Certificate Programs

A certificate offers the working professional recognition of a coherent program of advanced study at the graduate level. The certificate programs are compatible with the MS degree requirements, enabling certificate recipients to transition to a degree program without loss of credits. Each certificate requires 15 credits of graduate course work. A student may complete multiple certificates, provided an application has been approved for each and the student satisfies the requirements of each. Each certificate meets a subset of the degree requirements for the MS in either Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering. Currently, the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department offers six post-baccalaureate certificate programs, as listed below:

In addition, a graduate Certificate in Computer Systems offered jointly by the Departments of Computer and Information Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering is also available.

A graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering offered at the college level is also available. 

Acceptance to a Certificate Program

Applicants apply for acceptance to a graduate certificate program through the Office of Graduate Studies. Applicants follow the general procedures for graduate degree acceptance into the MS, but in an abbreviated form. Thus, they fill out the same application form as do degree applicants and supply an essay and official transcripts of all post-secondary work, as instructed herein. However, they are not required to submit GRE scores or recommendation letters.

Other Policies

Prospective students can take up to two courses for the certificate before completing their official acceptance to the certificate program, with permission of the instructor. It is possible for acceptance to be offered with a contingency that the student must also take one or more undergraduate prerequisite courses.

Certificate students may use no more than one 400-level course toward their certificate program. A 400-level course may be used only when the related graduate course specified in the certificate program is not offered during the student's enrollment in the certificate program.

Other graduate policies, such as those for longevity of credit, acceptable grades, and repeatability of courses, apply to certificate students as to degree students.

For additional information and application forms, please call the Office of Graduate Studies at (508) 999-8604.

In the case where a required course is not being offered, it can be replaced by another course approved by the ECE Graduate Program Director.

Available certificates

Communications Certificate

  1. ECE 521 Random Signals and Systems
  2. ECE 571 Digital Communications
  3. Choose three of the following six courses:
    • ECE 591 Special Topics in ECE: Wireless Communications
    • ECE 537 Antenna Theory
    • ECE 569 Advanced Computer Networks
    • ECE 584 Estimation Theory
    • ECE 671 Information Theory
    • ECE 672 Signal Detection Theory

Total: 15 credits

 Digital Signal Processing Certificate

  1. ECE 521 Random Signals and Systems
  2. ECE 571 Digital Communications
  3. ECE 574 Discrete-Time Signal Processing
  4. Choose two of the following courses:
    • ECE 576 Machine Learning
    • ECE 578 Digital Image Processing
    • ECE 584 Estimation Theory
    • ECE 591 Special Topics in ECE: Digital Processing of Speech Signals
    • ECE 591 Special Topics in ECE: Array Signal Processing
    • ECE 642 Advanced Topics in Signal Processing
    • ECE 672 Detection Theory

Total: 15 credits

Acoustics Certificate

  1. ECE 521 Random Signals and Systems
  2. Choose one of the following courses:
    • ECE 551 Acoustic and Electromagnetic Waves
    • ECE 557 Fundamentals of Acoustics
  3. ECE 574 Discrete-Time Signal Processing
  4. ECE 597 Underwater Acoustics I
  5. Choose one of the following courses:
    • ECE 558 Introduction to Electroacoustic Transducers
    • ECE 575 Sonar Signal Processing
    • ECE 591 Special Topics in ECE: Medical Ultrasonics
    • ECE 646 Digital Speech Processing

Total: 15 credits

Electrical Engineering Systems Certificate

  1. ECE 521 Random Signals and Systems
  2. ECE 530 Introduction to Advanced Electronics and Optoelectronics
  3. ECE 551 Acoustic and Electromagnetic Waves
  4. Choose two of the following courses:
    • ECE 531 RF Photonics
    • ECE 533 VLSI Design
    • ECE 534 RF Circuit Design
    • ECE 571 Digital Communications
    • ECE 574 Discrete-Time Signal Processing
    • ECE 642 Advanced Topics in Signal Processing

Total: 15 credits

Cybersecurity Certificate

  1. ECE 565 Operating Systems
  2. ECE 548 Cyber Threats and Security Management
  3. ECE 549 Network Security
  4. Choose one of the following courses on computer systems or information technology:
    • ECE 521 Random Signals and Systems
    • ECE 541 Database Systems I
    • ECE 544 Fault-Tolerant Computing
    • ECE 560 Computer Systems Performance Evaluation
    • ECE 562 Advanced Computer Architecture
    • ECE 569 Advanced Computer Networks
    • ECE 571 Digital Communications
    • ECE 588 Embedded System Design Project
    • ECE 609 Distributed Computer Architecture
    • ECE 671 Information Theory
  5. Choose one of the following courses on security:
    • ECE 520 Wireless Networks and Mobile Security
    • ECE 620 Dependable and Secure Computing
    • ECE 621 Multimedia Communications

Total: 15 credits

Radio Frequency Photonics Engineering

  • ECE 530 Introduction to Advanced Electronics and Optoelectronics
  • ECE 531 RF Photonics
  • ECE 534 RF Circuit Design
  • Choose two of the following courses:
    • ECE 532 Radar Engineering
    • ECE 535 Analog Integrated Circuit Design
    • ECE 591/435 Microwave Engineering