Certificate Programs - Electrical and Computer Engineering
Certificate Programs
- The Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department offers graduate certificate programs for individuals interested in advanced study at the graduate level in a specific ECE technical area.
- The certificate programs are compatible with MSEE and EE degree requirements, enabling certificate recipients to apply graduate credits received during the certificate(s) towards NPS degrees.
- The certificate programs may be pursued concurrently with the the graduate degrees.
- A student may complete multiple certificates, provided he/she has been approved for each and satisfies the requirements of each.
- Each ECE certificate meets a subset of the requirements for the MSEE and EE degrees.
Certificate programs provide the fundamental background and analytical skills needed in a specific technical area to individuals involved in the specification, design, or management of technical systems or programs pertaining to that area.
Current NPS resident and DL students, Applicants with a US government affiliation, Government laboratory engineers, Navy civilians, Employees of corporations that are contractors for the Department of Defense (DoD) and are sponsored by their company.
Entrance Requirements for NPS resident students
Acceptance by the ECE Department for students not currently enrolled in any of the degree programs currently offered by the ECE Department.
Entrance Requirements for students not already enrolled at NPS
- 323 APC
- Acceptance by the ECE Department: Entrance to the Electrical and Computer Engineering curriculum at the Naval Postgraduate School is through a three-part requirement consisting of a minimum grade point average (GPA) at the undergraduate level, a sufficient mathematics background, and a sufficient background in technical undergraduate studies. Applicants with a B.S.E.E. degree, will usually satisfy the last two requirements automatically.
- Participation Agreement needs to be turned by DL students during their NPS application process . This form is NOT required for current NPS resident students.
For individuals already enrolled at NPS
Resident students:
- All ECE Certificate applications can be made ONLY during the last 2 quarters of the student approved program (and NLT the second week of the last quarter at NPS), PROVIDED courses are already showing in the program matrix.
- For non-590 resident students: Copy of Python matrix showing planned certificate courses must be provided as supporting document.
- Certificate applications must be made online via power flow automate at https://nps.edu/web/registrar/forms1.
DL students:
- DL Students already enrolled in a NPS degree program: Certificate application(s) may be submitted when all courses counted as part of the certificate have been taken.
- Certificate applications must be made online via power flow automate at https://nps.edu/web/registrar/forms1.
For individuals not enrolled at NPS:
- A complete list of NPS academic certificates may be found here (ECE Certificates are labelled 284 to 297).
- Apply to NPS online and select the certificate of interest.
For current NPS students: There are no additional costs associated with the certificate programs.
For individuals not already enrolled at NPS:
- For DL applicants: ECE Department DL program costs are listed here under the "DL Program Costs" tab.
- For resident applicants:
- For US applicants only: tuition questions should be directed to the Office of Academic Affairs.
- For foreign applicants only: tuition questions should be directed to the International Graduate Programs Office.
Is There a Service Commitment?
Students participating in a program at The Naval Postgraduate School may incur service and/or employment obligations. It is the students responsibility to check with their own parent command/organization to determine whether education from NPS incurs service and/or employment obligations.
Per OPNAVINST 1520.23C, a Naval Officer will incur a 1 year service obligation upon completion or withdrawal from a NPS Certificate program, which is served concurrently with any other service obligation. All students must submit a signed Participation Agreement prior to enrolling in the program.
For a more extensive description of the ECE Department, the program, and course descriptions and schedule, check back on the ECE Home Page.
Resident students: for more information and/or to enroll in the certificates, contact:
Prof. Monique P. Fargues
Associate Chair for Student Programs
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California 93943
(831) 656-2859 (DSN 878-2859), Fax: (831) 656-2760.
Graduate Academic Certificates Available
Provides students with the skills required for analysis, design and evaluation of guidance, navigation and control systems. The certificate provides a solid engineering foundation which covers the fundamental concepts of optimal estimation methods for linear and nonlinear systems, optimal control laws for control systems, including minimum time control, minimum energy control, and linear quadratic regulator. Depending on the elective course selected, students will gain the skills required to either: 1) analyze and design missile guidance and inertial navigation systems, ballistic missile targeting systems, and missile motion simulators, or 2) control and motion planning algorithms for autonomous robotic systems.
The four-graduate-course sequence is extracted from the current set of graduate courses required to complete the Guidance, Navigation Control Systems specialization track for the MSEE Degree offered by the ECE Department.
- The four-course sequence is composed of:
- EC3310: Optimal Estimation: Sensor and Data Association (3-2)
- EC3320: Optimal Control Systems (3-2)
- Select two among
- EC4350: Nonlinear Control Systems (3-2)
- EC4310: Fundamentals of Robotics (3-2)
- EC4330: Navigation, Missile, and Avionics Systems (3-2)
[Flyer]
The certificate provides a solid engineering foundation which covers both fundamental and advanced concepts of high-performance computers and computer systems. It provides students with the skills and abilities required to design, model, simulate, implement, analyze and evaluate high-performance computers and computer systems by applying knowledge of digital logic design, computer architecture, embedded computing and cyber physical systems, implementation technologies (such as FPGAs and VLSI), and the use of CAD (Computer Aided Design) tools.
