Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery and Engineering
This program trains University of Michigan graduate students to conduct computationally intensive research, and prepares them to function effectively in interdisciplinary research and product development settings that employ high-performance computing.
Overview
Advances in computational algorithms and HPC hardware have transformed CDE into a predictive science that yields quantitative insights into the behavior of realistic systems. CDE is now a fundamental tool in scientific research and modern design and manufacturing practices. The Graduate Certificate in CDE recognizes students’ competence in this field, and prepares them for success in wide range of areas.
The program is open to students in all academic units pursuing M.S. or Ph.D. degrees at the University of Michigan. Academic requirements include coursework in approved classes, an experiential component such as internships, and attendance at MICDE events. M.S. students have the opportunity to participate in the Multidisciplinary Design Program.
Questions? Please email [email protected].
Academic Requirements
There are four fundamental requirements for earning a Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery and Engineering. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.
Coursework
Nine (9) graduate credit hours of coursework in approved courses. A non-exhaustive list can be found here. These courses are designated either Methodology or Applications — at least six (6) of the nine (9) credit hours must be designated as Methodology.
If you are pursuing a master’s degree or an embedded master’s degree within a PhD program please note that no more than one course (3 credits) can be double-counted between the master’s degree and the Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery & Engineering
If you wish to take a course that is not yet listed on the course list, please submit it using this form:
CDE-Related Experience
A CDE-related experience approved by the CDE Program Committee. This can take the form of non-credit activity like an internship, practicum or professional project equivalent to a three credit-hour course, or additional coursework of at least three credits from the approved course list.
Masters students can participate in the Multidisciplinary Design Program to fulfill this requirement. To find out more about this option, please visit https://mdp.engin.umich.edu/micde/.
Annual Symposium
Attendance at the MICDE Annual Symposium, which will provide graduate students an opportunity to present the results of their research in talks and poster sessions. All students are required to attend at least once; Ph.D. students are encouraged to present a poster in the poster competition.
MICDE Seminars
Regular attendance at the MICDE Seminar Series, which brings internationally known CDE scientists to campus. Students are required to attend at least 7 seminars.
Before Applying:
- Discuss the certificate with your advisor. Students are encouraged to discuss their proposed study program with their research advisor or graduate coordinator before filling out the pre-application form.
- Submit the pre-application form. Note that to fill the form:
- You must be logged in with your UMich ID
- You cannot save the form before submitting it, so you must have all the information ready
- Exceptions for courses not on the approved list can be obtained provided that the courses are rich in computational content. If you wish to take a course not on the approved list, please submit the course for review using this form.
- After your pre-application form is reviewed and approved, you will receive an email with instructions on how to proceed with the Rackham application. Please wait to be sure that your pre-application is approved before submitting the Rackham application, as the $10 Rackham application fee is not refundable.
Eligibiliity
Students applying for admission to the Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery & Engineering must be enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program at the University of Michigan. You must have completed at least one semester in your current degree program to enroll.
U-M Dearborn or U-M Flint graduate students may enroll in the program but will be required to pay the U-M Ann Arbor credits rate for classes taken on the Ann Arbor campus.
Enrollment Deadlines
Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery & Engineering may be granted at any time, but please note the following deadlines:
Fall enrollment: Apply by August 1
Winter enrollment: Apply by December 1
Application instructions for Rackham students
- Complete Rackham’s Pre-approval Form for Dual Admission in order to add the Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery & Engineering onto your current Rackham degree program. This form requires a signature of approval from the authorized signer in your current graduate program. Without approval and an authorized signature on the form, the application will not be processed and the application fee of $10 will not be refunded.
- Go to the Rackham Graduate School Dual Admission Application on ApplyWeb. (For more assistance, see “Dual Admission” instructions.)
- Select the following degree program: Computational Discovery and Engineering. The Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery & Engineering ”program code” is 02101. You may find it under the “Electrical Engineering & Computer Science-Electrical & Computer Engineering” heading.
- Make sure to upload your University of Michigan transcript from Wolverine Access (unofficial is OK).
- For the Academic Statement of Purpose, upload a printout of the confirmation email you received when you submitted the pre-application for the Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery & Engineering. (If you need a copy of this, please email [email protected].)
- In the Recommendation section, write “Computational Discovery Certificate — Waived by Dept.” in the First Name field.
