UTEP’s Department of Mechanical Engineering is now offering a graduate certificate in 3D engineering and additive manufacturing. (Image courtesy of UTEP Communications.)
3D printing and additive manufacturing technologies are becoming widely used across engineering fields for everything from prototyping and short run production up to specialized components for large industrial machines or aerospace applications.
Many educational institutions have seen the need for highly trained additive manufacturing specialists and so over the last few years more colleges and universities have created degree and certificate programs.
Take for example, the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The institution’s graduate certificate in 3D engineering and additive manufacturing, which starts in fall 2017, aims to both supplement existing graduate degrees as well as function as a standalone certificate for a professional engineer wishing to expand his or her resume.
“As many universities acquire 3D printers and expose these technologies to students, a growing number of university graduates are entering the workforce with some level of 3D printing knowledge,” said Ryan Wicker, professor of mechanical engineering and director and founder of UTEP’s W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation.
“However, to take full advantage of the opportunities available to design new, innovative products using 3D printing, specific engineering knowledge and skills are required in the workforce to make this happen, not only for university graduates, but for current engineering professionals as well. The new certificate was created to satisfy these needs.”
The program requires a 12-month completion period, and is a 15 graduate credit hour program. It offers flexibility to students through three lecture courses that are completed online, combined with two hands-on design studios that will expose students to the Keck Center’s more than 50 additive manufacturing machines for plastic, metal and electronic fabrication.
The program includes courses on introductory and advanced 3D engineering and additive manufacturing and design. The main prerequisite for the graduate certificate is a bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field. Recent graduates or current students will need to provide a transcript of their grades, while engineers already working in the professional sphere will require a current resume and letter of recommendation.
Ahsan Choudhuri, chair of UTEP’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, said the new addition aligns the skills that students can develop with workforce needs in the industry.
In 2015, UTEP became the first satellite center for America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, and the new certificate program illustrates that the relationship is growing. (Image courtesy of UTEP Communications.)
“Technology is evolving so quickly and this is the future of manufacturing,” Choudhuri said. “What UTEP is offering is national leadership, by providing bold educational opportunities.”
Jack Chessa, associate professor of mechanical engineering and graduate program director, believes 3D manufacturing and 3D printing are going to be a game-changing technology. “It inherently changes the way you design products. There are only a few institutions that have the expertise and the history in doing the 3D printing that the Keck Center has. Students will have an amazing advantage.”
To learn more, visit the University of Texas at El Paso’s website.