Systems Design is not a course in the classical sense. It is a program in which industry and academia, students and engineers/managers, course-work and real-life, learning and implementing all come together and meet each other.
More specifically, teams of four or five senior students work on real-world projects sponsored by the industry. Two faculty advisors and a company advisor are assigned to every project. The teams work closely with the sponsoring organization throughout two semesters. The results should satisfy the expectations of the industry as well as the academic advisors.
As such, the program is not only a rewarding experience, but also a challenging and a demanding process. It requires not only passive learning, but also active production. Above and beyond everything, it requires a reasonable division of work and good time management.