Graduate Certificate in Development and Certification of Autonomous Systems

Mentoring and advising are an essential part of the program. Students meet with faculty and the academic program director to ensure that educational goals and career learning and development goals are met. Students with specific academic questions may contact Dr. Donald Costello, email: dhcost@umd.edu.

The Graduate Certificate in Development and Certification of Autonomous Systems pairs an enriching academic experience in a state-of-the-art facility with the skills, relationships, and partnerships with industry experts.

• A 12-credit, 4-course curriculum where students gain the insights and competencies desired by industry and meet today’s challenges head-on as they acquire a conceptual understanding of the principles of autonomy and uncrewed systems.
• Prepares students to apply newly gained insights and competencies to real-world challenges in autonomy and uncrewed systems.

Registration Overview

• See the sample plan of study below. Students should use this as a guide to develop a plan with the academic program director.
• Actual course offerings are determined by the program and may vary semester to semester. Students should note if a course has a prerequisite or a co-requisite.
• Specific class meeting information (days and time) is posted on UMD’s interactive web service, Testudo. Once on that site, select “Schedule of Classes,” then the term/year. Courses are listed by academic unit. 
• The program uses specific section codes for registration, as listed in the sample plan of study.

Sample Plan

Courses

For a listing of program courses, see the Graduate School Catalog program requirements for Z182. For course descriptions that include prerequisites or co-requisites, see ENTE.

Overall

• Uses the semester academic calendar with classes held in fall and spring semesters (16 weeks each)
• Instruction provided by University of Maryland faculty and industry professionals. 
• In-person instruction will be held at the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland. 

In-Person Learning

• Features dynamic, seminar-style, in-person learning.
• Classes meet in University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland.
• Students enrolled in a program that features in-person instruction are required to submit the University’s Immunization Record Form prior to the first day of their first semester/term. See Health Requirements.

By the end of the program, students will be able to:

• Apply engineering, computational, and analytical principles to autonomous systems.
• Design and implement rigorous DTEVV processes across the system lifecycle.
• Assess system risk and performance using quantitative and statistical methods.
• Develop, verify, and validate AI- and autonomy-enabled systems.
• Analyze the ethical, human, and operational implications of emerging technologies.
• Design and evaluate human-robotic teaming architectures.
• Communicate technical findings clearly and professionally.