EDUCATION

Certificate in Modeling and Computer Simulation (MaCS)

Offered by the College of Computing, School of Aerospace Engineering, and the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Administered by the Georgia Tech Modeling and Simulation Research and Education Center (MSREC)

Background
Modeling and simulation is an important interdisciplinary field spanning computer science and engineering. It has long been a fundamental tool in engineering and the sciences. In addition to its traditional use as a system analysis tool, the role of modeling and simulation has expanded considerably in recent years. Rapid, exponential advances in computation speeds and sophisticated graphics have enabled the widespread use of simulation to create immersive virtual environments for training and entertainment applications. Similarly, dramatic advances in computer networking and their ubiquitous deployment have given rise to distributed simulation systems spanning large geographic areas. These developments have fueled substantial growth in the modeling and simulation industry.

At present, simulation basics are normally taught within the context of a particular discipline. This limits the breadth of education in computer simulation techniques, stifling potential collaboration across different domains. In today’s work environments we see interdisciplinary collaborations becoming more common, e.g., electrical, mechanical, and aerospace engineers collaborating in the design of an aircraft. Engineers are poorly equipped to apply advanced simulation technologies and methods in such multidisciplinary projects. Some of this can be attributed to not understanding the fundamental computer simulation concepts that span the different disciplines.

Moreover, fundamental skills in computer simulation are a valuable tool for individuals in almost any discipline. As simulation technology improves and interdisciplinary collaboration becomes even more prevalent, a common framework for understanding simulation concepts will ensure effective exploitation of this important technology.

Objectives
This certificate creates a coherent set of interdisciplinary graduate-level courses, providing a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of simulation. It then requires students to apply this knowledge to their personal focus of study in one domain-specific course.

Administration
The certificate is administered by the Georgia Tech Modeling and Simulation Research and Education Center (MSREC). Specifically, MSREC’s education coordinator is the principal point of contact concerning the certificate program.

Certificate Structure
To receive a certificate, students must take three required courses. ISYE 6644 provides an introduction to discrete event simulation techniques. AE/ISYE 6779 provides background in dynamical systems. CS 6236 focuses on issues concerning the execution of simulation models on sequential, parallel, and distributed computing systems. Students must select one additional specialization course. Example courses fulfilling this option are enumerated below.

The prerequisites for the core courses are: graduate standing; undergraduate differential equations at the level of Math 2403; undergraduate probability and statistics at the level of Math/ISyE 3770 or ISyE 2028; and basic programming ability in C or Java.

Required Courses

· ISYE 6644 Simulation
· AE /ISYE 6779 Dynamic System Simulation and Modeling
· CS 6236 Parallel and Distributed Simulation Systems

Specialization courses (Pick one)

· AE 6042 Computational Fluid Dynamics
· AE 6240 Numerical Methods in Structural Dynamics
· AE 6520 Advanced Flight Dynamics
· CEE 6513 Computational Mechanics
· CEE 6636 Simulation Models in Transportation
· CHE 6120 Molecular Modeling
· CS 6230 High Performance Parallel Computing: Tools and Applications
· CS 7496 Computer Animation
· CS 7610 Modeling and Design
· ME 7201 Computational Mechanics of Materials
· ME 7601 Computational Fluid Mechanics
· NRE 6101 Transport Fundamentals
· ECE 6380 Introduction to Computational Electromagnetics
· EAS 6340 Computational and Theoretical Seismology
· ISYE 6401 Statistical Modeling and Design of Experiments
· ISYE 7210 Real-Time Interactive Simulation