Overview

The Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery and Engineering trains participants to conduct computationally intensive research, and prepares them to function effectively in interdisciplinary research and product development settings that employ high-performance computing.

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.

Students at MICDE poster session, 2019
The program is open to all academic units and all students 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. Master students have the opportunity to participate in the Multidisciplinary Design Program.

Questions? Please email micde-apps@umich.edu

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 2021.

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, Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, Chemistry, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, Mathematics, Physics, Biostatistics, Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, School for Environment and Sustainability, School of Kinesiology, and School of Information.

This list is not exhaustive, and continues to grow.

The program is open to all academic units and all students 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. Master students have the opportunity to participate in the Multidisciplinary Design Program.

Questions? Please email micde-apps@umich.edu

Current Enrollment

bar graph representing enrollment numbers of students in the CDE certificate program by department

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 2021.

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, Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, Chemistry, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, Mathematics, Physics, Biostatistics, Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, School for Environment and Sustainability, School of Kinesiology, and School of Information.

This list is not exhaustive, and continues to grow.

Information for Prospective Students

There are four fundamental requirements for earning a Graduate Certificate in Computational Discovery and Engineering.

  1. Nine 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 course-hours must be in classes in Methodology. (Up to three credits can be double-counted with another Rackham degree.)
  2. 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.  Master 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/.
  3. 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 make a poster presentation.
  4. Regular attendance at the MICDE Seminar Series, which brings internationally known CDE scientists to campus. Students are required to attend at least 7 seminars.

Students applying for admission to the Graduate Certificate Program in CDE must be enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program at the University of Michigan. Admission to the Graduate Certificate Program in CDE may be granted at any time, but please note the following deadlines:

  • To be considered for enrollment in Fall, students will need to apply by August 1st.
  • To be considered for enrollment in Winter, students will need to apply by December 1st.
  • First year Rackham students, first semester grades must be posted before applying for this certificate.

Application procedures for U-M graduate students who are currently enrolled in a Rackham graduate program and their first semester grades have been posted:

1. Students should submit a complete application form. Students are encouraged to discuss their proposed study program with their advisor and/or one of the MICDE directors prior to submission. Note that:

  • 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 a syllabus and explain why this course should be included, to micde-apps@umich.edu. You must do this prior to submitting the application form.

2. Complete a “Pre-approval Form for Dual Admission“.

  • This form requires a signature of approval from the authorized signer in their 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.
    NOTE that due to the current work-from-home status, it is not required to have a signature. Please write down “reviewed and approved by …” in the comments.

3. UM graduate students enrolled in a Rackham graduate program (e.g. MS, PhD, MA, MFA programs) should also complete the Rackham Application.

  • There is a $10 fee for this application.
  • Please email thorntok@umich.edu once you have completed the online application.
  • The Graduate Certificate Program in CDE ”program code” is 02101.
  • Note that the Computational Discovery & Engineering application is listed under Electrical Engineering & Computer Science-Electrical & Computer Engineering.

Application procedures for current U-M graduate students but not enrolled in a Rackham graduate program (e.g. in Ross School of Business):

1. Students should submit a complete application form. Students are encouraged to discuss their proposed study program with their advisor and/or one of the MICDE directors prior to submission. Note that:

  • 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 submit a syllabus, and explain why this course should be included, to micde-apps@umich.edu. You must do this prior to submitting the application form.

2. Go to the Rackham Graduate School Application.

3. Type “Discovery” into the search box, and select the following degree program: Computational Discovery and Engineering Certificate.

  • Make sure to upload your UMich transcript from Wolverine Access (unofficial is OK).
  • For the Academic Statement of Purpose, upload a print out of your CDE application’s confirmation email.
  • In the Recommendation section, write “CDE Program — Waived by Dept.” in the First Name field.
  • For the Personal Statement, upload a document stating “CDE Program — Personal Statement Not Required.”
  • Pay the application fee.

4. Email thorntok@umich.edu to inform us that you have submitted your application.

Information for Current Students

Upon completion of the academic requirements, follow this graduation checklist:

1. Apply for graduation via Wolverine Access. Click on the Student Business link within the Students tab on Wolverine Access. You can access the Apply for Graduation page through both the Student Center and Degree Progress/Graduation tabs.

2. Verify that you fulfilled 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 course-hours must be in classes in Methodology. (Up to three credits can be double-counted with another Rackham degree.)

For Master students:

1. Complete the Rackham Dual/Joint Degree Election Form.

  • Master degree courses go in the left column while CDE courses counted towards Requirement 1 (above) go in the right column.
  • ONLY courses counted towards CDE Requirement 1 should appear on this form
  • In other words, if you complete an additional course for CDE Requirement 2 (CDE-related experience), DO NOT list it on this form.
  • You can only double count 3 credit hours, that is, the left and right columns can maximally have 3 credit hours in common.

2. Have the form signed by your academic/research advisor or departmental academic coordinator (electronic signature is OK).

For Ph.D. students:

Once you submit your CDE-related Experience Verification form (see below), the program administrator will check that you completed the courses listed in your application form.

NOTE: If, as a Ph.D. student, you are getting and Embedded Masters Degree within you program, please make sure you have enough credits for both, the master and the certificate. Specifically, make sure you are only double-counting one course (or 3 credits) between the Masters Degree and the Graduate Certificate in CDE. In this case you will have to complete the Rackham Dual/Joint Degree Election Form (see above).

1. Complete the CDE-related Experience Verification Form. This is to verify you fulfilled CDE Requirement 2 listed above.

  • Complete the top portion of the form.
  • Have the form signed by your academic/research advisor (electronic signature is OK).

2. Confirm that you have attended at least 7 MICDE seminars by sending an email to micde-contact@umich.edu.

  • If you are planning to graduate in Spring or Summer and haven’t completed this requirement, please reach out to micde-contact@umich.edu.
  • Alternatively, participating in a webinar is a good option at the current time.

3. Electronically submit the completed form(s) to ece-grad-program@umich.edu.

All paperwork with signatures are due by the last day of classes of the semester you plan to graduate.  Failure to submit all required documents will result in you not being able to graduate with the certificate that semester.

Approved Courses:

  • Students must complete nine credit hours of approved courses to earn the CDE certificate — at least six from the list of Methodology classes, and the rest from Applications classes.
  • View the list of approved courses. Note:
    • If there is a course you would like us to consider that is not on the list, please send the name of the course, and a syllabus to micde-contact@umich.edu. Make sure to mention you are inquiring about the Certificate in CDE program.
    • Special Topics must be approved individually as its content changes frequently.
  • Please email micde-contact@umich.edu if you would like to use a course that is not listed.

Example Course Choices:

View course groupings as examples of possible choices for students from various departments.