Chapter 18: Certificate Programs

General Information

Certificate programs are designed to provide intensive background in a narrow area at the graduate level. At approximately one-third of the units required for a master’s degree, the certificate is designed to be completed in a much shorter period of time. These certificate programs are appropriate for students working in industry who wish to update their skills or for those interested in changing their career path.

Interdisciplinary

Certificate in Frugal Innovation

Advisor: Dr. Aleksandar Zecevic

Over the past two decades, global trends have been forcing businesses to adapt to growing consumer bases in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, which are in desperate need of low-cost and high-quality solutions to the challenges that they face. The importance of these new “economic realities” is underscored by the fact that emerging markets are expected to exceed 50% of the world’s GDP in 2017 (according to IMF estimates). In order to excel professionally in such an environment, engineers will have to be equipped with the knowledge and skill sets to appropriately define, design, and implement solutions that are not merely a “stripping down” of Western products to meet the rising demand. Industry, particularly in Silicon Valley, is becoming increasingly aware of this fact and has begun to move toward a ‘Triple Bottom Line’ approach to business, which integrates environmental, societal, and financial considerations. The Certificate in Frugal Innovation is designed to give students the ability and the tools to adapt to this new model, and to expand their understanding of the impact that engineering has on society.

This program is suitable for working professionals in a wide variety of engineering disciplines. To enroll, students must have a B.S in Engineering from an accredited institution, and should maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 in order to receive the certificate.

Program Requirements

The Certificate in Frugal Innovation entails a minimum of 16 units of course work. It consists of an eight-unit Core, and a set of electives that are organized into two groups. Students are required to take four units from Group A and another four from Group B, as described below.

Required Core Classes (8 units)

  • ENGR 336 Engineering for the Developing World (2 units)
  • ENGR 338 Mobile Applications and Instrumentation for Emerging Markets (2 units)
  • ENGR 340 Distributed and Renewable Energy for the Developing World (2 units)
  • ENGR 341 Innovation, Design and Spirituality (2 units)

Elective Group A (4 units)

  • ENGR 273 Sustainable Energy and Ethics (2 units)
  • ENGR 304 Building Global Teams (2 units)
  • ENGR 342 3D Print Technology and Society (2 units)
  • ENGR 349 Special Topics in Frugal Engineering (2 units)

Elective Group B (4 units)

  • CENG 219 Designing for Sustainable Construction (4 units)
  • CSEN (COEN) 389 Energy Efficient Computing (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 280/MECH 287 Introduction to Alternative Energy Systems (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 288/COEN 282 Energy Management Systems (2 units)
  • ENGR 302 Managing in the Multicultural Environment (2 units)
  • ENGR 334 Energy, Climate Change, and Social Justice (2 units)

Renewable Energy Certificate

Advisor: Dr. Maryam Khanbaghi

Renewable energy is the fastest-growing sector in California and brings together principles and practices from engineering, environmental science, and economics. Silicon Valley, the home of the world’s largest cluster of renewable energy companies and green investors, offers fertile ground to recruit career changers who wish to move into renewable energy and students who want to take advantage of the tremendous career opportunities.

The main goal of this certificate is to introduce students to the field of renewable energy. The intent is to help equip professionals in Silicon Valley with the knowledge that will help them advance in their present career or enter the renewable energy field. To enroll in this certificate, an applicant should have a B.S. in Engineering from an accredited school and should maintain a grade point average of 3.0. As with most certificates in the Graduate School of Engineering, the requirement is 16 quarter units. Eight of these units are in Power Systems, eight units are in Renewable Energy.

