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AI for Engineers

Equipping Engineers to Lead in the Era of AI
Inquiring For
Total Work Experience

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DURATION

8 weeks, online

FOR TEAMS

Enroll your team and learn with your peers

Key Takeaways of AI for Engineers program

  • Strong understanding of machine learning methods applied to real-world engineering problems.

  • Hands-on experience building and validating models, from setup and training to data visualization.

  • Apply AI-driven optimization and simulation to improve product design and development.

  • Use AI for autonomous control and intelligent operation of mechanical systems.

  • Identify high-impact AI use cases and implement the right AI frameworks

Program Modules

Focus: Understanding where ML adds value in engineering systems.

What you learn

  • How ML reduces computational cost in physics-based simulations

  • How data-driven models accelerate design iteration

  • How ML enables exploration of high-dimensional design spaces

  • Pattern discovery in materials, components, and system performance data

What you do

  • Analyze real engineering use cases (wind turbines, battery electrodes, materials design)

  • Compare traditional simulation approaches vs. ML-augmented workflows

  • Articulate measurable engineering benefits of ML adoption

Skills you’ll build

  • Translating engineering problems into ML-amenable formulations

  • Technical communication of AI value to engineering stakeholders

Focus: Turning an engineering process into an ML system.

What you learn

  • Supervised vs. unsupervised vs. semi-supervised vs. reinforcement learning

  • Data types common in engineering (sensor, time-series, images, logs)

  • Model lifecycle: training, validation, deployment, monitoring

What you do

  • Take a real engineering workflow (fault detection, inspection, monitoring)

  • Design a full ML solution:

  • Data pipeline

  • Model choice

  • Evaluation metrics

  • Deployment strategy

Skills you’ll build

  • ML system design thinking

  • Data readiness assessment

  • Model performance evaluation (metrics, validation strategies)

Focus: Modern AI models engineers actually use.

What you learn

  • Deep learning architectures (ANNs, CNNs, RNNs) for engineering, image, and time-series data

  • Hyperparameter tuning, optimization strategies, and generalization tradeoffs

  • GAN fundamentals, including generator–discriminator dynamics and training challenges

What you do

  • Map deep learning models to different engineering data types

  • Tune and optimize models for performance, stability, and cost

  • Build and train a GAN from scratch in PyTorch using MNIST/CIFAR-10

  • Visualize model outputs, loss curves, and training behavior

Skills you’ll build

  • PyTorch model development

  • GPU-accelerated training

  • Debugging and interpreting deep learning models

Focus: AI for engineering design space exploration.

What you learn

  • AI-based design optimization concepts

  • Generative design principles

  • Prompt evolution and iterative optimization

What you do

  • Implement a simplified Prompt Evolution Design Optimization (PEDO) framework

  • Generate and optimize car designs in a Jupyter Notebook

  • Critically evaluate model outputs and propose improvements

Skills you’ll build

  • AI-assisted design workflows

  • Evaluating generative model quality

  • Engineering judgment applied to AI outputs

Focus: AI in control, robotics, and autonomy.

What you learn

  • AI for autonomous decision-making

  • Challenges in real-time systems

  • Tradeoffs in autonomy vs. safety and reliability

What you do

  • Analyze AI applications in autonomous vehicles and robotics

  • Discuss system-level challenges and opportunities

Skills you’ll build

  • Systems thinking for AI-enabled autonomy

  • Risk and limitation assessment

Focus: Industrial AI for Industry 4.0.

What you learn

  • Autoencoders and denoising autoencoders

  • Reconstruction error–based anomaly detection

  • Model robustness and generalization

What you do

  • Implement autoencoders in PyTorch

  • Detect anomalies in synthetic manufacturing sensor data

  • Progress from basic implementation to advanced optimization:

  • Architecture tuning

  • Regularization (dropout)

  • Learning rate schedules

  • Performance metrics

Skills you’ll build

  • Industrial anomaly detection

  • Model tuning and experimentation

  • Practical ML troubleshooting

Focus: Large-scale, real-world engineering impact.

