Charlottesville, Va., Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Driven by its commitment to train engineers and computer scientists to solve 21st century problems using cyber technologies, the University of Virginia School of Engineering is offering a new graduate certificate in cyber-physical systems.
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia has approved the new 15-credit graduate certificate program, which will begin in spring 2021 and is open to UVA Engineering master’s and Ph.D. students. The program provides foundational skills in cyber-physical systems, and the certificate is awarded to students when they graduate from their degree programs.
“The global economy increasingly depends upon technologies at the nexus of the cyber and physical worlds,” UVA Engineering Dean Craig H. Benson said. “UVA Engineering is committed to training engineering leaders who will develop and deploy these technologies, and we are excited to provide the opportunity for our students to earn this new certificate.”
The graduate certificate is the next big step forward for the Link Lab, a 17,000-square-foot center of excellence in cyber-physical systems opened at UVA Engineering in 2018.
In the Link Lab, faculty and graduate students from the disciplines of civil engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical and aerospace engineering and systems engineering collaborate on multidisciplinary research projects to develop cyber-physical systems technologies in the areas of autonomous systems, smart and connected health, smart cities and hardware for the Internet of Things.
Link Lab is also the real-world setting where UVA Engineering faculty deliver the most advanced, graduate cyber-physical systems training in the country.
John A. Stankovic, BP America Professor of computer science and director of the Link Lab, and a team of Link Lab faculty earned a $3 million National Science Foundation grant to establish a first-of-its kind graduate-level cyber-physical systems education program. The National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program is now in its second year and is the catalyst for the new graduate certificate. The Link Lab faculty leading that effort will oversee the certificate program.
Certificate courses emphasize interdisciplinary training in the design, application, and ethical dimensions of cyber-physical systems.
“Graduate students collaborate in Link Lab’s embedded workspaces to develop and manage the deployment of cyber-physical systems technologies,” Stankovic said. “Social science topics are also incorporated into the training to build an understanding of human-computer interactions and the societal impacts of the technologies.”
The new certificate supports UVA Engineering’s mission to prepare future engineering and computer science leaders to transform our world and economy.
“Many U.S. companies indicate they have a critical need for trained cyber-physical systems personnel to develop new products and services,” Stankovic said. “It is imperative to build career-aligned skills for future engineers and computer scientists who will lead academic-industry research collaborations and cyber-physical systems industries for decades come.”
There are 45 UVA Engineering graduate students participating in the Link Lab’s Research Traineeship Program and taking cyber-physical system courses. These students will be enrolled in the new graduate certificate course curriculum, and they are on track to receive the certificate when they graduate.
New students who wish to earn the graduate certificate will be able to apply starting in the spring 2021 semester.
“The creation of this new graduate certificate in cyber-physical systems was propelled by our commitment to provide students with a world-class education,” said Stankovic. “We are providing students expanded course offerings, exciting new experiential learning opportunities, and real-world training in developing cyber-physical systems that can serve global communities.”
About the UVA Engineering Link Lab: The Link Lab is a research incubator of the UVA School of Engineering where over 40 affiliated faculty members and over 200 graduate students work together in research and development of the cyber-physical systems that will shape society in the areas of smart cities, smart and connected health, autonomous systems and hardware for IoT. Link Lab also serves as the real-world setting in which UVA Engineering faculty deliver the most advanced, graduate-level cyber-physical systems training in the country. Learn more at engineering.virginia.edu/link-lab.
About UVA Engineering: As part of the top-ranked, comprehensive University of Virginia, UVA Engineering is one of the nation’s oldest and most respected engineering schools. Our mission is to make the world a better place by creating and disseminating knowledge and by preparing future engineering leaders. Outstanding students and faculty from around the world choose UVA Engineering because of our growing and internationally recognized education and research programs. UVA is the No. 1 public engineering school in the country for the percentage of women graduates, among schools with at least 75 degree earners; the No. 1 public engineering school in the United States for the four-year graduation rate of undergraduate students; and the top engineering school in the country for the rate of Ph.D. enrollment growth since 2015. Learn more at engineering.virginia.edu.