Certificate Degrees

 

Good news! Graduate certificate programs now qualify for federal financial aid effective for the Fall 2023 semester!  If you are interested in receiving a federal loan to fund your graduate certificate expenses, please visit studentaid.gov and complete a 2022-23 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Here or There

With NC State’s Engineering Online, we have a long record of success in engineering distance education — more than 40 years long.

We are fully accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and we are authorized in every U.S. state for delivery of online degree programs.

Courses labeled will be offered on Engineering Online, while courses labeled are available on campus.

Certificate in Electrical Engineering

This certificate program is primarily intended for individuals who wish to increase their knowledge and skills in Electrical Engineering either for future career opportunities or in preparation for graduate studies. This certificate provides the opportunity for students to take Master’s degree courses without the commitment of undertaking a full Master’s degree.

Many of the courses are available for completion remotely with Engineering Online.

The certificate is also available to on-campus graduate students in the sciences and engineering who want to expand their knowledge of the field.

Program of Study

The EE GCP requires a total of 12 credit hours of graduate-level Electrical Engineering courses taken for a letter grade. There is no prescribed list of courses for the certificate; students may take a combination of courses tailored to their interests and needs, subject to course prerequisites.

Courses labeled will be offered on Engineering Online, while courses labeled are available on campus.

Electrical Engineering Certificate Courses
  • ECE 511: Analog Electronics
  • ECE 513: Digital Signal Processing
  • ECE 514: Random Processes
  • ECE 515: Digital Communications
  • ECE 516: Systems Control Engineering
  • ECE 522: Medical Instrumentation
  • ECE 523: Photonics and Optical Communications
  • ECE 524: Radio System Design
  • ECE 530: Physical Electronics
  • ECE 531: Principles of Transistor Devices
  • ECE 532: Principles of Microwave Circuits
  • ECE 533: Power Electronics Design & Packaging
  • ECE 533: Power Electronics Design & Packaging
  • ECE 534: Power Electronics
  • ECE 535: Design Of Electromechanical Systems
  • ECE 540: Electromagnetic Fields
  • ECE 542: Neural Networks
  • ECE 544: Design of Electronic Packaging and Interconnects
  • ECE 546: VLSI System Design
  • ECE 549: RF Design For Wireless
  • ECE 550: Power System Operation and Control
  • ECE 551: Smart Electric Power Distribution Systems
  • ECE 552: Renewable Electric Energy Systems
  • ECE 553: Semiconductor Power Devices
  • ECE 555: Computer Control of Robots
  • ECE 556: Mechatronics
  • ECE 557: Principles of Mos Transistors
  • ECE 558: Digital Imagining Systems
  • ECE 568: Conventional and Emerging Nanomanufacturing Techniques and Their Applications In Nanosystems
  • ECE 581: Electronic Power System Protection
  • ECE 582: Wireless Communication Systems
  • ECE 583: Electronic Power Engineering Practicum I
  • ECE 584: Electronic Power Engineering Practicum II
  • ECE 585: The Business of the Electric Utility Industry
  • ECE 586: Communications and SCADA Systems for Smart Grid
  • ECE/MSE/PY 589: Solid State Solar And Thermal Harvesting
  • ECE 712: Integrated Circuit Design For Wireless Communications
  • ECE 718: Computer-Aided Circuit Analysis
  • ECE 719: Microwave Circuit Design Using Scattering Parameters
  • ECE 723: Optical Properties of Semiconductors
  • ECE 724: Electronic Properties of Solid State Devices
  • ECE 725: Quantum Engineering
  • ECE 726: Advanced Feedback Control
  • ECE 732: Dynamics and Control of Electric Machines
  • ECE 733: Digital Electronics
  • ECE 734: Power Management Integrated Circuits
  • ECE 736: Power System Stability and Control
  • ECE 739: Integrated Circuit Technology & Fabrication Laboratory
  • ECE 751: Detection and Estimation Theory
  • ECE 752: Information Theory
  • ECE 752: Information Theory
  • ECE 753: Computational Methods for Power Systems
  • ECE 756: Advanced Mechatronics
  • ECE 759: Pattern Recognition
  • ECE 762: Advanced Digital Communications Systems
  • ECE 763: Computer Vision
  • ECE 766: Signal Processing For Communications and Networking
  • ECE 767: Error-Control Coding

Certificate in Computer Engineering

In the certificate program in computer engineering, students gain foundational knowledge in connected systems, networking applications, and computer architecture. Hone your skills in the analysis, design, and operation of computing devices and software, offered over twelve credit hours.

Students will work with a variety of hardware and software tools and analyze research to understand state of the art approaches to computer system design and future challenges the industry will face.