The three-graduate-course sequence is extracted from the current set of graduate courses required to complete the Computer Systems specialization track for the MSEE Degree offered by the ECE Department.
The three-course sequence is composed of:
- EC3800 - Microprocessor Based System Design (3-2)
- EC3840 - Introduction to Computer Architecture (3-2)
- and one graduate level graded course from the list shown below. As of June 2019, the current list includes:
- EC4820 - Advanced Computer Architecture (3-2)
- EC4830 - Digital Computer Design (3-2)
Provides students an understanding of random processes sufficient for analysis of communication systems and networks corrupted by broadband noise and multipath fading. The certificate provides a solid engineering foundation which covers the fundamental concepts of communication systems and networks, forward error control coding and its impacts when used in modern digital communications systems.
The four-graduate-course sequence is extracted from the current set of graduate courses required to complete the Communication Systems specialization track for the MSEE Degree offered by the ECE Department.
The four-course sequence is composed of:
- EC3500 - Analysis of Random Signals (4-0)
- EC3510 - Communications Engineering (3-1)
- EC4550 - Digital Communications (4-0)
- EC4580 - Error Correction Coding (4-0)
Provides a solid engineering foundation which covers the fundamental concepts in electrical power conversion and electromechanical power conversion at the advanced level. This coherent program is obtained by taking a 4-graduate-course sequence which provides a mixture of instruction and computer-based laboratories offering students the opportunity to study the behavior and performance of power systems in a virtual environment.
The 4-graduate-course sequence is extracted from the current set of graduate courses required to complete the Solid State Microelectronics and Power Systems specialization track for the MSEE Degree offered by the ECE Department.
The four-course sequence is composed of:
- EC3130 - Electrical Machine Theory (4-2)
- EC4130- Advanced Electrical Machinery Systems (4-2)
- EC3150- Solid State Power Conversion (3-2)
- EC4150- Advanced Solid State Power Conversion (4-1)
Provides students an understanding of digital signal processing fundamentals, principles, and applications at the advanced level. The certificate provides a solid engineering foundation which covers the fundamental concepts needed to analyze and process digital information in many current applications including video, imaging, audio, communications, networking, underwater, and control applications.This coherent program provides a mixture of instruction and computed-based laboratories which offer students the opportunity to explore concepts and investigate applications in signal processing.
The coherent 4-graduate-course sequence is extracted from the current set of graduate courses required to complete the Signal Processing Systems specialization track for the MSEE Degree offered by the ECE Department.
The four-course sequence is composed of:
- EC3400 - Digital Signal Processing(3-2)
- EC3410 - Discrete-Time Random Signals(3-2)
- EC4440 - Statistical Digital Signal Processing(3-2)
- and at least one graduate level graded specialization signal processing course. The minimum number of credits needed to meet certificate requirements is 12. As of June 2014, the current list includes:
- EC3460 – Machine Learning for Signal Analytics (3-2)
- EC3940 – Special Topics in Signal Processing (V-V)
- EC4400 – Advanced Topics in Signal Processing (V-V)
- EC4430 - Multimedia Information and Communications (3-1)
- EC4450 - Array Signal Processing Engineering (3-2)
- EC4480 - Image Processing and Recognition (3-2)
- EC4910 - DSP for Wireless Applications (3-2)
Provides students an understanding of the technical foundations found in electronic warfare at the system level and examine the impact of the physical environment. The certificate provides a solid engineering foundation which covers the fundamental concepts needed to understand how Electronic Warfare (EW) signals are affected by the environment and includes a survey of existing EW systems and analysis techniques. This coherent program provides a mixture of instruction and computed-based laboratories which offer students the opportunity to explore concepts and investigate applications in the electronic warfare area.
The coherent 3-graduate-course sequence is extracted from the current set of graduate courses which may be used to complete the MSEE Degree offered by the ECE Department.
The three-course sequence is composed of:
- EC3600- Antennas and Propagation (3-2)
- EC3615-Radar Fundamentals (3-2) or EC3630-Radiowave Propagation (3-2)
- EC3700-Joint Network Enabled EW I (3-2) or EC4685-Principles of EW (3-2)
Provides students an understanding of the microwave and optical aspects of sensor and electronic warfare systems. State of the art material on microwave and optical devices and their use in systems are discussed during the courses. The certificate material also includes a description of the operation of devices and tradeoffs involved in component selection. This coherent program provides a mixture of instruction and computed-based laboratories which offer students the opportunity to explore concepts and investigate applications in the electronic warfare area.
