Regents Approve a Graduate Certificate in Quality Engineering

The University of Wesconsin System Board of Regents on Thursday approved a new Graduate Certificate in Quality Engineering at UW–Porter Falls. The certificate will be offered through the College of Engineering & Technology and the Graduate School, with the first students starting in September 2026.

Under System policy, any graduate credential of more than nine credits needs regent approval, even when it is built from existing courses. The certificate is 12 credits, four courses, all offered in the evening or online:

• Statistical Quality Control
• Design of Experiments
• Reliability Engineering
• Quality Systems and Audit

The proposal grew out of a 2024 survey of the College of Engineering & Technology’s industry advisory boards, in which eleven regional manufacturers said they had quality-engineer openings they could not fill. Most of those employers already had good candidates working for them, usually engineers or technicians with a bachelor’s degree and years on the floor, who could not step away for a full master’s program.

“The people these companies want to promote are already in the building. They need a credential they can finish in a year or two of evenings without quitting. This is that.”

— Dr. Karen Bergstrom, Dean, College of Engineering & Technology

The certificate’s faculty lead is Emmett Rasmussen, a teaching professor in manufacturing and industrial engineering who spent fourteen years as a plant quality manager before joining the faculty. Credits will apply toward the M.S. in manufacturing engineering for students who decide to keep going.

The college expects a first cohort of about 22 students, and four employers have already said they will cover tuition for staff who enroll. Applications open February 1 through the Graduate School and need only a bachelor’s degree and transcripts. Undergraduates looking for the same material earlier can take the quality minor, and the fully online version is described on the online quality engineering page. For more on how the regents fit into campus decisions, see the Board of Regents and UW System.

Contact: Office of University Communications, news@uwporterfalls.edu