About this program
Quality Engineering is a fully online graduate certificate from UW–Porter Falls. A 12-credit online graduate certificate in quality systems, statistical methods, and continuous improvement for manufacturing and service.
It is asynchronous, runs in seven-week terms with six start dates a year, and is taught by the same faculty as Porter's on-campus programs. The transcript and diploma do not distinguish online from on-campus study.
Who it is for
Engineers, technicians, and supervisors responsible for quality who want the statistical and systems depth for a quality-engineer role.
Courses you will take
The upper-division sequence is 12 credits of online coursework. A completed sample is below; the official catalog is authoritative.
| Course | Title | Cr. |
|---|---|---|
| QE 6100 | Quality Systems and Standards | 3 |
| QE 6200 | Statistical Process Control and Capability | 3 |
| QE 6300 | Design of Experiments and Problem Solving | 3 |
| QE 6400 | Quality Improvement Capstone | 3 |
All four courses are graduate credit and stack into the M.S. in Manufacturing Engineering — if you continue, the certificate counts toward the degree.
Format and pace
Take one course (part-time) or two (full-time) per seven-week term. Part-time, a certificate finishes in about 8 months; full-time roughly halves that. You can move between full- and part-time term by term, and pause for a term without reapplying.
Coursework is readings, recorded lectures, discussion, projects, and problem sets with weekly deadlines. Assessment is mostly applied work; where a course needs a proctored exam it uses at-home online proctoring, stated in the syllabus before you register.
Cost
Billed at Porter's flat online per-credit rate with no nonresident surcharge — the same price from any state. Fully online students do not pay the campus activity, recreation, or transit fees; a small per-term online course fee covers the platform and library delivery.
Degree-seeking students file the FAFSA and are eligible for federal aid. For employer tuition assistance, student accounts invoices the employer directly and offers deferred payment that waits for reimbursement. See tuition & costs and financial aid.
Where graduates go
Graduates move into roles such as:
- Quality Engineer
- Continuous-Improvement Engineer
- Supplier Quality Engineer
- Reliability Analyst
Graduate certificates typically support a raise or a move into a titled role rather than a first job; outcomes vary by field and prior experience.
How to apply
Apply online with no fee and no essay. Submit your bachelor's transcript; a 2.75 GPA is the guideline, and relevant work experience is weighed. Decisions come in about two weeks, and you can start in the next available term.
An online-admissions advisor is assigned to you before you apply and stays your advisor through graduation.
Accreditation
UW–Porter Falls is institutionally accredited, reaffirmed through 2036, and authorized to offer distance education to students in every U.S. state. Online programs carry the same institutional and, where applicable, specialized accreditation as their on-campus counterparts.
Fictional information
UW–Porter Falls is a work of parody. This program, its courses, credit values, costs and salary figures are invented; nothing here describes a real degree you can enroll in.