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Embedded Systems
Building the internet of things
Certificate Description
Build your knowledge of universal connectivity
Hardware professional students in the Embedded Systems certificate program study embedded engineering principles, design tools, and practical skills, applying their growing knowledge of microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and microcontrollers in course projects.
Students also have the opportunity to focus on function-specific computer and communication systems, such as:
- mobile devices,
- the Internet of Things,
- networking equipment,
- industrial controllers, and
- military electronics.
Learn to design and test hardware and software innovations of the future as you prepare for high-paying jobs in the industry.
Embedded Systems certificate program objectives
- Design, debug, and synthesize digital logic for ASICs, PGAs, and IP cores
- Understand the basics of embedded hardware design
- Differentiate between types of jitter
- Decode IO technologies, including PCI Express, Ethernet and Fibre Channel
- Use analog and digital switch-mode power supplies
Estimated Cost (You pay only for courses you enroll in): $5,700 or 5,770 | International Tuition Cost
Required Credits: Total Required: 5–10 courses/14 units—1 of the core courses (2–3 units) and 3–9 elective credit courses (11–12 units). End with Certificate Review.
Duration: A full-time student can complete the certificate in 9–12 months.
Courses
Certificate Inquiry Form
For the certificate program, please begin with one of the five core* courses. After the core requirement is met, courses may be taken in any order provided the prerequisites are met.
These are the 4 tracks of study:
- System Design
- FPGA Design
- Embedded Linux
- Embedded Software
Substitutions
Shared credits
Some Engineering and Technology courses may be listed in more than one program. However, only one course may be shared between two E&T certificate programs unless otherwise noted.
To receive your certificate
Earn credit toward an M.S. in Engineering
We have a transfer agreement with the University of Wisconsin–Platteville that assists graduates of our Embedded Systems and Software Engineering and Quality certificate programs pursue an online Master of Science degree in Engineering. Applicants to this master’s program must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and fulfill the school’s admissions requirements.
Technical aptitude
You need a degree in a technical field or equivalent knowledge acquired through training and experience in system design and development.
We recommended you have experience in C programming.
Please review course descriptions
Make sure you have taken the necessary prerequisites or meet the requirements through job experience or previous education before registering for a course.
Certificate Program Chair
SAM HUYNH, Ph.D., is a principal member of technical staff and a senior manager at AMD. He has over 18 years of experience in the field of VLSI design including memory, IO, physical design implementation and full chip integration. He has three patents and 10 publications. He has served as chair of the VLSI and Embedded Systems programs since 2020.
Certificate Program Advisory Board
ALFREDO ALBA, MS
Senior Technical Staff Member, Intelligence Augmentation Department, IBM Almaden Research Center
ABDO BABUKR, MSEE
Consultant, Embedded Computing, Wave Spectrum, Inc.
SAM HUYNH, Ph.D.
Principal member of technical staff and a senior manager, AMD
Chair and Instructor, Embedded Systems Certificate Program, UCSC Silicon Valley Extension
Y.C. WANG, BSEE
Director, Global Academic Program at Digi-Key Electronics
Instructor, Embedded Systems Certificate Program, UCSC Silicon Valley Extension
Establish candidacy in a certificate or specialization
Once you create your student account, you can establish candidacy in a certificate or specialization program any time during your studies.
The benefits of enrolling early
- Lock in your certificate requirements.This means that even if program requirements change, the requirements to complete your certificate will remain the same for you
- Receive program updates
- Set your intention
- It’s free
To complete a program, you must enroll in the certificate program before enrolling in the Certificate Completion Review.
You have five years to complete all necessary courses in a certificate program or three years to finish up a specialization program.
All the necessary units in a certificate must be completed within this window.* The clock begins on the first day of your first course in the certificate program. For example, if you started a course on Sept. 5, 2017, you would have to complete all of the required units in this certificate by Sept. 4, 2022.
Note:
Enrolling in a certificate program does not trigger the beginning of the five-year window. It begins the first day of the first course that applies to a certificate program. The Certificate Completion Review process does not have to occur within the five-year timeframe.
For more information: How do I get my certificate or specialization?
* Students participating in a special program, such as workforce, international, Personal Financial Planning, or curriculum partner programs (Udacity, Microfacturing Institutes) may have a shorter completion requirement.
Please note that only letter grades of C- or higher may be applied to a certificate, and in some programs, students may have more stringent requirements. Students in most employer- and government-sponsored payment programs, such as workforce development, as well as international students on F-1 visas, need to maintain a B average to meet their requirements. Personal Financial Planning students have additional grade requirements for individual courses to attain a certificate.
See Grading and Credits Policy for further information.