Train for specialized careers in in-demand fields

Certification

The TRAIN-MI certificate program consists of formal coursework in High Energy Physics and Nuclear Science instrumentation. Students who complete nine credits of the relevant courses can receive a graduate certificate in instrumentation. The skills developed through this certification program are critical for maintaining and growing the US workforce and carrying out the US scientific programs in High Energy Physics and Nuclear Science.

Instrumentation certificate eligible courses

Students must complete either PHY 905: Particle Passage through Matters or CEM 985-001: Radiation Detection and Measurement as part of their nine credit hours. The remainder of the nine credit hours can be completed with any of the courses listed below.

Core courses

Data Acquisition (DAQ) Laboratory (section assigned each semester)
This laboratory-based course will cover the basics of data acquisition: detector readout, signal digitization, signal processing and FPGA programming. Students will use a System on a Chip (SoC) device to construct and test a data acquisition system for a detector system of their choice. This course is taught every 2nd year, alternating with Particle Detectors Laboratory.

Particle Detectors Laboratory (section assigned each semester)
This laboratory-based course provides hands-on experience in constructing particle detectors. Students will learn how to use ionization detectors, semi-conductor detectors and scintillator detectors in both single-detector and multi-detector systems. This course will be taught every 2nd year, alternating with DAQ laboratory.

Alternative courses

In addition to the core courses on instrumentation, we recognize that the career paths of students who become experts in instrumentation can be very non-traditional. Students in the TRAIN-MI program are encouraged to use courses outside of the traditional curriculum described above to complete their certification. At this time, we have identified other existing MSU courses that directly address skills in project management, scientific communication and entrepreneurship.

CEM 985-003: Simulation and Data Analysis
This course covers the software side of experimental simulation, data analysis, and data acquisition. Students in this course will be introduced to operating inside of a unix environment, where they will be trained in the use of two common data analysis and simulations frameworks: GEANT4 and ROOT. They will also be introduced to the FRIB DAQ software package, both from the data acquisition side and the data visualization side with SpeTcl. 

CEM 985-002: Project Management for Scientists 
This course covers the basic aspects of project management as applied to scientific and collaborative projects across all phases of a project and all of the project management knowledge areas, including particular aspects associated with funding agencies. The course is framed on the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) of the Project Management Institute with emphasis on specific issues and challenges of scientific collaborative projects within the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.

HRT 860: Scientific Writing 
This course trains graduate students in scientific writing through reading and analysis of representative publications from a variety of general and plant-related journals. Optionally, students writing a paper, thesis or grant proposal may bring copies and distribute these to other students in the group.

Technology Transfer (section assigned each semester)
This course is an introduction to technology entrepreneurship and to startup companies in general. The topics covered should be of interest not just to physicists who think they might someday start a company, but also to technologists who think they might someday work at a startup company, and even to people who don't think they will ever leave academia but do want to understand one of the most dynamic drivers of the modern economy and of technological innovation. The ideal student for the course is someone who is already thinking about a startup idea, or has a high conviction that he or she will someday start a company.