Electric Vehicles (EV)
Certificate

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Program Overview

Lead the Charge in EV Engineering

Ready to take the driver’s seat in the electric vehicle revolution? A critical shortage of EV specialists means your skills will be in high demand as the industry continues to grow. LTU’s Certificate in Electric Vehicles provides the tools and experience you need to excel in this growing field. 

Designed to meet the needs of students and professionals alike, this flexible 15-credit program offers two core engineering courses and three technical electives. Tailor your learning experience with topics like EV architecture and systems, battery applications, thermal management, and vehicle safety. LTU is the only institution in Michigan to offer an EV certificate featuring hands-on labs, ensuring you gain practical skills alongside theoretical knowledge.

 

Why LTU?
  • Michigan’s only EV certificate program, featuring hands-on labs combined with online and in-classroom instruction.
  • Acquire in-demand skills sought by leading automotive manufacturers and suppliers.
  • Open to graduate students, senior undergraduates, and industry professionals.

Contact

Robert W. Fletcher, Program Director

248.204.2525

rfletcher@ltu.edu

Curriculum

» Curriculum Documents

The EV Certificate program consists of 15 credit hours (five courses). LTU requires two core courses taken by all certificate enrollees, and permits students to select three additional courses from a still‐developing pool of technical electives. All courses will be offered at the 5000‐level allowing both qualified upper‐level undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to enroll in these courses, and will be structured to meet Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and Higher Learning Commission (HLC) requirements.

Required Courses

Electric Vehicle Architecture and Systems

This course presents the major and sublevel critical components of EV, including energy storage (battery pack and modules), electric motors, power conversion units (PCU), power electronics, and relates them to the other traditional features of automotive design such as suspension, steering, chassis, body, passenger cab, etc.

Electric Vehicle Safety

This course introduces the sources of safety risks in an EV to manufacturer personnel, future service and repair personnel, and possible first responders. The emphasis will be on safety regulations and safety standards relating to the manufacture and testing of battery systems for thermal run‐away and electrical shock and common control methods used to reduce or eliminate risk. Vehicle service and maintenance, and owner safety (charging etc.) issues will also be covered.

Technical Electives

Battery Applications for Electric Vehicles

This course provides an overview of batteries and their chemistries, along with the design and typical manufacturing process of cells, modules/packs. It also addresses high voltage component design and energy management and battery management systems. Battery module and battery pack testing, performance and related charging and discharging issues will be covered. The necessary thermal management and protection features will also be addressed.

Electric Machines

This course focuses on the design and analysis of electric machines, including motors, generators, and associated power electronic drive systems. Capabilities and limitations of different types of electric machines, such as permanent magnet and induction machines in various drive applications, will be discussed. Fundamental of electromechanical, power electronics, and control theory in the context of electric drive systems will be covered.

Power Electronics

This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the critical role that power electronics play in the operation, efficiency, and performance of electric vehicles. This course explores the overview of the system architectures and the working principle of electric vehicles, specifically into the key roles played the power electronics, learn about power converters, operation to enhance performance, reduce energy consumption, extend the range of electric vehicles, battery management systems, and about future trends in the development of electric cars.

Vehicle Sensing and Controls

This course emphasizes automotive electronics architecture and focus on networks used in an automotive system with the study of vehicle controllers, automotive bus systems, On‐Board Diagnostics (OBD) systems, controller area network (CAN), sensors, actuators, and selected topics in power control.

Thermal Management in EV

This course concentrates on common thermal issues, and their management technologies and methods for on‐board thermal management of batteries and related control systems.

EV Testing & Data Acquisition

The course will address electrical, control and hardware within EVs. The course will have a strong emphasis in vehicle systems testing, data acquisition, and sensors deployed for development performance and design specification compliance.

Admission Requirements

Students applying for admission to the EV Certificate program should meet the following criteria:

  1. Senior standing engineering undergraduates or BS degree in engineering or a related technical/science‐based (such as physics) degree from an accredited college or university.
  2. Provide official transcripts of all completed college work. Proposal for Electric Vehicles (EV) Certificate at Lawrence Technological University
  3. Have earned an overall GPA of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. (Students with lower GPA’s may be accepted on a provisional basis)
  4. Submit a graduate application.
  5. Submit a resume.
  6. Other admission requests or scenarios will be considered on a case‐by‐case basis.

The eligibility for the program is not limited to BSME, BSRE, BSIE, BSEE, and BS Computer Engineering students/ graduates. Interested students from other engineering and science backgrounds are also eligible to enroll in this program. Professionals that have other degrees in science with experience in industry may identify this program as an opportunity to expand their experience and past education with a certificate that enables them to be more competitive and marketable.

Students may apply to the EV Certificate program at any time of the year, for matriculation during any future semester. Students wishing to transfer from other external non‐LTU EV Certificate programs will be handled on a case‐by‐case basis for transferring into LTU’s EV Certificate program.

» Document Viewer

Use Your Cell Phone as a Document Camera in Zoom

  • What you will need to have and do
  • Download the mobile Zoom app (either App Store or Google Play)
  • Have your phone plugged in
  • Set up video stand phone holder

From Computer

Log in and start your Zoom session with participants

From Phone

  • Start the Zoom session on your phone app (suggest setting your phone to “Do not disturb” since your phone screen will be seen in Zoom)
  • Type in the Meeting ID and Join
  • Do not use phone audio option to avoid feedback
  • Select “share content” and “screen” to share your cell phone’s screen in your Zoom session
  • Select “start broadcast” from Zoom app. The home screen of your cell phone is now being shared with your participants.

To use your cell phone as a makeshift document camera

  • Open (swipe to switch apps) and select the camera app on your phone
  • Start in photo mode and aim the camera at whatever materials you would like to share
  • This is where you will have to position what you want to share to get the best view – but you will see ‘how you are doing’ in the main Zoom session.