Aerospace: Satellites, Radars, and Remote Sensing Graduate Certificate

Explore the rapidly evolving aerospace industry

Start developing the skills you need to break into the rapidly evolving aerospace industry. Enroll in a program focused on satellites, radars, and remote sensing, developed by CSU’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Topics of study include:

• Satellite Communication
• Global Navigation Satellite Systems
• Atmospheric Remote Sensing
• Radar Systems and Design

Gain applied, career-applicable skills

After completing this certificate, you will have a greater body of knowledge that translates directly into a career in the aerospace industry.

• Learn to interpret and distinguish space science and engineering, along with applications in communications, remote sensing, navigation, and environmental monitoring.
• Extend your working knowledge of the payload and orbital mechanics of space systems dedicated to producing mission data and relaying that data back to Earth.
• Better understand radar and satellite sensors, their system components, and design.
• Learn how to interpret radar and satellite observations and extract meaningful information through remote sensing data analytics.
• Adapt to emerging changes in radar and satellite technologies - to conduct applied research and develop solutions to complex challenges.
• Learn about innovative technologies driving the future of aerospace engineering, as well as the crucial role of artificial intelligence in advancing the aerospace industry.

Study in a flexible, online format

This online program allows you to earn your graduate certificate from a respected, regionally accredited public research university in Colorado without traveling to a campus. Balance your academic studies with your career, family, and personal obligations. Although this program is entirely online, you will still have opportunities to interact with instructors and peers.

Select a minimum of 9 credits from the following courses:

• ECE 521 – Satellite Communication (3 cr.)
• ECE 548 – Microwave Theory and Component Design (3 cr.)
• ECE 549 – Radar Systems and Design (3 cr.)
• ATS 550 – Atmospheric Radiation and Remote Sensing (3 cr.)
• ECE 556 – AI for Radar and Remote Sensing (3 cr.)
• ECE 578 – Satellite Data Analysis (3 cr.)

Note: Not all courses are currently available online.

Dr. V. Chandrasekar
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Chandrasekar’s decades-long research has enabled cutting-edge radar and satellite technologies for studying weather and climate from land, sea, and space. He is widely recognized for his pioneering contributions to the development of dual-polarization – a signature radar technology for severe weather forecasting. Chandrasekar is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, American Meteorological Society, American Geophysical Union, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, International Union of Radio Science and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere. In 2016, he received the honor of being knighted by the government of Finland for his technical contributions. He also received the IEEE Distinguished Achievement Award.

Dr. Steven C. Reising
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Reising has served as professor in Electrical andComputer Engineering at Colorado State University since 2011, where he also served as associate professor from 2004 to 2011. Before joining the CSU faculty in 2004, he was an assistant professor of ECEat the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Reising’s research interests span a broad range of remote sensing disciplines, including microwave remote sensing of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans from airborne platforms, small satellites, and CubeSats. He has been principal investigator on projects with such organizations as NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Defense, and Office of Naval Research. Currently, he is a co-investigator on INCUS – CSU’s $177 million NASA mission to study storms in the tropics.

Dr. Haonan Chen
Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Chen has been an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Colorado State University (CSU) since August 2020. He is also an affiliate faculty with the Data Science Research Institute (DSRI) at CSU. Before joining the CSU faculty, he worked at the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory, first as a National Research Council Research Associate, and then a Radar, Satellite, and Precipitation Research Scientist. Chen teaches courses and leads research programs at the intersection of data science and remote sensing. He joins fellow ECE faculty, atmospheric scientists, and other researchers across campus who are converging to study the climate and how it’s changing. As a recipient of the competitive Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, Chen is using artificial intelligence to predict severe weather events.

Dr. Christine Chiu
Professor, Department of Atmospheric Science

Dr. Chiu is a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science at CSU. Prior to joining CSU in 2017, she was an associate professor in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, United Kingdom (2010-17), a research assistant professor at the University of Maryland–Baltimore County, and an associated scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (2003-2010).

Dr. Christian Kummerow
Professor, Department of Atmospheric Science

Dr. Kummerow joined the CSU Department of Atmospheric Science faculty in June 2000. Previously, he worked at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center serving as the Project Scientist for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). He is currently a member of the Joint TRMM Steering Team. Professor Kummerow is also a member of the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) team and plays an active role in planning and defining new spaceborne missions geared toward obtaining a better understanding of the Global Water and Energy Cycle.

Recommended Application Submission Dates

Note: ECE has rolling admissions. While ECE, the Graduate School, and the Office of Admissions require some processing time, ECE does accept applications after the suggested submission dates.