The Certificate Program in Computer Engineering Technology

The Certificate Program in Computer Engineering Technology is designed to provide students with a broad-based knowledge of digital electronics, microprocessors and advanced digital technologies. Students enrolled in the program must complete the seven courses listed below. The curriculum includes engineering science and design courses that provide a balanced view of hardware, software, application trade-offs and the basic modeling techniques used in computer engineering. All the courses in this certificate program can be applied towards the B.S. Degree in Electronic Engineering Technology.

Required Courses: (7)

17.341 Logic Design I and Laboratory
17.342 Logic Design II and Lab
17.353 Digital Electronics
17.383 Microprocessors A
17.384 Microprocessors B
90.267 C Programming - Available Summer 2013!
90.268 C++ Programming - Available Summer 2013!

Certificate Requirements

Students enrolled in UMass Lowell certificate programs must complete all courses, generally consisting of both required courses and electives. Students may complete the certificate program at their own pace, enrolling in one or two courses each semester. Courses on-campus typically meet one night per week, three hours each night, during the Fall and Spring semesters. Online students generally log on to their course site one or more times per week to retrieve lectures and assignments or to participate in a chat session. For more information on online courses, visit our online program home page.

In addition to the Fall and Spring semesters, students may also have the opportunity to accelerate their programs of study during two concentrated six-week Summer sessions. Online courses are also offered during the Summer semester, but typically run from May through August unless otherwise noted. All students should anticipate at least two hours of preparation for every hour of classroom instruction. Students are required to maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or better to receive the certificate.

Application into the Program

Those who wish to enroll in the certificate program should submit a completed application form and arrange to have their official high school transcript or GED sent to Continuing Studies. Applications, transcripts, and other correspondence should be sent to: University of Massachusetts Lowell, Admissions/Online and Continuing Education, Dugan Hall, Room 110, 883 Broadway Street, Lowell, MA 01854-5104. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and there is no fee to apply. Upon acceptance, notification will be sent to students.

Registering for Courses

Continuing Studies offers courses during the Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. Information about current course offerings, schedules, and registration procedures is published regularly on our website. If you would like to receive a printed Course Bulletin, please contact our Faculty and Student Support Center at (978) 934-2474.

You may take courses without being officially enrolled in a certificate or degree program, but you must meet the particular course prerequisites. Registrations are accepted on a first come, first served basis. Class size is limited. We recommend that you register early to reserve your place in class.

Transfer Policy

With the program coordinator's approval, one course may be transferred from another accredited institution to satisfy undergraduate certificate program requirements. The course should be equivalent to UMass Lowell instruction, applicable to the intended program, and the student must have received a grade equivalent to a C- (1.70 on a 4.00 scale) or better.

Academic Advising

Program Coordinators and Faculty and Student Support Specialists are available by appointment to help students determine appropriate course loads, discuss admission requirements, and review the transferability of courses. For online advising, email us at Continuing_Education@uml.edu. To schedule an appointment with a Program Coordinator or Faculty and Student Support Specialist, please call Online and Continuing Education at (978) 934-2474. General academic advising is also available at the Faculty and Student Support Center on a drop-in basis, located in Southwick Hall, Room 202 on UMass Lowell North. Call (978) 934-2474 or stop by the office Monday through Thursday between 8:30am-8:00pm and on Friday between 8:30am-5:00pm.

Awarding of Certificates

Upon successful completion of the certificate program, students must submit a completed Certificate Petition Form to Online and Continuing Education. Upon verification, students will be mailed their certificates. Receipt of the certificate will be noted formally on the student's transcript with an award date of October, February, or June.

Tuition

Please refer to our current course listings published online each semester for up-to-date pricing information or refer to the Online and Continuing Education Course Bulletin each semester.

For More Information

For additional information on any of our programs, call Online and Continuing Education at (978) 934-2474 or email Continuing_Education@uml.edu.

For information on Financial Aid, call the Financial Aid Office at (978) 934-4220.