With over half of the courses are available for completion remotely with Engineering Online, you can make the certificate program fit your schedule.

There is no prescribed list of courses for the certificate; students may take a combination of courses tailored to their interests and needs, subject to course prerequisites.

Program of Study

The CPE GCP requires a total of 12 credit hours of graduate-level Computer Engineering courses taken for a letter grade. There is no prescribed list of courses for the certificate; students may take a combination of courses tailored to their interests and needs, subject to course prerequisites.

The following courses are permitted to be counted towards the degree.

  • Any course listed in the ECE Graduate handbook in Appendices A, B or C as falling into the “CPE” major or the “EE/CPE” major, EXCEPT for the following courses:
    • Special topics courses, i.e. courses with numbers starting with ECE 592, ECE 791 or ECE 792
    • 600 and 800 level courses including ECE 600, 633, 634, 650, 695, 699, 833, 834, 895, 896 or 899

Courses labeled will be offered on Engineering Online, while courses labeled are available on campus.

Computer Engineering Certificate Courses
  • ECE/CSC 506: Architecture Of Parallel Computers
  • ECE/CSC 517: Object-Oriented Design and Development
  • ECE 546: VLSI System Design
  • ECE/CSC 547: Cloud Computing Technology
  • ECE/CSC 560: Embedded System Architectures
  • ECE 561: Embedded System Analysis and Optimization
  • ECE 563: Computer Design and Technology
  • ECE 564: ASIC and FPGA Design with Verilog
  • ECE 566: Compiler Optimization and Scheduling
  • ECE/CSC 570: Computer Networks
  • ECE/CSC 573: Internet Protocols
  • ECE/CSC 574: Computer And Network Security
  • ECE/CSC 575: Introduction to Wireless Networking
  • ECE/CSC 576: Networking Services: Qos, Signaling, Processes
  • ECE/CSC 577: Switched Network Management
  • ECE/CSC/OR 579: Introduction To Computer Performance Modeling
  • ECE 705: Memory Systems
  • ECE 706: Advanced Parallel Computer Architecture
  • ECE 720: Electronic System Level and Physical Design
  • ECE 721: Advanced Microarchitecture
  • ECE 745: ASIC Verification
  • ECE/CSC 773: Advanced Topics In Internet Protocols
  • ECE/CSC 774: Advanced Network Security
  • ECE/CSC 775: Advanced Topics In Wireless Networking
  • ECE/CSC 776: Design & Performance Evaluation Of Network Systems & Services
  • ECE/CSC 777: Telecommunications Network Design

Certificate in ASIC Design & Verification

Advanced silicon chips, including Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) power the remarkable systems we rely on every day. They serve as the foundation for everything from smartphones to wearables and from smart medical devices to autonomous cars.

NC State is a leader in ASIC education. Our faculty provide hands-on instruction in the cutting edge skills demanded by the industry. Our researchers pioneer the processes required to advance this technology.

Engineers trained in state-of-the-art technologies and processes to effectively design—or verify a design—of intricate purpose-built silicon is vital across the industry.

A graduate certificate in ASIC Design and Verification will prepare you to meet the requirements of a growing industry in search of talent equipped to meet the needs of tomorrow.

Program of Study

The ADV GCP requires a total of 12 credit hours consisting of four graduate-level Electrical and Computer Engineering courses taken for a letter grade. (EOL = course offered via EOL as well to residential students).

Courses labeled will be offered on Engineering Online, while courses labeled are available on campus.

ASIC Design and Verification Certificate Courses
  • ECE 546: VLSI System Design
  • ECE 564: ASIC and FPGA Design with Verilog
  • ECE 720: Electronic System Level and Physical Design
  • ECE 745: ASIC Verification
  • ECE 748: Verification with Universal Verification Methodology

Certificate in 5G Technologies

5G is the wireless data communications system that will replace the 4G LTE systems currently in use around the world. However, 5G is not an update on 4G. It is a radically new system, using many different architectures, algorithms, circuits, chips and antennas than the previous system. 5G will enable faster streaming to mobile devices with theoretical speeds of up to 10 Gb/s as well as enabling the next generation of the Internet of Things.

As industry is working at a breakneck pace to build out these systems, there is a high demand for engineers who are fluent in the technological challenges and opportunities of this generational leap to 5G.

With a certificate in 5G Technologies, you will be well-equipped to work at the forefront of pivotal technology powered by advanced and advancing communications technologies.

Program of Study

The 5GT GCP requires a total of 12 credit hours consisting of four graduate-level Electrical and Computer Engineering courses taken for a letter grade.  Courses labeled “EOL” will be offered both as live classes and also through  EOL.  Those without “EOL” are only offered to on-campus students..

