Materials Certificate: Collaborating with faculty on their latest research and having the opportunity to work with some of the latest technology, students learn how engineering and the scientific fields meld together to provide the world with new innovations. This certificate emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of materials science while students intertwine course work and research to enhance their degree of study in the various engineering fields, forest products, as well as the science of chemistry, physics and math. As students interact with disciplines outside their major course of study, they begin building an appreciation for the cross-disciplinary teamwork required for success in the business world. Corporations’ research and design divisions place a high value on future graduates’ abilities and knowledge to engineer materials that could give their products a competitive edge. This knowledge is vital and required for USA companies to maintain a strong presence in the global market. For more information about the Materials Certificate at MSU click here. Contact: Judy Schneider at 662-325-9154 or schneider@me.msstate.edu.

Jack Hatcher Entrepreneurship Program: Realize your full potential as you meet with BCoE graduates, such as CEOs and entrepreneurs who share experiences of succeeding in the corporate world. Through these personable interactions, students build relationships with future mentors, as well as gain valuable insight about successfully building, financing and managing a business. Teaching a whole systems approach, the program partners with companies to offer real-world problems in the form of student projects. The company project experience, seminar series and course work provides students and potential employers a networking infrastructure to learn about future internships, fulltime jobs, and a pool of knowledgeable job applicants. For more information about the Entrepreneurship Certificate at MSU click here. Contact: Gerald Nelson at 662-325-8423 or gnelson@bagley.msstate.edu.

Information Assurance: Today’s world is dependent on computers and software that manage almost every activity in our daily life. The essential services we depend on, such as banking, emergency services, government services, transportation, water, energy, and others are all computer based. Our individual privacy and our quality of life is largely reliant on our ability to protect and secure these computer systems and their software from attack or malicious intent. As a result, graduates with an information assurance background are highly sought after by corporate and government entities. The reality is the country’s economic and national security depends on graduates who can keep information systems safe from harm. The BCoE’s Center for Computer Security Research offers this certificate and is recognized as a Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. Laboratories within the Center for Computer Security Research are equipped to help students and professionals explore cyber crime and research ways to develop information assurance software security programs that are difficult to infiltrate. For more information about the Information Assurance Certificate at MSU click here. Contact: Ray Vaughn at 662-325-7450 or vaughn@cse.msstate.edu.

Software Engineering: The certificate program in Software Engineering shares the software design, construction and testing knowledge of experienced software engineers with students and professionals who study and work in this field. In 2006, Money Magazine and Salary.com rated software engineering as one of the best jobs in America in terms of growth, pay, stress levels, flexibility in hours and working environment, creativity, and how easy it is to enter and advance in the field. This certificate is available at the graduate level only and allows participants to demonstrate to employers that they have focused their studies in software engineering. For more information about a Software Engineering Certificate at MSU click here. Contact: Ray Vaughn at 662-325-7450 or vaughn@cse.msstate.edu.

Six Sigma: Organizations that are involved with producing a product or providing a service need their operating processes to perform at very competitive levels. Achieving “six sigma” process performance means operating with only 3.4 defects occurring per one million opportunities. Today, Six Sigma methods are used in a wide variety of businesses to identify and eliminate “non-value-added” activities or waste in their operational functions. The primary purpose of six sigma efforts is to reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction. Participating students learn advanced techniques for achieving these objectives. Graduates who finish this program experience proven job credibility, a competitive edge above other job applicants, and potential salary enhancements. For more information about Six Sigma at MSU click here. Contact: Larry Dalton at 662-325-0570 or Dalton@ise.msstate.edu.

Manufacturing: Manufacturing remains a vital part of both the American and Mississippi economies. Recent successes by the state’s economic development community in attracting “world class” manufacturing companies such as Nissan, Toyota, and General Electric to locate in Mississippi have validated a growing need for highly skilled professionals in various engineering and management fields. Students participating in this program customize a curriculum from among courses specifically designed to enhance their knowledge in various manufacturing specific areas of study. In addition, they will complete an actual work assignment with a manufacturing company. Graduates with the BCoE manufacturing certificate are in high demand and will assist their manufacturing employers in becoming more efficient and competitive. Contact: Larry Dalton at 662-325-0570 or Dalton@ise.msstate.edu.

Leadership: Leadership is a quality all employers desire of those they hire. In fact, next to an academic major, leadership is one of the first qualities employers look for. Leaders are the people chosen to set the direction of a company or a project and are generally well rewarded for their effort. The abilities to guide, influence and motivate people can be developed through reading, studying and put into practice through on-the-job co-op experiences and internships, as well as role-playing leadership scenarios and case studies. In addition to the Leadership minor offered by the University, the Bagley College of Engineering offers a certificate in Leadership where students are given the opportunities to discover and hone their administrative abilities. Through this certificate program students are exposed to leadership philosophies, ethics, and the affects different decision-making strategies have on the company’s return on investment and employee morale. Those who complete the requirements for a certificate will be well prepared to assume a corporate leadership position and may one day assume the role as the President or CEO of a company. Contact: Robert A. Green at 662-325-2267 or green@bagley.msstate.edu.

Computational Biology: A career in computational biology, as well as degree and certificate programs in this field did not exist 20 years ago. Thanks to the rapid rate in the development of computer technology, today students can learn how their computational skills can help biotech researchers create new advances in science, medicine and agriculture. Research in biotechnology is advancing our understanding of life and plant sciences at a rapid rate and students with a computational biology background are in high demand. This certificate program is dedicated to teaching the scientific understanding of biological living systems through computation. Contact: Susan Bridges at 662-325-7505 or bridges@cse.msstate.edu.

Geospatial and Remote Sensing: Geospatial technologies include remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and the more familiar global positioning systems (GPS). MSU is highly respected on the national level because research in these areas has resulted in various real-world applications for agriculture and natural resource management, local/state/federal agency applications, homeland security, coastal zone management, and enhancing transportation systems and designs. Students who engage in the geospatial and remote sensing program will gain experience in developing and operating imaging and GIS systems for surveillance, security, agriculture and urban mapping, as well as for environmental and wildlife land management purposes. Engineering graduates who complete the certificate are heavily recruited to work in the state and federal government (laboratories, operational agencies), agriculture, forestry, transportation, power & communication, and environmental markets. Contact: Roger King at 662-325-2189 or rking@bagley.msstate.edu.