What you learn

  • Predictive maintenance in energy systems

  • Sensor-driven ML pipelines

  • Cost-benefit and ROI analysis of AI systems

What you do

  • Design an AI predictive maintenance system for a wind farm

  • Select sensors, ML models, and deployment strategy

  • Estimate cost savings, uptime improvements, and ROI

Skills you’ll build

  • End-to-end AI system design

  • Engineering + business decision-making

  • Translating AI performance into financial outcomes

Focus: Applying engineering AI skills in regulated, high-stakes domains.

What you learn

  • CNNs in medical imaging

  • Integration challenges across engineering and healthcare

  • Ethical and technical constraints

What you do

  • Analyze real medical AI applications

  • Assess integration challenges from an engineering perspective

Skills you’ll build

  • Cross-domain AI application

  • Ethical and technical risk assessment

Industry-Inspired Case Studies

Truss Structure Optimization

Machine learning optimizes structural designs by balancing strength, weight, and cost under strict engineering constraints. Engineers can rapidly explore better design alternatives while maintaining safety and compliance.

Semiconductor Manufacturing (Wafer Defect Detection)

ML models analyze sensor data and inspection images to detect microscopic wafer defects early in production. This improves yield, reduces waste, and enhances overall manufacturing quality.

Energy Storage in Electric Vehicles

Reinforcement learning dynamically optimizes battery charge and discharge patterns in EVs. The result is longer battery life, improved efficiency, and better performance under real‑world conditions.

Predictive Maintenance for Critical Infrastructure

By learning from sensor and operational data, ML systems predict equipment failures before they occur. This enables proactive maintenance, reduced downtime, and more reliable power and energy systems.

Live Webinars with Instructor

Join live, instructor‑led sessions that explore how AI and machine learning are applied to real‑world engineering systems. These interactive webinars focus on practical design decisions, system integration, and trade‑offs involved in building reliable, scalable AI solutions, while highlighting effective collaboration between human expertise and AI‑driven systems.

Note: Live session schedules and details may be adjusted based on faculty guidance.

By the End of the Program, Participants can:

  • Design ML systems for real engineering workflows

  • Implement deep learning models in PyTorch

  • Work with time-series, image, and sensor data

  • Optimize and tune models for performance

  • Apply AI to predictive maintenance, design optimization, and autonomy

  • Evaluate ethical, environmental, and operational tradeoffs

Instructor

Wei Lu- Program instructor for the AI for Engineers program

Wei Lu

Professor, Mechanical Engineering | ME Associate Chair for Facilities and Planning

Wei Lu is a Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University and his B.S. from Tsingh...

Who Is This Program For?

The AI for Engineers program is designed for engineering professionals, technical specialists, and leaders working across manufacturing, industrial engineering, product development, automotive, aerospace, biomedical engineering, robotics, automation, energy systems, process industries, heavy equipment, and related engineering domains where AI is transforming design, operations, performance optimization, and engineering decision-making. The program is ideal for:
Engineers, engineering professionals, and technical specialists- Who is the AI for Engineers program section

Engineers, engineering professionals, and technical specialists looking to apply AI and ML to real-world engineering and technology challenges, enhancing efficiency, performance, and innovation across design, manufacturing, energy, autonomous systems, and related domains

Managers, business leaders, and executives in engineering-intensive and technology-driven organizations- Who is the AI for Engineers program section

Managers, business leaders, and executives in engineering-intensive and technology-driven organizations who want a clear, strategic understanding of how AI can drive innovation, operational transformation, and long-term business value

Technical professionals, domain experts, and practitioners- - Who is the AI for Engineers program section

Technical professionals, domain experts, and practitioners with hands-on engineering or technology experience who want to build practical AI capabilities and apply advanced ML techniques in engineering and industry contexts, without requiring formal training in data science or software development

Key Highlights

Instructor-Led Live Webinars- Program highlights of the AI for Engineers program

Instructor-Led Live Webinars

Engage in live webinar sessions with a University of Michigan instructor, focused on connecting AI fundamentals, techniques, and engineering applications across robotics, manufacturing, energy, and health care.