The coherent 3-graduate-course sequence is extracted from the current set of graduate courses which may be used to complete the MSEE Degree offered by the ECE Department.
The three-course sequence is composed of:
- EC3210 - Introduction to Electro-Optical Engineering (3-2)
- EC3610- Microwave Engineering (3-2)
- EC4615-Advanced Radar (3-2) or EC4630-Radar Cross Section Prediction & Reduction (3-2) or EC4600 Advanced Topics (V-V) [(3-2) minimum required]
Provides students an understanding of advanced topics commonly found in Electronic Warfare (EW). Among them are signature control (stealth) and low probability of intercept techniques for radar and electronic warfare. This coherent program provides a mixture of instruction and computed-based laboratories which offer students the opportunity to explore concepts and investigate applications in the electronic warfare area.
The coherent 3-graduate-course sequence is extracted from the current set of graduate courses which may be used to complete the MSEE Degree offered by the ECE Department.
The three-course sequence is composed of:
- EC3615-Radar Fundamentals (3-2) or EC3630-Radiowave Propagation (3-2)
- EC3700-Joint Network Enabled EW I (3-2) or EC4685-Principles of EW (3-2)
- EC4615- Advanced Radar (3-2) or EC4630- Radar Cross Section Prediction and Reduction (3-2)
Provides students an understanding of wired and wireless networks and their applications in a network centric environment. The certificate provides a solid engineering foundation that covers the fundamental concepts needed to analyze, design and evaluate heterogeneous networks, signaling protocols, such as medium access, routing, transport, and application protocols; modern telecommunications networks in both wired and wireless media and the ability to apply these skills in a network-centric environment.
The coherent 4-graduate-course sequence is extracted from the current set of graduate courses required to complete the Network Engineering specialization track for the MSEE Degree offered by the ECE Department.
The four course sequence is composed of:
- EC3710 - Computer Communications Methods (3-2) or CS3502 - Computer Communications and Networks (4-2)
- EC4745 - Mobile Ad Hoc Wireless Networking (3-2)
- and one or two advanced graduate level graded course to satisfy the 12 total minimum number of credits required for the certificate.
- EC4430- Multimedia (3-1)
- EC4710 - High Speed Networking (3-2)
- EC4725 - Advanced Telecommunication Systems Engineering (3-2)
- EC4785 - Internet Engineering (3-2)
- EC3795 - Mobile Telecommunications Fundamentals (3-2)
Provides students with a technical foundation that prepares them for assignments related to research and management of wired and wireless cyber warfare systems, and for leadership roles in the area of cyber warfare. This coherent program provides a mixture of instruction and computed-based laboratories which offer students the opportunity to explore concepts and investigate applications in cyber warfare areas.
The three-course sequence is composed of:
- EC3760 Information Operations Systems (3-2)
- EC4765 Cyber Warfare (3-2)
- and one graduate level graded course. As of Nov. 2014, the current list includes:
- DA3105 Conflict and Cyberspace (4-1)
- EC3730 Cyber Network and Physical Infrastructures (3-2)
- EC3750 Introduction to SIGINT Engineering (3-2)
- EC4730 Covert Communications (3-2)
- EC4755 Net Traffic, Activity Detection, & Tracking (3-2)
- CS4558 Network Traffic Analysis (3-2)
- EC3970 Special Topics in Electrical Eng. (Cyber) (3-2)
The three-course sequence is composed of:
- EC3730 Cyber Network and Physical Infrastructures (3-2)
- EC3740 Principles of Reverse Engineering of Electronic Systems (3-2)
- and one graduate level graded course. As of May 2017, the current list includes:
- EC4715 Cyber Systems Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (3-2)
- EC4730 Covert Communications (3-2)
- EC4755 Network Traffic, Activity Detection and Tracking (3-2)
- EC4770 Wireless Communications Network Security (3-2)
- EC4790 Cyber Architectures and Engineering (3-2)
- EC3795 Mobile Telecommunications Fundamentals (3-2)
Provides students with a graduate level focus on the security of wireless communications networks, and depending on elective choice, an ability to assess the security of wireless devices or telecommunications systems, to maintain situational awareness on wireless networks or assess the risk of covert malicious functionality in system hardware components.
The three-course sequence is composed of:
- EC4745 Mobile Ad Hoc Wireless Networking (3-2
- EC4770 Wireless Communications Network Security (3-2)
- and one graduate level graded course. As of Feb. 2024, the current list includes:
- EC4730 Covert Communications (3-2)
- EC4735 Telecommunications Systems Security (3-2)
- EC4755 Network Traffic, Activity Detection and Tracking (3-2)
- EC4795 Wireless Device Security (3-2)