Courses labeled will be offered on Engineering Online, while courses labeled are available on campus.

All students must complete the following course:

  • ECE 592: LTE and 5G Communications

Students must then choose three 5G-related courses, taking at least two courses from a single track:

Circuits Track Courses
  • ECE 511: Analog Electronics
  • ECE 712: Integrated Circuit Design For Wireless Communications
  • ECE 792: Design of Millimeter-Wave Circuits and Systems
Microwave Systems and Applied EM Track Courses
  • ECE 524: Radio System Design
  • ECE 541: Antennas and Arrays
  • ECE 549: RF Design For Wireless
Communications Track Courses
  • ECE/CSC 570: Computer Networks
  • ECE/CSC 575: Introduction to Wireless Networking
  • ECE 766: Signal Processing For Communications and Networking
  • ECE 767: Error-Control Coding

Certificate in Nano-Systems Engineering

The NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center (NERC) for Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST) offers a Graduate Certificate program in Nano-Systems Engineering.

This multidisciplinary certificate is for students who want to develop additional expertise in the field of nano-science and technology. The graduate certificate consists of a sequence of courses that will equip students with the technical skills essential for graduate research in the field. In addition, the certificate teaches entrepreneurship and other relevant skills that will help students to be competitive in the modern engineering environment.

The scope of the program is broad enough to include applications of nano-technology in a variety of fields including digital logic, energy harvesting, biomedical applications and others. As such, the certificate includes technical electives from many departments to provide breadth in different topics.

Program of Study

Courses labeled will be offered on Engineering Online, while courses labeled are available on campus.

All students must complete the following course:

  • ECE/CHE 568: Conventional and Emerging Nanomanufacturing Techniques and Their Applications in Nanosystems

Please choose 1 of the following required courses:

  • MBS 576: Technology Evaluation and Commercialization Concepts
  • ECE 592: Product Innovation Lab

Students then choose two Core Electives and a Technical Elective

Core Electives (Pick 2)
Technical Electives (Pick 1)
  • BME 525: Bioelectricity
  • ECE 530: Physical Electronics
  • ECE 557: Principals of MOS Transistors
  • BME 566: Polymeric Biomaterials Engineering
  • ECE 592: Bioelectricity and Neural Interfaces
  • ECE 592: Organic Electronics and LCDs
  • ISE 714: Product Manufacturing Engineering for the Medical Device Industry
  • ECE 723: Optical Properties of Semiconductors
  • ECE 724: Electronic Properties of Solid State Devices

Certificate in Renewable Electric Energy Systems

Working in conjunction with the Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM) Systems Center, the Graduate Certificate in REES helps students to develop expertise in renewable electric energy systems and advanced power grid technology.

For those wishing to pursue an advanced degree, the REES certificate program can also provide a strong foundation for a master’s degree which addresses broader aspects of renewable energy such as systems theory, semiconductor power devices, distributed grid intelligence, secured communications, power electronics for high frequency and high voltage power conversion, and distributed energy storage devices.

Program of Study

The Graduate Certificate in Renewable Electric Energy Systems requires a minimum of 12 hours, including one 3-hour core course and nine credit hours of electives from the official elective list. Students must maintain a minimum overall GPA of B (3.0).

Courses labeled will be offered on Engineering Online, while courses labeled are available on campus.

All students must complete the following course:

  • ECE 552: Renewable Electric Energy Systems

Students then choose three electives.

Electives (Pick 3)
  • ECE 534: Power Electronics
  • ECE 535: Design Of Electromechanical Systems
  • ECE 550: Power System Operation and Control
  • ECE 551: Smart Electric Power Distribution Systems
  • ECE 552: Renewable Electric Energy Systems
  • ECE 581: Electronic Power System Protection
  • ECE 585: The Business of the Electric Utility Industry
  • ECE/MSE/PY 589: Solid State Solar And Thermal Harvesting
  • ECE 736: Power System Stability and Control

Admission Requirements

Students must meet ONE of the following requirements for admission into a Graduate Certificate Program:

  • Have a BS degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering from a regionally accredited four-year college or university, and have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4-point scale.
  • Have a BS or a BA degree in the sciences or engineering from a regionally accredited four-year college or university with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4-point scale. The student needs to have taken and passed the background courses appropriate for their proposed plan of study.  The requirements will be the same as for an MS student as per our application website.
  • Be a degree-seeking student in good standing in an NC State University graduate program in the sciences or engineering.

Multiple Certificates

A student may obtain more than one graduate certificate. Each certificate must have at least 9 credit hours that are unique to it.

Transfer Credit

Transfer Credit from other institutions is not allowed for Graduate Certificate Programs (GCP). Students must register for all coursework through NC State University. Up to 12 credits from a GCP may be transferred to a Master’s degree program.

