


Advanced Antennas Design, Modeling and Simulation
EE-40183
Master Advanced Planar Antenna Design and Simulation for 5G, IoT, and Unmanned Systems
As the demand for advanced wireless systems continues to rise—driven by 5G communication, Unmanned Systems, and the Internet of Things—engineers must design antennas that fit into increasingly compact electronic boards. This course provides you with the essential skills and design concepts for advanced planar antennas, which are widely used due to their easy fabrication and seamless integration with integrated circuits.
Throughout the course, you will learn about the types of antennas suitable for chip integration, material selection, and packaging effects. You will also dive into multi-path propagation, multi-antenna systems, adaptive beamforming, and antenna simulation software such as ANSYS HFSS, CST Microwave Studio, Cadence AWR, and FEKO. Hands-on projects will ensure you can apply what you have learned in real-world scenarios.
Course Highlights
- Review of basic antenna and wireless communication concepts.
- Introduction to planar antenna types and their design methods.
- Electromagnetic simulation of antennas.
- Example of planar antenna designs.
- Practical considerations in material selection, fabrication, and measurements.
- Introduction to antenna beamforming.
- Multi-antenna systems and arrays.
Course Benefits
By the end of this course, you will:
- Gain practical knowledge for designing and simulating planar antennas and arrays.
- Understand real-world design challenges such as material selection, fabrication, and measurements.
- Master the use of advanced antenna simulation tools for design verification.
- Apply your skills to real-world projects using free student versions of simulation software.
- Gain advanced skills in antenna design, modeling, and simulation.
- Stay ahead in the growing fields of 5G, IoT, and unmanned systems.
- Master planar antenna technology to design efficient, compact wireless communication systems.
- Get hands-on experience with industry-standard simulation software.
- Enhance your ability to tackle real-world antenna design challenges.
Course Details and Next Steps
- Course Typically Offered: Online during Spring quarter
- Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of Electrical Engineering and Math.
- Next steps: Upon completion of this course, consider taking other courses in the RF Engineering Certificate
- More information: Contact unexengr@ucsd.edu to learn more about RF Engineering and course offerings.
Who Should Take This Course?
- Engineers and antenna designers working in wireless communication systems.
- Professionals involved in 5G, IoT, or unmanned system projects.
- Individuals seeking practical insights and hands-on experience with antenna design and simulation.
- Those new to antenna design or looking to expand their knowledge in advanced antenna technologies.
Course Information
Course sessions
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
No textbook required.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 1/13/2025
Schedule:
Instructor:
Sima Noghanian

Dr. Sima Noghanian is a Principal Antenna Design Engineer at CommScope Ruckus Wireless, working on MIMO Antennas for WiFi Technology.
Previously, Sima was a Principal Antenna Design Engineer with Wafer LLC. where she worked on the design and simulation of phased array planar antennas for satellite communication in the Ka and Ku bands. Before joining Wafer LLC, she worked as an Electromagnetic Application Engineer with Phoenix Analysis and Design Technologies Inc. (PADT), an ANSYS channel partner.
Dr. Noghanian has extensive experience in higher education where she has served as an Assistant & Associate Professor at various institutions including the Sharif University of Technology - Iran, the University of Manitoba - Canada, and the University of North Dakota. Previous positions include Electrical Engineering Department Chair, Graduate and Undergraduate Director, Curriculum Committee Chair, and Grand Challenges Scholar Program Director.
Dr. Noghanian is an ABET Program Evaluator and Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation, IET Microwave, Antennas & Propagation, Applied Computational Electromagnetic Society Journal, and AEÜ - International Journal of Electronics and Communications. She was an Associate Editor of IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, and IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters.
Dr. Noghanian obtained her Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Dr. Noghanian received a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada in 2002, which she earned from the University of Waterloo. She has over 220 publications.