Required Courses (16 units total)

Power Systems (8 units)

  • ECEN (ELEN) 280/MECH 287 Renewable Energy (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 281A Power Systems: Generation and Transmission (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 281B Power Systems Distribution (2 units) or ECEN (ELEN) 281E (4 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 285 Introduction to the Smart Grid (2 units)

Renewable Energy (8 units)

  • ECEN (ELEN) 284 Solar Cell Technologies and Simulation Tools (2 units) or ECEN (ELEN) 380 Economics of Energy (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN)/MECH 286 Introduction to Wind Energy Engineering (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 287 Storage Device Systems (2 units)
  • ENGR 272 Energy Public Policy (2 units)

Electrical and Computer Engineering Certificates

Digital System Design

Advisor: Dr. Hoeseok Yang

This certificate program has a triple purpose: (a) to increase design skills in digital system development, (b) to strengthen fundamental knowledge of computer architecture, digital design and embedded systems; and (c) to introduce the digital system designer to state-of-the-art tools and techniques. The program consists of the courses listed below totaling 16 units. Any change in the requirements must be approved by the academic advisor.

Required Courses (6 units)

  • ECEN (ELEN) 501 (Embedded Systems) 2 units
  • ECEN (ELEN) 511 Advanced Computer Architecture (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 603 Logic Design Using HDL (2 units)

Elective Courses (10 units)

  • ECEN (ELEN) 387 VLSI Design I (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 388 VLSI Design II (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 500 Logic Analysis and Synthesis (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 502 Real Time Systems (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 503 Hardware-Software Co-design (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 512 Advanced Computer Architecture II (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 513 Parallel System Architectures (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 530 Hardware Security and Trust (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 608 Design for Testability (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 613 SoC (System-on-Chip) Verification (2 units)

Integrated Circuit Design and Technology

Advisors: Dr. Shoba Krishnan, Dr. Cary Yang, Dr. Mahmudur Rahman

The study of integrated circuits consists of three interconnected areas: Design, Devices and Process Technology. This certificate provides the necessary fundamentals in these areas and advanced concepts and applications in integrated circuit design, devices, and process technology. The program will also introduce the IC designer to state-of-the-art tools and techniques. The program consists of the courses listed below; students are required to complete a total of 16 units. Any change in the requirements must be approved by the academic advisor.

Required Courses (8 units)

  • ECEN (ELEN) 252 Analog Integrated Circuits I (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 261 Fundamentals of Semiconductor Physics (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 270 Introduction to IC Materials (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 387 VLSI Design I (2 units)

Elective Courses (8 units)

  • ECEN (ELEN) 251 Transistor Models for IC Design (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 253 Analog Integrated Circuit Design (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 254 Advanced Analog Integrated Circuit Design
  • ECEN (ELEN) 264 Semiconductor Device Theory I (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 265 Semiconductor Device Theory II (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 267 Device Electronics for IC Design (4 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 271 Microsensors: Components and Systems (2 Units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 274 Integrated Circuit Fabrication Processes I (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 275 Integrated Circuit Fabrication Processes II (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 351 RF Integrated Circuit Design (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 352 Mixed Signal IC Design for Data Communications (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 353 DC to DC Power Conversion (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 361 Nanoelectronics
  • ECEN (ELEN) 388 VLSI Design II (2 units)

Digital Signal Processing and Machine Learning

Advisors: Dr. Tokunbo Ogunfunmi, Dr. Sally Wood

This certificate program provides a basic understanding of digital signal processing theory, machine learning and modern implementation methods as well as advanced knowledge of at least one specific application area. Digital signal processing and machine learning have become important across many areas of engineering, and this certificate prepares students for traditional or novel applications. This certificate can be earned with a combination of in-person and on-line courses.

Required Courses (11 units minimum)

  • ECEN (ELEN) 233 Digital Signal Processing I (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 520 and ECEN (ELEN) 520L Introduction to Machine Learning (3 units)
  • At least one course from: AMTH 210 Probability I or AMTH 245 Linear Algebra I or AMTH 370 Optimization Techniques (2 units)
  • At least one course from: ECEN (ELEN) 223 Digital Signal Processing System Development (4 units) or ECEN (ELEN) 226 Machine Learning and Signal Processing Using FPGAs (2 units) or ECEN(ELEN) 234 Digital Signal Processing II (2 units)
  • At least one course from: ECEN (ELEN) 421 Speech Processing I or ECEN (ELEN) 640 Digital Image Processing I (2 units) or both ECEN (ELEN) 521 Deep Learning (2 units) and 521L Deep Learning Laboratory (1 unit) Note: ECEN (ELEN) 233E Digital Signal Processing I, II (4 units) is equivalent to both ECEN (ELEN) 233 and ECEN (ELEN) 234.

