This certificate provides training in mechanical design and product development. Students will build on methods from across the field of design to create learning experiences that will directly influence their potential career path in product design and development. Students will be challenged throughout the certificate coursework with complex, ambiguous design problems with solutions that are uncertain, and they will be challenged to solve those issues creatively and communicate those solutions to others effectively.

Students who complete this certificate will have the necessary knowledge and skills for a broad range of industrial sectors that involve product design and development.

Requirements

To earn this certificate, students must complete 12 graduate level credits. These credits can be chosen by the student, in consultation with certificate program faculty and the graduate advisors, based on the available courses and description of curriculum below.

Courses offered each semester will depend on the availability of faculty. At least one relevant course will be offered each fall and spring semester to ensure that students are able to make progress toward completion of the certificate. In accordance with university policy, degree-seeking students will only be eligible for award of the certificate upon completion of their M.S. degree.

All degree-seeking and nondegree certificate students must meet the following minimum academic standards for successful completion of the certificate:

  • A minimum grade of a B or higher in each course applied towards certificate requirements; and
  • A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in certificate courses.

Required Courses and Credits

Required Courses
MCEN 5055Advanced Product Design3
MCEN 5045Design for Manufacturability3
Electives
Elective Option 1 1
Choose any two:
Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering (Aesthetics of Design)
Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering (Automated Mechanical Design Synthesis)
Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering (Design for Inclusion)
Technical Product Development
COEN 5550
Elective Option 2 2
MCEN 5065Graduate Design I3
MCEN 5075Graduate Design II3

Learning Outcomes

Educational and scholarly goals of the certificate:

  • To introduce students to potential career opportunities in the mechanical design and product development industry.
  • To introduce students to industry tools and expectations for product development.
  • To teach students the key concepts and engineering principles of mechanical design and product development.
  • To understand the role of engineering design at the intersection of science, engineering, and culture.