Today’s engineers are constantly faced with the challenge of solving complex engineering problems. This certificate program is designed to train the practicing engineers as well the degree seeking engineering graduate students on creative thinking and technical skills in complex system design while innovating new technologies.
This certificate program is designed to address industry's increased needs for engineers who can develop new and innovative technologies. It will prepare today's engineers to be competitive in taking on the new challenges.
The purpose of this graduate-certificate program in mechanical engineering is to enable engineers to become more innovative in the design of engineering system without formally pursuing a graduate degree. The certificate will provide a core set of courses on origami based design, optimal mechatronics system design, and environmental pollution control. The projects assigned in these courses are based on new ideas which will be solved during the semester using studio based methodology. Students completing this certificate will be able to contribute the knowledge gained to serve the respective companies more effectively.
The expected outcomes of the Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) certificate program are:
- To gain skills to innovatively solve complex engineering problems via studio based practices.
- To apply creative design methodologies to develop innovative engineering products.
What are the requirements to complete the graduate certificate program?
Total requirement: 12 credit hours.
It is necessary to be admitted to the Graduate School to earn a certificate. Students admitted to the certificate program must first apply to and be admitted by the Graduate School as a post-baccalaureate non-degree seeking student or as a degree seeking graduate student. Up to 6 credit hours of course work taken while the student is in non-degree status can be counted toward this graduate certificate provided the admission requirements are met. The fourth year undergraduate students in the combined 5-year BS/MS program must apply to and be admitted by the graduate school to the certificate program when they have completed or will complete the baccalaureate degree requirements in the semester of applying. To earn a certificate, the students admitted to this certificate program are required to complete twelve credit hours of graduate courses. There are courses in the primary and related areas. The certificate requires selection of at least two courses in the primary area (6 credit hours) and the rest in related area.
Primary Area Courses
- ME 58901 Optimal Design of Mechatronic Systems: Robots and Interactive Structures
- ME 57301 Air Pollution and Emission Control
- ME 59700 Design of Complex and Origami Structures
- ME 60601 Optimal Design of Complex Mechanical Systems
Related Courses
- ME 57201 Analysis and Design of Robotic Manipulators
- ME 50601 Design Optimization Methods
- ME 52601 Integrated Nanosystems Processes and Devices
- ME 54600 CAD/CAM Theory and Applications
Will any of these four courses count toward a graduate degree?
Yes, after completing the certificate program, students may choose the option of applying to the M.S. program in Mechanical Engineering (MSME) with the courses taken during the certificate program transferred. The MSME program accepts up to twelve transfer credit hours from other programs. The four required courses in this certificate program qualify for the transfer. Therefore, if a student who completes the certificate program and applies for the MSME program, the courses with “B” or above grades can be transferred into the graduate program.
What are the requirements for admission to the certificate program?
In order to be eligible to this certificate program, the students must have a bachelor's degree in an area which provides the necessary mathematical preparation for an engineering degree with a recommended minimum GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0. Students who are in the department’s BSMS program or enrolled in the MSME degree program with a cumulative GPA above 3.0 may also join the program. Appropriate work experience also will be taken into account in making decisions about admission. One year experience on energy systems will meet the requirement. Students will be required to submit a statement of interest and two letters of recommendation.
Students admitted directly to the Purdue University graduate program can be considered for this certificate program, provided the student formally applies for the certificate program and receives admission. Courses completed under certificate program are not automatically transferred to a graduate degree program, unless the student makes a petition to the graduate committee of the department.
Minimum TOEFL score of 550 or higher on the paper-based test, or 80 or higher on the Internet-based test (iBT) for applicants whose native language is not English. Applicants who take the TOEFL iBT must achieve the following minimum test scores, in addition to the overall required score of at least 80: reading, 19; listening, 14; speaking, 18; and writing, 18. Applicants taking the IELTS must score at least 6.5 on the Academic Module. Applicants taking the PTE must score at least 58.
Completion requirements
- Total requirement: 12 credit hours
- Total number of credit hours that must be taken for a letter grade: 12 credit hours
- Specific course requirements: At least two graduate courses in the primary area and the remaining courses from the related area as listed on page 2
GPA requirements
- Minimum overall GPA: Successful completion of the certificate requires at least a B average over all courses counting towards the certificate.
- Minimum grade: The minimum grade for the primary courses is a B.. The minimum grade that will be accepted for a related course is C. For transfer credits, only the courses taken that result in a grade of B or better may be transferred for this certificate program.
- Maximum number of credits that can be transferredA student must be admitted to the Graduate School as (1) a non-degree seeking post-baccalaureate or (2) an enrolled degree seeking graduate student to earn the certificate. However, at most six credit hours of graduate coursework with a grade of B or better taken prior to admission to Graduate School can be counted towards this graduate certificate provided that the admission requirements are met (of which a maximum of three credits hours can be from another institution). Thus, decision to apply to Graduate School by qualified students should be made at an earlier time in order not to lose credits. Credits earned in the certificate program with a grade of B or better may be applied towards the Master's degree subject to approval by the Graduate Education and Research Committee in the department.