Program Information

All courses must be taken for a grade, and may not be taken for Credit Only. All Graduate Certificate Program (GCP) requirements must be completed within four calendar years, starting with the date the student begins coursework applicable to the GCP. Students must maintain continuous enrollment every academic semester until all coursework has been completed. A one-semester Leave of Absence may be granted if the student is unable to enroll in a course due to extenuating circumstances. The Leave of Absence must be approved in writing by the Certificate Coordinator and the Director of Graduate Programs before the start of the semester.

Application and Completion Process

  • An application for acceptance into the GCP is required for all new students. Students must complete the Graduate School application.
  • Those applicants who are currently enrolled in an NC State graduate degree program need only provide the graduate student Certificate Plan Data Entry form.
  • New applications will be reviewed at the department/program level.
  • Registration procedures, registration dates and course availability for each semester can be found on the Registration and Records webpage.

Every semester that a student is enrolled in a GCP, all credit hours for which the student is registered will be subject to the Electrical and Computer Engineering MS tuition premium. It is the responsibility of the student to apply for, and receive, the certificate once they have completed the requirements in order for this premium to be removed in subsequent semesters, if the student will be continuing in a degree program that is not subject to tuition premium.

Premium tuition is charged based on a student’s program of study, not individual courses the student takes, and this policy is outside the department’s control. For instance, ECE Masters students pay the ECE premium even if in a given semester they take one, two, or three courses outside the ECE department. Similarly, once a student is admitted to a GCP and the certificate is added to their program of study, they will be charged the premium.

Financial Aid/Funding

Students enrolled in non-teaching certificate programs are not eligible for Federal Financial Aid.

Admission Requirements

Students must meet ONE of the following requirements for admission into a Graduate Certificate Program:

  • Have a BS degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering from a regionally accredited four-year college or university, and have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4-point scale.
  • Have a BS or a BA degree in the sciences or engineering from a regionally accredited four-year college or university with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4-point scale. The student needs to have taken and passed the background courses appropriate for their proposed plan of study.  The requirements will be the same as for an MS student as per our application website.
  • Be a degree-seeking student in good standing in an NC State University graduate program in the sciences or engineering.

Multiple Certificates

A student may obtain more than one graduate certificate. Each certificate must have at least 9 credit hours that are unique to it.

Transfer Credit

Transfer Credit from other institutions is not allowed for Graduate Certificate Programs (GCP). Students must register for all coursework through NC State University. Up to 12 credits from a GCP may be transferred to a Master’s degree program.

Program Information

All courses must be taken for a grade, and may not be taken for Credit Only. All Graduate Certificate Program (GCP) requirements must be completed within four calendar years, starting with the date the student begins coursework applicable to the GCP. Students must maintain continuous enrollment every academic semester until all coursework has been completed. A one-semester Leave of Absence may be granted if the student is unable to enroll in a course due to extenuating circumstances. The Leave of Absence must be approved in writing by the Certificate Coordinator and the Director of Graduate Programs before the start of the semester.

Application and Completion Process

  • An application for acceptance into the GCP is required for all new students. Students must complete the Graduate School application.
  • Those applicants who are currently enrolled in an NC State graduate degree program need only provide the graduate student Certificate Plan Data Entry form.
  • New applications will be reviewed at the department/program level.
  • Registration procedures, registration dates and course availability for each semester can be found on the Registration and Records webpage.

Every semester that a student is enrolled in a GCP, all credit hours for which the student is registered will be subject to the Electrical and Computer Engineering MS tuition premium. It is the responsibility of the student to apply for, and receive, the certificate once they have completed the requirements in order for this premium to be removed in subsequent semesters, if the student will be continuing in a degree program that is not subject to tuition premium.

Premium tuition is charged based on a student’s program of study, not individual courses the student takes, and this policy is outside the department’s control. For instance, ECE Masters students pay the ECE premium even if in a given semester they take one, two, or three courses outside the ECE department. Similarly, once a student is admitted to a GCP and the certificate is added to their program of study, they will be charged the premium.

Financial Aid/Funding

Students enrolled in non-teaching certificate programs are not eligible for Federal Financial Aid.

Graduate Catalog

The Graduate Catalog contains Graduate School requirements and pertinent information for individual graduate programs, a current list of graduate faculty, and a selection of other resources for new students.

Course Details & Specialty Areas

Find out more about the various specialty areas of research and instruction and the relevant courses offered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Still have questions?

The staff of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Office is available to answer any questions you may have.

Current students contact us at: ecegradoffice@ncsu.edu
Prospective students contact us at: eceadmissions@ncsu.edu
You can also reach the Graduate Office by phone at 919.515.5460