- For the Personal Statement, upload a document stating “Computational Discovery Certificate — Personal Statement Not Required.”
- Pay the $10 application fee via Visa or Mastercard.
- Email [email protected] once you have completed the online application so that we know to look for your application. Please attach the signed Pre-approval Form for Dual Admission that you uploaded in your Rackham application.
- As long as the application is complete and you have no holds from Rackham Admissions, it usually takes about two weeks between application and enrollment.
Application instructions for non-Rackham students
- Go to the Rackham Graduate School Application.
- Select the following degree program: Computational Discovery and Engineering. The Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery & Engineering ”program code” is 02101.
- Make sure to upload your University of Michigan transcript from Wolverine Access (unofficial is OK).
- For the Academic Statement of Purpose, upload a printout of the confirmation email you received when you submitted the pre-application for the Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery & Engineering. (If you need a copy of this, please email [email protected].)
- In the Recommendation section, write “Computational Discovery Certificate — Waived by Dept.” in the First Name field.
- For the Personal Statement, upload a document stating “Computational Discovery Certificate — Personal Statement Not Required.”
- Pay the $10 application fee via Visa or Mastercard.
- Email [email protected] once you have completed the online application so that we know to look for your application.
- As long as the application is complete, it usually takes about two weeks between application and enrollment.
Current Students
Please track your progress with program requirements as you go. When you’re ready to graduate, you’ll need to confirm that each requirement is complete.
COURSEWORK
If your coursework plan changes after you’re enrolled in the program, please see the approved courses list to make sure you can substitute one course for another. Please remember that:
- At least 6 of your 9 credit hours must be from the Methodology group and
- Only one course can be double-counted between a masters degree and a certificate.
If you’ve identified a computational course that is not already on the approved courses list, please submit it for review using the course review form.
Please email [email protected] with any questions.
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
MICDE Annual Symposium
Please make a note of which years you attended the MICDE Annual Symposia. When you graduate, you will be asked to identify them.
MICDE Seminars
You are required to attend at least 7 MICDE Seminars. Please fill out the attendance form for every seminar you attend.
If you’re unable to attend 7 seminars in-person, you can supplement with pre-recorded seminars. Please fill out the attendance form for each pre-recorded seminar you view, too.
CDE-RELATED EXPERIENCE
This requirement can be completed by:
- internship
- practicum
- project that is not included in your dissertation
- additional coursework
Your department or advisor must sign off on the CDE-Related Experience form once you have completed the experience.
Graduation
During the semester you plan to graduate, please do the following:
1) Apply to graduate via Wolverine Access (see deadlines and instructions on the Rackham website)
2) Submit the graduation checklist form.
On this form you will need to:
- List the courses you took for the certificate
- Confirm symposium and seminar attendance
- Upload your completed and signed CDE-Related Experience Form
- Upload your completed and signed Rackham Dual/Joint Election Form (only if you are receiving a master’s degree)
If you have any questions about the graduation process, please email [email protected].
Current Enrollment
This bar graph represents the numbers of students from across campus who are enrolled in our Computational Discovery and Engineering certificate program as of September 2025.
Home schools and departments include: College of Engineering, College of LSA, School of Public Health, Medical School, College of Pharmacy, Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Industrial & Operations Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Physics, Earth & Environmental Science, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, Physics, Psychology, Medicinal Chemistry.
This list is not exhaustive, and continues to grow.
Program History
Last updated July 2023
2013
Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery & Engineering approved
100+
Alumni of the Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery & Engineering since 2013
The Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery & Engineering has had participants from the following home programs:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Applied & Interdisciplinary Mathematics
- Applied Physics
- Bioinformatics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Biophysics
- Chemical Engineering
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Climate & Space Sciences & Engineering
- Earth & Environmental Science
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
- Environment & Sustainability
- Environmental Engineering
- Epidemiology
- Industrial & Operations Engineering
- Information
- Materials Science & Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Medicinal Chemistry
- Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering
- Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences
- Physics
We welcome all students with an interest in computational science to apply!
Faculty Leadership
For all questions about the Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery & Engineering, please email [email protected].
Directors of the Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery & Engineering
Siqian Shen
Industrial & Operations Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering
2025 – present
Monica Valluri
Astronomy
2023 – 2025
Krishna Garikipati
Mechanical Engineering, Physics
2013 – 2023