Elective Courses (Additional courses to make a total of 16 units) selected from the list below or from any courses in the list above that are not used to meet the specified certificate requirements:

  • AMTH 308 Theory of Wavelets (2 units) or AMTH 358 Fourier Transforms (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 243 Digital Communications Systems (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 244 Information Theory (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 334 Introduction to Statistical Signal Processing (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 422 Speech Coding II (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 431 Adaptive Signal Processing I (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 522 Reinforcement Learning (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 523 Natural Language Processing with Deep Learning (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 643 Digital Image Processing II (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 644 Computer Vision I (2 units) or ECEN (ELEN) 645 Computer Vision II (2 units)

Digital Signal Processing Theory

Advisors: Dr. Tokunbo Ogunfunmi, Dr. Sally Wood

This certificate program provides a firm theoretical grounding in fundamentals of digital signal processing (DSP) technology and its applications. It is appropriate for engineers involved with any application of DSP who want a better working knowledge of DSP theory and its applications. A novel feature of the program is a hands-on DSP hardware/software development laboratory course in which students design and build systems for various applications using contemporary DSP hardware and development software.

Required Courses (8 units)

  • AMTH 308 Theory of Wavelets (2 units) or AMTH 358 Fourier Transforms (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 233E or ECEN (ELEN) 233 and 234 Digital Signal Processing I, II (4 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 334 Introduction to Statistical Signal Processing (2 units)

Elective Courses (8 units)

  • ECEN (ELEN) 223 Digital Signal Processing System Development (4 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 226 Machine Learning and Signal Processing Using FPGAs (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 235 Estimation I (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 241 Introduction to Communications (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 244 Information Theory (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 336 Detection (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN 431) Adaptive Signal Processing I (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 640 Digital Image Processing I (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 641 Image and Video Compression (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 643 Digital Image Processing II (2 units

Fundamentals of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Advisor: Dr. Shoba Krishnan

This certificate has been designed for those individuals who have significant work experience in some area of electrical and computer engineering and wish to take graduate-level courses but may lack some prerequisite knowledge because they have not earned a BS degree in electrical and/or computer engineering. This one-year program consists of 16 to 28 units, depending on the background of the individual student, and covers electrical and computer engineering core areas. Units from courses at or above the 200 level may be credited toward the Master of Science Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering after successful completion of the certificate.

The specific required courses for a certificate are selected with the help of the program advisor according to the student’s background.

  • ECEN (ELEN) 21 Introduction to Logic Design (5 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 50 Electric Circuits I (5 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 100 Electric Circuits II (5 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 104 Electromagnetics I (5 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 110 Linear Systems (5 units) or ECEN (ELEN) 210 (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 115 Electronic Circuits I (5 units) or ECEN (ELEN) 250 (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 120 Microprocessor System Design (5 units)

RF and Applied Electromagnetics

Advisor: Dr. Kurt Schab

The purpose of this certificate is to meet the increasing need for the knowledge in microwave, antenna and RF integrated circuits in existing electronic products. This program is offered for students who have a B.S. in Electrical Computer Engineering. Students are expected to have knowledge of multivariate calculus and preferably partial differential equations and they must ensure that they have prerequisites for the courses in their program.

