Embedded Systems
Certificate Program

Embedded Systems

Building the internet of things

Enroll in Certificate View Individual Courses

Certificate Description

Build your knowledge of universal connectivity

Our hardware professional students learn to design function-specific computer and communication systems, including mobile devices, the Internet of Things, networking equipment, industrial controllers, and military electronics.

Four hardware design tracks

  • System Design
  • FPGA Design
  • Embedded Linux
  • Embedded Software

Apply your knowledge of microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs) and microcontrollers and design and test hardware and software innovations of the future.

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
Cost: $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

Course Units Fall Winter Spring Summer
1. CORE COURSES (Choose One)
Embedded Firmware Essentials 2.0
Embedded Linux Design and Programming 3.0
Embedded System Hardware Architectures, Introduction 3.0
Practical Design with Xilinx FPGAs 3.0
Real-Time Embedded Systems Programming, Introduction 3.0
2. ELECTIVE COURSES: System Design
Comprehensive Signal and Power Integrity for High-Speed Digital Systems 3.0
Design and Analysis of High-Performance Memory Systems 3.0
Embedded System Hardware Architectures, Introduction 3.0
High Efficiency Switch-mode Power Supply, Design Overview 3.0
Introduction to Robotics 2.0
IO Concepts and Protocols: PCI Express, Ethernet, and Fibre Channel 3.0
IO Design Fundamentals 3.0
Jitter Essentials 1.5
Practical Design & Implementation of High Efficiency Switch-mode Power Supplies 3.0
Printed Circuit Board Design for Signal Integrity and EMC Compliance 1.5
Wireless Communications and Mobile Antenna Design, Introduction 3.0
3. ELECTIVE COURSES: FPGA Design
Digital Design with FPGA 3.0
Embedded Design with Xilinx FPGAs 3.0
FPGA Application in Autonomous Driving Systems, Introduction 3.0
Practical Design with Xilinx FPGAs 3.0
4. ELECTIVE COURSES: Embedded Linux
Embedded Linux Design and Programming 3.0
Linux Kernel and Drivers, Advanced 3.0
Linux Kernel & Drivers 3.0
5. ELECTIVE COURSES: Embedded Software
C Programming, Advanced 3.0
C Programming for Beginners 2.0
Embedded Firmware Essentials 2.0
Real-Time Embedded Systems Programming, Introduction 3.0
The Internet of Things: Big Data Processing and Analytics 3.0
The Internet of Things: Sensors, Platforms, Communications, and Applications 3.0
6. ELECTIVE COURSES: Related Electives
Designing CMOS Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFIC) 3.0
Digital Logic Design Using Verilog 3.0
SystemVerilog Assertions and Formal Verification 3.0
7. REQUIRED CERTIFICATE REVIEW
Embedded Systems Certificate Completion Fee None

Certificate Inquiry Form

Contact Us
Speak to a student services representative.

Call (408) 861-3860

Envelope extension@ucsc.edu

Professional Development

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.

Requisite Knowledge

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 necessary prerequisites or meet the requirements through job experience or previous education before registering for a course.

Declaring Candidacy

You can enroll in a certificate program any time during your studies.

Once you create your student account, you can enroll in a certificate program. Although you can enroll in a program at any time, the benefit of enrolling early is that it locks in your certificate requirements. This means that even if program requirements change, the requirements to complete your certificate will remain the same for you.

  • You must enroll in the certificate program before enrolling in the Certificate Completion Review.

You have a total of five years to complete all necessary courses in a certificate program.

All the necessary units in a certificate must be completed within a five-year 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.

  • 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.

Grade Requirements

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.