Purdue’s online smart manufacturing graduate certificate offers future-focused career-enhancing knowledge and opportunities

Purdue University’s online smart manufacturing graduate certificate is aimed  at men and women working full time in manufacturing and supply chain industries who need to become aware of and utilize cutting-edge technologies to improve processes, products, customer service and customization involving manufactured goods and logistics. 

Through the program’s emphasis on the connectivity inherent to smart manufacturing systems, including cybersecurity, and on data analytics, students will gain practical insights into Industry 4.0 concepts such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data and global supply chain management, positioning them at the forefront of technological innovation in manufacturing. 

“No other land grant or R1 institution in America currently offers a smart manufacturing graduate certificate,” said Duane Dunlap, professor and chair of Purdue’s School of Engineering Technology graduate programs. “We’re the first in the country.” 

Purdue also has the world’s largest smart manufacturing lab in higher education, a state-of-the-art facility on campus backed by companies like Caterpillar and Microsoft. Gifted faculty and staff lead Purdue’s efforts in the field. 

“When I look at the graduate faculty involved with this program, not only are they academically at the rank of a full professor at Purdue, or having decades of industry experience, they all are  passionate about teaching full-time working professionals in business, industry, or the public sector,” Dunlap said. “The graduate faculty have worked in manufacturing, in industry, in supply chain or cybersecurity. They can relate to adults working full time who want to improve their professional expertise.” 

The program’s curriculum provides a comprehensive understanding of sustainable manufacturing system design, the integration of advanced technologies in manufacturing and the critical importance of cybersecurity in an interconnected world. 

Purdue’s smart manufacturing graduate certificate prepares students to:  

• Design and apply sustainable manufacturing systems based on Industry 4.0 standards and future specifications.  

• Leverage smart manufacturing technologies to optimize production and supply chain processes.  

• Safeguard manufacturing operations against cybersecurity threats, ensuring the integrity of IoT systems. 

Data has a central role in all that. Individuals pursuing the graduate certificate not only manage people, processes and machines, they also manage data. The program includes a heavy dose of analyzing data from Purdue’s smart manufacturing lab, just like they will in the real world. 

“It’s all about understanding the data set and using the data to make informed decisions,” Dunlap said. 

That’s also true of Purdue’s online Master of Science in engineering technology. The nine credits from the graduate certificate in smart manufacturing can be applied to the master’s for students who want to further advance their knowledge and skills and earn the full 30-credit degree. 

For more information about Purdue’s graduate certificate in smart manufacturing, visit the program website. For information about the Master of Science in engineering technology visit that program’s website.