- Number of credit hours taken prior to admission to the certificate program that may be counted to completion of the degreeUp to 6 equivalent credit hours taken prior to admission to the certificate program may be transferred into the program, which may include 3 hours taken from another institution. The rest of the courses must be completed at IUPUI within two-year period from the time of admission.
How Do I Apply for Admission to the Certificate Program?
To apply for admission, contact Monica Stahlhut, MEE Graduate Programs Assistant by telephone at (317) 278-4960 or by email: mstahlhu@iupui.edu.
Course lists for the program including course descriptions
ME 58901 Optimal Design of Mechatronic Systems: Robots and Interactive Structures (3): This course will introduce the fundamentals of transformation of knowledge from art/design to engineering/technology applications. Different variant forms of free form design, in relation to various structural topologies common in engineering and technology applications and related optimization techniques will be discussed. This course will utilize the epistemology of studio practice implicit in the artistic process in order to acquire embodied knowledge. Reasoning innovative process can be taught through the crafting of mechanical structures while experiencing bodily interactions with the nature of materials and tools. Thus, this course introduces a range of design principles and critical studio practice methodologies while working with a range of variable materials and aims to help students grow in their creative thinking. It will integrate mechatronic modeling / simulation, optimal design, and hands-on fabrication of robotic systems (sensors, actuators, electric circuits, and embedded controllers) and interactive structures in a makerspace environment.
ME 57301 Air Pollution and Emission Control (3): This course is designed to promote creativity through immersive experience. It will integrate the real-world problem solving experience into the course curriculum through traineeship in the industry / lab environment. Students will study the environmental pollution sources and fundamental mechanisms of their impacting the environment and human health, and how automotive emission can be measured and controlled. In particular, measurement of particulate emission deposited in a diesel particulate filter will be studied. Here the students will have a chance to creatively design functional shapes of the sensor components. The course topic is chosen in this context that align with the local industry / lab. Topics in emission control technologies, including sensors, control mechanisms, remedial systems will be taught and combined into the course projects that students will accomplish over the course of a semester.
ME 59700 Design of Origami and Complex Structures (3): This course introduces principles in art and engineering analysis and optimization with focus on design of complex, irregular (organic), free-form, and origami structures. This course provides a sound grasp of structural analysis and design optimization methods, the origami arts, and fundamental creative strategies used in the design thinking process.
ME 60601 Optimal Design of Complex Mechanical Systems (3): The objective of this research course is to prepare students to address mechanical systems design and innovation challenges through appropriate advanced optimal design methodologies. This course will be focused on current design approaches, which are rapidly expanding in research and industrial applications, but are not commonly included in engineering curricula. The course focuses on the theoretical aspects of multi-objective optimization, global approximation methods (metamodel-based optimization), and applications in mechanical engineering systems. Students of this research course will acquire an understanding of state-of-the-art analysis and optimization tools through hands-on experience and the involvement in research projects. The research experiential learning will prepare students to design innovative mechanical systems and to increase their problem solving capabilities through the use of effective design methodologies.
ME 57201 Analysis and Design of Robotic Manipulators (3): Introduction to the analysis and design of robotic manipulators. Topics include kinematic configurations, forward and inverse position soluton, velocity and acceleration, path planning, off-line programming, force and torque solutions, rigid body dynamics, motors and actuators, robot design, sensors, and controls, computer simulation and graphical animation.
ME 50601 Design Optimization Methods (3): In this course, the general theory of optimization, concepts and problem statement are presented. Methods for minimization of a function of one or n variables with and without constraints are discussed. Response surface methods and design of experiments are shown to significantly reduce analysis time. Applications using a commercial software package to solve typical engineering design optimization problems are demonstrated. Uncertainty in the design process is introduced. In addition to engineering, the methods studied can be applied to a variety of diverse disciplines such as finance, investment portfolio management, and life sciences.
ME 52601 Integrated Nanosystems Processes and Devices (3): This course covers processes and devices associated with integrated nanosystems. Integrated nanosystems refer to systems which consist of integrated micro-, meso-, and/or macro-scale parts, and their core components are realized by nano-scale materials, processes, and devices. The course, while covering processes which result in integrated nanosystems, will focus on the theory and operation of select electronic, electromechanical, and biomedical devices which are used for information technology, sensing, medical, and other applications. The lectures will be complemented by hands-on laboratory experience.
ME 54600 CAD/CAM Theory and Application (3): Introduction to computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) theory and applications. Topics include CAD/CAM systems and integration, geometric modeling, process planning, and tool path generation, CAD/CAM interfacing with CNC (computer numerically controlled) machines, machining, and CNC programming. Projects involve CAD/CAM-based product development cycle. Hands-on experience is attained through laboratory experiment and actual CNC manufacturing.