Gainful Employment Disclosure Information

Completion rates, median loan debts and program costs are outlined for each certificate program.

Undergraduate Certificate Gainful Employment Disclosure Information

Course Descriptions

17.341 Logic Design I and Laboratory

This course studies numbers, switching (Boolean) algebra, switching functions, and combinational circuits. Number systems and conversion. Binary codes. Switching algebra. Algebraic simplification of switching functions. Canonical forms of switching functions. Switching function minimization using Karnaugh maps. Two-level and multi-level combinational circuits. Gate conversion. Decoders, encoders, multiplexers, and demultiplexers. Programmable logic devices: read-only memories, programmable logic arrays and programmable array logic. 3 credits. Prerequisite: 17.214 Special Notes: 17.341 Logic Design I and Lab and 17.342 Logic Design II and Lab replace 17.346 Logic Design A, 17.347 Logic Design B and 17.348 Logic Design C.

17.342 Logic Design II and Lab

This course studies synchronous sequential circuits and register transfer logic. Latches and flip-flops. Registers. Counters. Analysis and design of synchronous sequential circuits. Moore model and Mealy model. Two's complement arithmetic. Algorithmic state machine (ASM) chart. One-hot state assignment. Register transfer logic. Data-path and control circuit. Design of a simple arithmetic processor. 3 credits. Prerequisite: 17.341 Special Notes: 17.341 Logic Design I and Lab and 17.342 Logic Design II and Lab replace 17l.346 Logic Design A, 17.347 Logic Design B and 17.348 Logic Design C.

17.353 Digital Electronics

This course presents the building blocks and concepts associated with digital electronic networks. The material presented will cover the design requirements necessary to develop successfully functioning digital logic circuits. The lectures will cover combinatorial networks, the Eber-Moll Transistor model, state devices, RTL, TTL, ECL, and CMOS logic families, read-only memories (ROMs), static and dynamic MOS random access memories (RAMs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs) and macrocell logic. Homework, based on actual applications, is designed to provide practice in the use of the fundamental circuit design. Real life examples are given to show the application of design theory. Pre-Requisites: 27.356, 17.341. 3 credits. Prerequisite: 17.356, 17.341

17.383 Microprocessors A

Introduces the microprocessor and microprocessor programming through an integrated set of experiments and related lectures. Topics include: binary, decimal, and hexadecimal numbers; the microprocessor; memory devices; structure of microprocessor-based systems; programming and instruction sets; addressing modes; arithmetic, logical, and shift instructions; branch conditions and instructions; indexed addressing; the tack; subroutines; assembly language; floating-point routines; and software development techniques. Approximately one-half of the course time will be an associated laboratory, culminating with a programming project. Pre-Requisite: 17.341 3 credits. Prerequisite: 17.341

17.384 Microprocessors B

Extends the skills developed in 17.393 to interfacing the microprocessor to the outside world through an integrated set of experiments and related lectures. Topics include: architecture of microprocessor-based systems; microcontrollers; parallel I/O ports; interrupts; A/D and D/A converters; programmable timers; handshaking; and serial communications. The course will contain a three-week project applying the functions learned to a real world design. Approximately one-half of the course time will be an associated laboratory. 2 credits. Prerequisite: 17.383

90.267 C Programming

Introduces students to the techniques of programming in C. The language syntax, semantics, its applications, and the portable library are covered. This course is not an introductory course in programming. However, it will teach some of the basics in the first few weeks. Students should have a working knowledge of at least one high-level programming language. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Previous programming experience Special Notes: Students may not receive credit for both the 90.211/90.212 sequence and 90.267
This course qualifies for free MSDNA software!

90.268 C++ Programming

This course will cover the C++ language and show the student how to use the language. We will cover class construction, operator overloading, virtual functions, templates, and introduce the student to the IO streams. Inheritance and its use in creating extendible libraries will be presented. Object-oriented concepts will be presented in the context of the C++ language and its support for object-oriented programming. 3 credits. Prerequisite: 90.267 or 90.212 Special Notes:
This course qualifies for free MSDNA software!