The curriculum consists of 16 units: two required courses (4 units) and 12 units of elective courses listed below:

Required Courses (4 units)

  • ECEN (ELEN) 201 Electromagnetic Field Theory I (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 701 Microwave System Architecture (2 units)

Elective Courses (12 units)

  • ECEN (ELEN) 202 Computational Electromagnetics (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 203 Bio-Electromagnetics (2 units)
  • ELEN 204 Magnetic Circuits for Electric and Autonomous Vehicles (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 351 RF Integrated Circuit Design or ECEN (ELEN) 354 Advanced RFIC Design (2 units each)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 624 Signal Integrity in IC and PCB Systems (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 706 Microwave Circuit Analysis and Design (2 units) (Passive Component)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 711 Active Microwave Devices I or ECEN (ELEN) 712 Active Microwave Devices II (2 units each) (Active Components)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 715 Antennas I or ECEN (ELEN) 716 Antennas II (2 units each)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 726 Microwave Measurements, Theory and Tech (3 units) (Laboratory Oriented)

Substitutions for these courses are only possible with the approval of the certificate advisor and the chair

Mechanical Engineering Certificates

Department Chair: Dr. Hohyun Lee

Design and Manufacturing; Dynamics and Controls; Mechanics and Materials; Mechatronic Systems Engineering; Thermofluids and Energy as well as general mechanical engineering. The certificate program is designed for working professionals, who would like to deepen their understanding in disciplinary subjects and apply the knowledge toward real engineering problems. One can receive a certificate in Mechanical Engineering by taking 16 units of Mechanical Engineering graduate courses with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and grade above of C or better in each course. Candidates for a certificate in a specific concentration area must take at least 8 units of core courses from the concentration area, which is listed under the section “Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering” in Chapter 14: Department of Mechanical Engineering of this Bulletin. Applicants must have completed an accredited bachelor’s degree program in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field of engineering. Up to 16 units earned in a certificate can be transferred toward another advanced degree program at SCU if they are accepted to the M.S. program.

Robotics and Automation Certificate Program

Advisor: Dr. Christopher Kitts

This certificate program provides a graduate level introduction to the theoretical knowledge and the practical skills necessary to excel in the growing, interdisciplinary fields of robotics, autonomous systems, intelligent machines, and smart products. The program is offered to students with an undergraduate degree in a field of engineering or related area. Students should also have an academic background or demonstrate proficiency in computer programming, basic electrical circuit design, basic mechanical design, and system dynamics. The curriculum consists of 16 units: three required courses (7 units) and 9 units of elective courses listed below:

Required Courses (7 units)

  • MECH/ECEN (ELEN) 207 Advanced Mechatronics I (3 units)
  • MECH/ECEN (ELEN) 337 Robotics I (2 units)
  • MECH/ECEN (ELEN) 338 Robotics II (2 units)

Elective Courses (9 units)

  • BIOE 277 Biosensors (2 units)
  • CSEN (COEN) 240 Machine Learning (4 units)
  • CSEN (COEN) 266 Artificial Intelligence (4 units)
  • CSEN (COEN) 344 /ECEN (ELEN) 644 Computer Vision I (2 units)
  • CSEN (COEN) 345 /ECEN (ELEN) 645 Computer Vision II (2 units)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 331(L) Autonomous Driving Systems (2 units w/optional 1-unit Lab)
  • ECEN (ELEN) 520(L) Intro to Machine Learning (2 units w/optional 1-unit Lab)
  • MECH 208 / ECEN(ELEN) 461 Adv Mechatronics II (3 units)
  • MECH 323 Modern Control Systems I (2 units)
  • MECH 324 Modern Control Systems II (2 units)
  • Up to 2 units of experiential research and design work:
    • MECH 290 Graduate Research Project (1-2 units)
  • Up to 4 units of mathematics selected from the following courses:
    • AMTH 245 Linear Algebra I (2 units)
    • AMTH 246 Linear Algebra II (2 units)
    • AMTH 247 Linear Algebra I & II (4 units)
    • AMTH 210 Probability I (2 units)
    • AMTH 211 Probability II (2 units)
    • AMTH 212 Probability I & II (4 units)
  • Up to 2 units of coursework relating to business, societal and/or ethical issues:
    • CSEN (COEN) 288 Software Ethics (2 units)
    • EMGT 292 Managing Capital Assets in the Smart Machine Era (2 units)
    • ENGR 342 3D Print Technology and Society (2 units)
    • ENGR 344 Artificial Intelligence and Ethics (2 units)

Substitutions for these courses are possible with the approval of the certificate advisor.

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