About the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Design Program
Design it. Build it. Assemble it. Master the full PCB lifecycle, 100% online
Every modern electronic product depends on a well-designed printed circuit board, from smartphones and medical devices to satellites and electric vehicles. The PCB Design Certificate gives you the skills to design boards that work, and that can actually be manufactured.Most PCB design training stops at layout. This certificate takes you further. You’ll design boards in Altium Designer, learn how those designs are fabricated, and see how components are assembled and inspected to IPC standards. Because you understand the full design-to-production process, you’ll be better at working with manufacturers, avoiding costly redesigns, and moving products to market faster.
The program is fully online, taught by industry practitioners, and built around hands-on projects. You complete three required courses and one elective, so you can specialize in advanced PCB design or RF circuit design.
Key Program Topics
- PCB design workflow: schematic capture, component libraries, placement, and routing
- Altium Designer and Altium 365, with design principles that transfer to tools such as KiCad
- Design verification with electrical rules checks (ERC) and design rules checks (DRC)
- Layer stackups, differential pairs, and controlled impedance
- Manufacturing documentation: Gerber, ODB++, and NC drill files, BOMs, and pick-and-place files
- PCB fabrication: laminates, photolithography, etching, plating, and via formation
- Surface finishes, solder mask, defect analysis, and yield improvement
- Electronics assembly: SMT, through-hole, reflow, and wave soldering
- Inspection and quality control to IPC-A-610 standards
- Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA)
- Elective specializations: high-speed design, signal integrity, EMI/EMC, and rigid-flex, or RF amplifiers, filters, and mixers
Learning Outcomes
When you complete the certificate, you will be able to:- Design a PCB from schematic to verified layout using Altium Designer and industry best practices
- Produce manufacturing-ready outputs, including Gerber files, BOMs, and pick-and-place data
- Explain how materials, imaging, plating, and surface finishes turn your design into a fabricated board
- Describe SMT and through-hole assembly processes and evaluate quality against IPC-A-610
- Apply DFM and DFA principles to improve yield, reliability, and cost
- Solve advanced challenges in high-speed, rigid-flex, and EMI/EMC design, or in RF circuit design
Program Benefits
- Full lifecycle coverage: Learn design, fabrication, and assembly in one program, so you understand how your design decisions affect production.
- Industry-standard tools: Build hands-on experience in Altium Designer, a leading PCB design platform.
- Learn from practitioners: Your instructors bring decades of combined experience in PCB design, SMT, and electronics manufacturing.
- Flexible and online: Complete courses asynchronously, on your schedule, from anywhere.
- Specialize your path: Choose an elective in advanced PCB design or RF circuit design to match your career goals.
- Career connections: Access the EMAC/SMTA Student Success Portal to explore internships and jobs in electronics design and manufacturing.
- A UC San Diego credential: Earn a certificate from a top-ranked university to show employers your skills.
- Career Resources Hub: You will have access to dedicated Career Resources Hub with career information, job postings, events and tutorials.
Have Questions?
We're here to help!
Schedule a one-on-one appointment with the program manager to get personalized guidance or email us anytime at unexengr@ucsd.edu. Let’s explore how this program can help you achieve your career goals.
Online
Asynchronous
12 months
You have 5 years maximum to complete the certificate
$3,250
Pay-per-course
Who Should Enroll
This certificate is designed for you if you are:
- An engineering student or recent graduate in electrical, computer, mechanical, or bioengineering who wants job-ready PCB skills
- An early-career engineer or PCB designer working toward a PCB layout or design engineering role
- A hardware or embedded systems engineer developing products and IoT devices
- A manufacturing, process, or quality professional who needs to understand design and assembly requirements
- A technician or career changer moving into electronics design and manufacturing
- An employer looking to train or cross-train your team across design and production
Industry Collaboration with EMAC
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This course is offered in collaboration with the Electronic Manufacturing and Assembly Collaborative (EMAC) — a national initiative supporting workforce development in electronics manufacturing and PCB design.
Through this partnership, students gain access to industry-informed curriculum and hands-on learning that aligns with current trends in electronics design, assembly, and advanced manufacturing.
Career & Internship Opportunities
Students enrolled in this course can access the EMAC Student Success Portal, which connects learners to internships and entry-level job opportunities in the electronics industry.
Use the portal to:
- Browse nationwide electronics manufacturing job openings
- Create a profile to showcase your skills
- Connect with employers in PCB design, engineering, and advanced manufacturing
Classroom type:
Live Online
In-Person
Online
Hybrid
Quarter availability reflects when courses are most commonly scheduled. Actual availability may vary.
Required Courses
Students must complete all three required courses.
Elective Courses
Students must complete one of the following courses.
Advisory Board
Karcher Morris
Assistant Teaching Professor
Jacobs School of Engineering
Kou Vang
Manufacturing director
Avalir Technologies
Tara Dunn
Director of Training and Education
EMAC
Eric Haugen
PCB Prototyping Engineers
Sunstone Circuits
Robert Boguski
President
Datest Corp
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