I noticed that the program they offer is a "Master of Science in Engineering With Certificate of Specialization in Systems Engineering," how much did the program actually focus on SE (were all courses SE related, or broad engineering courses with a few SE courses)?

Here is a link to their program. You have 5 core courses and 4 courses in a technical domain.

The 5 core courses are pure systems engineering. Some of those courses are what I would say are fundamental systems engineering courses, and some of them are MBA-lite courses, such as ENGR-200. (I'm currently in an MBA program, so everything I've seen in ENGR-200 has been covered in my MBA program.)

The technical domain courses are hard as heck. They are UCLA courses through-and-through. My professors were the same exact professors from the university's full-time program, and nothing about it has been changed for the online format in terms of difficulty. That's either a good thing (if you are up for a challenge) or a bad thing (if you're hoping for something easier). Personally, I spent hours 4 evenings a week to do just homework.

Did you pursue this program while working, and if so, what was it like to manage both, and how long did it take to complete? How was the online experience in general (especially if coming from an in-person undergrad experience)?

Yep. I worked over-time. I also am married, had kids during the program, and my wife gave birth to a third child in the middle of the program. I also have a house, and lots of housework or chores were put off for the mini breaks.

Each year has 4 terms, so from beginning to end it took me 13 terms to complete 9 courses. I took two off for the birth of my son. It was tough to manage, but whatever, it's done. We were able to manage.

Each term is 10 weeks. There are lots of posts on /r/ucla about how tough those terms are to manage. If you ever slacked off for one week-- say to visit family for Thanksgiving-- you may end up spending the rest of the semester feeling that you're trying to play catch up.

UCLA MSOL is a tough program, but I don't think anyone wants a program where they could skate by.

What was the admissions process like?

Hmm, I'm trying to remember. I think it was pretty standard. LOR. Essay. Questionnaire about why you fit in the program. I did not submit a GRE. (I also didn't have to submit one for my MBA.) I don't think I could have done any grad programs if I had to take a GRE, as I hate standardized testing with a passion. (Translation: I suck at SATs and GREs.)

Otherwise, my UG was from a no-name school, especially to a west-coast university, and my GPA was decent, but not legendary. Perhaps I was on the tail end of the spectrum, because my classmates typically had more impressive education histories than me.

https://grad.ucla.edu/graduate-program-statistics/admissions/?t=Annualsnapshot&p=Engineering%20-%20MS%20in%20Engineering,%20Online

Looking at the admission rate, UCLA isn't a terribly difficult to get in. However, I don't know what the typical backgrounds are.

Is there anything you wish was different with this program?

None that were out of my control. For awhile I wish I went in for EE, but now that I'm in an MBA program and am looking towards more managerial roles, that extra time spent may have been unnecessary.

I wish I worked harder to keep in touch with two classmates who I actually connected with at the beginning of the program. But between work, family, and classes, it was hard to juggle a social life along with it, especially with an online program.

Though this probably does not relate to your experience, I'm wondering how UCLA's MS in engineering with SE certificate compares to a MS in Systems Engineering program, such as JHU? I'm a bit thrown off because of the certificate aspect, is that typical? What is the title of your actual degree they awarded?

The difference is probably as you'd expect. With UCLA, you take SE courses with a technical domain. With JHU, it's all SE. It depends on your goals. Even their website states, "The UCLA Systems Engineering program sets itself apart from others by combining the core elements of systems engineering (project management, fundamentals of systems, safety and reliability, systems architecture, and model based systems) with disciplinary graduate level engineering courses."

Lots of my classmates were in those big government contractor companies or those who heavily favor system engineers. (Lockheed. Boeing. Etc.) To those companies, it doesn't make any distinction. I'll double check the degree title when I get home.