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 Winter and Summer quarters.
- Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of Electrical Engineering and Math.
- Required Equipment: Students must have access to a personal computer running Windows that is capable of installing and running the software required for the coursework. The software is not available on MAC OS.
- 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: 6/29/2026
Schedule:
Instructor:
Sima Noghanian
Dr. Sima Noghanian is a Distinguished Antenna Design Engineer at Ruckus Wireless Networks, working on MIMO Antennas for WiFi Technology. Dr. Noghanian received a Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba and a Post-Doctoral Fellowship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, which she took at the University of Waterloo. From 2002 to 2018, she served as an Electrical Engineering faculty in the Sharif University of Technology, Iran (2002), the University of Manitoba, Canada (2003-2008), and the University of North Dakota, USA (2008 – 2018). Her previous positions include Electrical Engineering Department Chair, Graduate and Undergraduate Director, Curriculum Committee Chair, and Grand Challenges Scholar Program Director at the University of North Dakota. She was an Electromagnetic Application Engineer with PADT Inc. (2019 – 2020) and a Principal Antenna Design Engineer at Wafer LLC (2020 – 2021). She has also worked as a consultant with Neuspera Medical and StorkeDx.
Dr. Noghanian is a senior member of IEEE, a fellow of the Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society (ACES), and a senior member of URSI and USNC-URSI Commissions B and K. Dr. Noghanian currently serves as the Vice-President of ACES (2025-2026), and is an Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation, IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, IET Microwave, Antennas and Propagation, and Frontiers in Antennas and Propagation. She was an Area Editor of AEÜ - International Journal of Electronics and Communications. She is an elected member of the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (AP-S) Administration Committee (2023-2025).
Dr. Noghanian is a Distinguished Lecturer of IEEE AP-S (2024-2026). She served as the chair of the AP-S Technical Committee on Antenna Measurement (2024-2025). Currently, she is the vice-chair of the AP-S Constitution and Bylaws Committee, the Chair of USNC-URSI Commission K (2024-2026), and an ABET Program Evaluator.