Weekly Office Hours- Program highlights of the AI for Engineers program

Weekly Office Hours

Access regular office hours designed to support active learning, experimentation, coding practice, debugging, and continuous self-learning throughout the program.

Self-Paced Online Learning- Program highlights of the AI for Engineers program

Self-Paced Online Learning

Progress through readings, recorded videos, and structured self-paced activities on an innovative e-learning platform built for working professionals.

Peer Interaction and Discussion Forums- Program highlights of the AI for Engineers program

Peer Interaction and Discussion Forums

Exchange perspectives with peers through discussion forums as you reflect on engineering use cases, applied assignments, and AI implementation challenges.

Michigan Engineering Professional Education Certificate- Program highlights of the AI for Engineers program

Michigan Engineering Professional Education Certificate

Earn a digital certificate and badge from Michigan Engineering Professional Education upon successful completion of the program.

Example image of certificate that will be awarded once you successfully complete the AI for Engineers program

Digital Certificate

Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded a digital certificate by Michigan Engineering Professional Education. The certificate will be a recognition of your achievement in the AI For Engineers program.

You will also earn a digital badge, which can be downloaded, shared, and posted on social media sites, including LinkedIn.

FAQs

The AI for Engineers Program is designed for engineering professionals, technical specialists, and leaders working across manufacturing, industrial engineering, product development, automotive, aerospace, biomedical engineering, robotics, automation, energy systems, process industries, heavy equipment, and related engineering domains where AI is transforming design, operations, performance optimization, and engineering decision-making.

No. The course begins with AI fundamentals and builds toward practical applications. In AI for Engineers, prior experience in AI or data science is not required.

Yes — AI for Engineers includes live webinars and interactive sessions with faculty and peers, giving you real-time insights, opportunities to ask questions, and direct engagement with instructors

You’ll learn how to apply AI and machine learning techniques to real engineering problems, including design optimization, predictive maintenance, autonomous systems, and data-driven decision-making.

Unlike generic AI courses, AI for Engineers course is engineering-focused and application-driven, emphasizing hands-on projects, real-world case studies, and open-source tools.

The course explores applications across manufacturing, energy systems, robotics, autonomous vehicles, generative design, and biomedical engineering.

The course balances both. In AI for Engineers course, participants gain hands-on technical exposure while also learning how to identify high-impact AI opportunities and communicate value within organizations.

The course is delivered online over eight weeks, combining video lectures, assignments, discussion forums, and applied case studies.

Participants are evaluated through practical assignments (70%) and forum participation (30%), with a strong focus on applied learning.

Upon successful completion, learners earn a Certificate of Completion from Michigan Engineering Professional Education.

AI for Engineers helps you future-proof your engineering skill set, enabling you to contribute to AI-driven initiatives and drive innovation in engineering-led organizations.

Applicable taxes will be calculated and added at checkout in accordance with country/state regulations.

The Michigan Difference

#1

U.S. Public University - QS World University Rankings (2019–2023)

#3

National Undergraduate Public Universities - U.S. News & World Report (2024)

#18

World Reputation Rankings – Times Higher Ed (2023)

Connect with a Program Advisor for a 1:1 Session

Our program advisors have helped executives across the world choose the right program for their career goals. Schedule a 1:1 to get a deeper understanding of why the AI for Engineers is the right fit for you.

Email: learner.success@emeritus.org or Schedule a call with one of our Program Advisors.

Phone: +1 315 623 3923 (U.S.) | +44 1795 904 767 (U.K.) | +52 55966 25370 (LATAM) | +65 3129 8432 (SG)

Flexible payment options available.

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