FEA Professional

A GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN APPLIED FEA

DETAILS & TIMELINE

  • FEA Professional offers a fully accredited graduate certificate degree, the FEA Pro certificate may also be used to fulfill requirements for a MS in ME, Additive Manufacturing, or Space Resources 
  • The certificate requires 4 classes that can be completed in one academic year (Aug-May) 
  • Each class lasts 8 weeks and requires approximately 15 hours per week 
  • All classes are asynchronous with no fixed meeting times, but weekly office hours are provided
  • FEA Pro was designed for working professionals OR full-time students 
  • 100% online classes let you complete coursework on your schedule from any location with Wi-Fi 
  • All learning materials and software are included in your tuition, a remote desktop is provided 
  • Connect and complete your class assignments with any laptop, tablet, or handheld device 
  • The timeline and cost for completing classes to earn the FEA Pro certificate are illustrated below 

 

Table depicting the cost and timeline for the FEA Pro Graduate Certificate
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CERTIFICATE PROGRAM OVERVIEW

FEA Professional is a fully online graduate-level certificate program that teaches advanced skills in finite element analysis for structural and thermal applications. The program has been designed to train recent graduates or mid-career professionals with at least a BS in engineering, computer science, mathematics, or a physical science who are interested in career opportunities in design, product development, or applied research.

The FEA Pro program leverages industry-leading software to empower participants with the skills and experience to drive innovation in their chosen field. Our courses help participants build a foundation of practical knowledge focused on key fundamentals of applied computational mechanics complemented by the ideal balance of theoretical background. The fundamentals learned here may be applied across a broad range of industries.

 

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM OUTCOMES

Upon completion of FEA Pro, graduates will have the skills to:

  • Use Abaqus FEA software with a high level of proficiency and practical effectiveness (Abaqus is the primary software used in course content)
  • Extend fundamental FEA skills to pursue endorsements for products such as SolidWorks Simulation or ANSYS
  • Drive innovation through the effective application of simulation tools for ideation and design verification
  • Leverage simulation to reduce physical testing in new product development and reduce time to market
  • Exploit parametric simulation, DOE, and optimization to reveal more and better R&D solutions
  • Identify CTQs in key projects and quantify impact on all relevant outcome metrics
  • Execute, review, and manage simulation strategies for your NPD or research pipeline

OUR CREDO

We aspire to make FEA Pro the premier training program for applied finite element analysis, globally. We strive to realize this vision by focusing on our programmatic mission of delivering maximum value to our primary stakeholders, including program participants, our faculty, our external partners, and the Mines community. This Credo articulates the core principles and aims that guide the execution of our mission. Read the full Credo here.

Member since 2021
FEA Pro is the only NAFEMS approved graduate degree in FEA

 

 

 

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FEA PROFESSIONAL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The FEA Pro program reviews applications for admission on a rolling basis, but the four-course sequence currently has one start date annually in the third week of August. Applicants may begin the program mid-cycle, but applications must be submitted eight weeks prior to the intended start of the applicant’s first course to guarantee timely review and acceptance notification.

The minimum requirement for admission to the FEA Pro graduate certificate program is a baccalaureate degree in engineering, computer science, mathematics, or a physical science. A Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score is not required. For international applicants or applicants whose native language is not  English, English proficiency is required. Please visit the English Proficiency section of the International Graduate School Admissions site to learn more about accepted tests and minimum scores.

Existing Mines students and non-degree seeking participants may take any number of individual FEA Pro classes without admission to the graduate certificate program; however, course prerequisites will be strictly enforced and undergraduate students are required to obtain approval from the program director.

FEA PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS

FEA Pro requires a sequence of three core courses and one elective chosen from selected relevant online courses. Elective options will continue to expand as the program matures. See the “Course Schedule” tab for details on when each course is offered.

CORE COURSES
Participants must complete the following three core courses:

FEGN525 ADVANCED FEA THEORY & PRACTICE 3.0
FEGN526 STATIC AND DYNAMIC APPLICATIONS IN FEA 3.0
FEGN527 NONLINEAR APPLICATIONS IN FEA 3.0

 

ELECTIVE COURSES
Participants must complete one of the following elective courses (3 semester hrs):

FEGN528 FEA FOR ADVANCED DESIGN APPLICATIONS 3.0
AMFG521 DESIGN FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING 3.0

FEA PROFESSIONAL UPCOMING COURSE SCHEDULE

FEGN525 ADVANCED FEA THEORY & PRACTICE  Term: Fall 2 (8 weeks, Aug-Oct)
FEGN526 STATIC AND DYNAMIC APPLICATIONS IN FEA Term: Fall 3 (8 weeks, Oct-Dec)
FEGN527 NONLINEAR APPLICATIONS IN FEA Term: Spring 2 (8 weeks, Jan-Mar)
FEGN528 FEA FOR ADVANCED DESIGN APPLICATIONS Term: Spring 3 (8 weeks, Mar-May)
AMFG521 DESIGN FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING Term: Spring 3 (8 weeks, Mar-May)

Please refer to Mines Online for specific course dates.

FEGN 525 Advanced FEA Theory & Practice

  • Introduction: 1D FEA
  • Truss and beam elements: arbitrary orientation
  • 1D/2D FEA: boundary conditions, stresses, symmetry
  • 1D/2D FEA: elasticity, shape functions, virtual work
  • 2D/3D FEA: basic elements
  • 2D/3D FEA: isoparametric elements
  • 2D/3D FEA: variational methods
  • 2D/3D FEA: error, diagnostics, reporting

FEGN 526 Static & Dynamic Applications in FEA

  • Documentation and basic modeling: model construction
  • Basic modeling: solution and post-processing
  • Multistep analyses, BC/load manager, amplitudes
  • Constraints: tie, MPC, rigid body
  • Element types and selection
  • Implicit dynamics
  • Explicit dynamics
  • Analysis project and reporting (assigned or user-defined)

FEGN 527 Nonlinear Applications in FEA

  • Introduction and solving nonlinear problems
  • Geometric nonlinearity
  • Contact: Abaqus/standard
  • Contact: Abaqus/explicit
  • Material nonlinearity: metal plasticity
  • Material nonlinearity: hyperelastic materials
  • Material nonlinearity: viscoelastic materials
  • Nonlinear project and reporting (assigned or user-defined)

FEGN 528 FEA for Advanced Design Applications

  • Applications of Abaqus user subroutines
  • Parametric analysis: Python scripting
  • Parametric analysis: NESSUS for automation
  • Designed experiments (DOE)
  • Optimization for model fitting and design
  • Probabilistic analysis: Monte Carlo and response surface
  • Probabilistic analysis: advanced techniques
  • Design project and reporting (assigned or user-defined)

AMFG 521 Design for Additive Manufacturing (DAM)

  • Introduction to DAM & Optimization
  • Topology Optimization
  • Applications of Topology Optimization
  • Structural Lattice Design
  • Heat Transfer Applications
  • AM Process Simulation
  • Generative Design (GDE)
  • DAM Project & Reporting (assigned or user-defined)

 

CONTACT

To learn more, contact the program Director, Dr. Anthony Petrella (apetrell@mines.edu).