Online Hybrid Electric Drive Vehicle Engineering Certificate

Engineer Better Hybrid and Electric Powertrains.

As a result of electric vehicle demand by consumers, industry, and government, there is an increasing need for engineers who can design, analyze, create, and improve HEVs and EVs. That is, in a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, it was found that job postings for engineers with expertise in hybrid electric vehicles has increased significantly and will continue to grow.

You can answer this call by earning Michigan Tech's online 15-credit graduate certificate in hybrid electric drive vehicle engineering from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. You'll build interdisciplinary knowledge of electric-drive and hybrid-vehicle systems, including design, calibration, and operation. And connect mechanical and electrical engineering concepts to the changing technology of vehicle propulsion.

Who is This Certificate For?

This certificate is for engineers interested in the design, operation, and integration of electric-drive and hybrid-drive vehicle systems. It is particularly relevant to professionals working in vehicle electrification, propulsion, power electronics, and related mechanical or electrical engineering applications.raybar">Pave the Way to a Future Graduate Degree by Earning a Hybrid Electric Vehicle Drive Certificate.

What You'll Study

Our interdisciplinary, versatile graduate certificate bridges the worlds of electrical, mechanical, materials, and chemical engineering. Choose to earn this certificate alone or apply the credits towards a Master of Science (MS) in Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering with a specialty in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Engineering. Nonetheless, whether you plan to enter a graduate program soon or later down the road, your hybrid electric drive vehicle certificate from MTU will lay the foundation for lifelong learning and innovation.

All students in this certificate program will begin their journey at MTU with 9 credits of required courses. First, you will enroll in Advanced Propulsion Systems for Electric Drive Vehicles (EE/ME 5295). Then, take 6 required credits from Group B. To complete your degree, choose 6 elective credits from Group C.

When planning your program, always check the course registration page for the availability of classes.

Mandatory Required Course

EE 5295 - Advanced Propulsion Systems for Hybrid Electric Drive Vehicles

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) will be studied and simulated using advanced powertrain component analysis and modeling. An in-depth analysis and study of power flows, losses, and energy usage are examined for isolated powertrain components and HEV configurations. Simulation tools will be developed and applied to specify powertrain and vehicle components and to develop control and calibration for a constrained optimization to vehicle technical specifications.

Credits: 3.0
Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
Semesters Offered: Spring
Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s): Graduate; Must be enrolled in one of the following College(s): College of Engineering
Pre-Requisite(s): MEEM 4295 or ME 4295 or EE 4295

Group B Required Courses (Choose Two)

EE 4227 - Power Electronics

Fundamentals of circuits for electrical energy processing. Covers switching converter principles for dc-dc, ac-dc, and dc-ac power conversion. Other topics include harmonics, pulse-width modulation, feedback control, magnetic components and power semiconductors.

Credits: 3.0
Lec-Rec-Lab: (3-0-0)
Semesters Offered: Fall, Summer
Pre-Requisite(s): EE 3120 and (EE 3130(C) or EE 3131)

ME 4450 - Vehicle Dynamics

This course will develop the models and techniques needed to predict the performance of a road vehicle during drive off, braking, ride, and steering maneuvers. Topics to be covered include: acceleration and braking performance, power train architecture, vehicle handling, suspension modeling, tire models, and steering control. Matlab, Adams Car, and Amesim, will be used as computational tools.

Credits: 3.0
Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
Semesters Offered: Spring
Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following College(s): College of Engineering; Must be enrolled in one of the following Class(es): Junior, Senior
Pre-Requisite(s): MEEM 3400 or ME 3400 or EE 3261

EE 4295 - Introduction to Propulsion Systems for Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Hybrid electric drive vehicle analysis will be developed and applied to examine the operation, integration, and design of powertrain components. Model based simulation and design is applied to determine vehicle performance measures in comparison to vehicle technical specifications. Power flows, losses, energy usage, and drive quality are examined over drive-cycles via application of these tools.

Credits: 3.0
Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
Semesters Offered: Fall
Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following College(s): College of Engineering, College of Computing; May not be enrolled in one of the following Class(es): Freshman, Sophomore
Pre-Requisite(s): MEEM 2700 or ME 2700 or EE 2112 or Graduate Status >= 1

EE 5221 - Advanced Electric Machinery and Drives

Advanced electromechanics of rotating and linear machines. Topics include dynamic analysis of machines, reference frame transformations, reduced order models, models of mechanical loads, power electric drives for motors, and digital simulation of machines and electric drive systems. Applications discussed will include renewable energy and electric propulsion systems.

Credits: 3.0
Lec-Rec-Lab: (3-0-0)
Semesters Offered: Fall, in odd years
Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s): Graduate

MSE 5760 - Vehicle Battery Cells and Systems

The behavior and application of batteries will be examined by introducing concepts from thermodynamics, materials science, transport processes and equivalent circuits. The non-ideal power source behavior of rechargeable batteries in applications will be treated using electrolyte: electrode transport and electrode materials chemistry. Prior exposure to freshman chemistry, elementary electrical circuits, and elementary transport theory is assumed.

Credits: 3.0
Lec-Rec-Lab: (3-0-0)
Semesters Offered: On Demand, in even years
Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following College(s): College of Engineering; Must be enrolled in one of the following Major(s): Biomedical Engineering, Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineer, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, Environmental Engineering, Geological Engineering, Geology, Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Engrg, Applied Physics, Chemistry, Physics, Applied Geophysics; May not be enrolled in one of the following Class(es): Freshman, Sophomore, Junior

Group C Electives

Students can tailor their certificate to their individual career goals by choosing 6 credits from a diverse list of options. See the general HEV program page for more information on this broad group of electives.

Why Michigan Tech?

This unique certificate is based on a respected, distance-learning course initially developed by MTU, General Motors, and AVL. It was also designed with the input of several subject matter experts (SMEs) from the Argonne National Laboratory and the following industry partners: MAGMA, General Motors, Eaton, Horiba, MathWorks, Schweitzer Engineering Labs, and Woodward. In other words, this program was designed to train engineers in the HEV and EV technologies that are in-demand.

Beyond this certificate's esteemed history are its options. You'll also be able to customize your program by choosing from over thirty courses. Whether you want to specialize in power electronics, vehicle dynamics, propulsion systems, or more, you can design a certificate that suits your current or future career needs.

Where You Will Apply Your Skills

HEVs and EVs are evolving rapidly as is the demand for them. Many companies have also pledged to put more battery-electric vehicles on the road, such as Volkswagen, Volvo, Nissan, Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Honda, and Stellantis. Even the US Army has plans to decarbonize its non-tactical fleet of vehicles by 2035.

Therefore, as the future becomes increasingly electric, more companies will need skilled engineers trained in hybrid electric vehicle drive technology. Michigan Tech's online hybrid electric drive vehicle certificate will open up career pathways, whether they are in research, design, development, or manufacturing.

Engineers looking at a huge electric battery

Possible Career Paths

Automotive engineer
Electrical engineer
Electronics engineer
Mechanical engineer
Hybrid Vehicle Engineer
Hybrid Electric Vehicle Design Engineer
Hybrid Electric Systems Engineer
Advanced Drivetrain Engineer

Learn more about the future of electric vehicles and vehicle electrification.

Global Campus Blog

Get Started on Your Online Certificate.

Take the next step on your educational journey at Michigan Tech. We are here to answer your questions and to help you succeed in your online program. Reach out when you're ready. Or start our free, easy graduate application.