mission. 

When you enter your recommender’s name, title, position, and email, the TEACH System will send an email directly to the person, asking them to complete a digital recommendation. The email includes instructions and a personalized link to the online recommendation form.

Note: This option only works if your recommender has a “.mil” account. 

If you have a recommender that does not have a “.mil” account, or prefers to send a traditional signed LoR, use a letter or memorandum format. Address the LoRs to the department head – COL Julia Coxen, Professor and Head of the Department of Systems Engineering.  

If you are applying to multiple departments, you can address these letters to the broader “Faculty Selection Committee.” Scan and email the signed LoRs to the DSE S1 Team (nicholas.coronato@westpoint.edu and madison.oliver@westpoint.edu) so they can be added to your application packet. 

The selection committee looks for officers who excel in their military career and continue their education. Your master's degree program reinforces your commitment to excel. However, DSE still requires officers to complete a resident program to qualify as an instructor in the department.  

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See what the Department of Systems Engineering is up to right now.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Department S1 Team.

CPT Caitlin Marriner

Learn More about DSE

The West Point Department of Systems Engineering educates, develops, and inspires leaders of character who identify, formulate, and solve complex, engineering, and socio-technical problems for the Army and nation. DSE uses an interdisciplinary, integrative approach, that applies systems thinking, engineering design, data analysis, mathematical modeling, simulation, decision science, and project management.

Learn more about DSE Meet the DSE staff and faculty
Other Opportunities

It takes a team to ensure the U.S. Military Academy at West Point can fulfill its mission to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets. There are roles for military and civilian faculty to teach cadets and for those both in and out of uniform to ensure the systems and processes required to operate a military installation and college campus are in place and running efficiently.

Commissioned officers Non-commissioned officers Civilians