University of Wisconsin–Madison

Capstone Certificate: Power Conversion and Control (Online)

circuit board
Develop applied skills in power electronics, drives, and control of electric energy systems.UW–Madison’s online Capstone Certificate in Power Conversion and Control is designed for engineers who work with power devices, converters, motor drives, or control systems. Courses are fully online and structured to support professionals seeking deeper technical knowledge without pursuing a full graduate degree.

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Certificate awardedCapstone Certificate in Power Conversion and Control
Credits9 graduate credits
Format100% Online, part-time
Duration9-12 months (part-time)
Tuition$1,600/credit
StartFall / Spring / Summer
Application DeadlinesSpring: December 1 Summer: June 1 Fall: August 1

Is This Program Right for You?

The Capstone Certificate in Power Conversion and Control is ideal for practicing engineers who want to deepen their expertise in power electronics, motor drives, and control systems. Delivered in a flexible, interactive online format, this program builds practical skills and can serve as a pathway to a master’s in electrical power engineering.
  • Advance your knowledge of power electronics, drives, and control systems
  • Learn from experienced faculty in UW–Madison’s industry-connected WEMPEC group
  • Complete 9 credits in one year through a fully online, flexible capstone certificate
  • Apply credits toward the Electrical & Computer Engineering: Power MS degree

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Online by Design

Our courses blend applied activities, structured opportunities for interaction, and recorded instructor materials. This intentional design supports strong engagement, clear guidance, and meaningful results.

Why This Program?

27 years

of delivering interactive online education, reflecting deep experience designing high-quality online programs for working professionals.

#11 ranking

Online Graduate Engineering Programs U.S. News & World Report, 2026

Student Experience

Master key concepts in power conversion, electric drives, and system controls. Courses build hands-on skills for analyzing circuits, improving performance, and solving applied challenges in electrical power engineering.
  • Principles of power electronic circuits
  • Design and control of electric drive systems
  • Solid-state power conversion
  • Feedback and dynamic system control
  • AC and DC motor control
  • Control system modeling and analysis
  • Foundations of electrical power systems

Curriculum and Requirements

The capstone certificate in Power Conversion and Control is a nine-credit program that is designed to be completed in three consecutive terms of three credits each, with one course per term.Live course web sessions are scheduled in the evening to accommodate working professionals. All other weekly assignments can be completed on days and times of your choice. Plan for roughly 3 to 4 hours of work per credit each week. For a 3-credit course, this usually means 9 to 12 hours, depending on the course and your professional background.

ECE 411 – Introduction to Electric Drive Systems
ECE 411 – INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRIC DRIVE SYSTEMS3 credits.Basic concepts of electric drive systems. Emphasis on system analysis and application. Topics include: dc machine control, variable frequency operation of induction and synchronous machines, unbalanced operation, scaling laws, adjustable speed drives, adjustable torque drives, coupled circuit modeling of ac machines.Requisites: (E C E 355, 356, or 377), graduate/professional standing, or member of Engineering Guest Students, or declared in Power Conversion and Control Capstone Certificate
ECE 412 – Power Electronic Circuits
ECE 412 – POWER ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS3 credits.Operating characteristics of power semiconductor devices such as Bipolar Junction Transistors, IGBTs, MOSFETs and Thyristors. Fundamentals of power converter circuits including dc/dc converters, phase controlled ac/dc rectifiers and dc/ac inverters. Practical issues in the design and operation of converters.Requisites: E C E 342, graduate/professional standing, member of Engineering Guest Students, or declared in Capstone Certificate in Power Conversion and Control
ECE 427 – Electric Power Systems
ECE 427 – ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEMS3 credits.The electric power industry, operation of power systems, load flow, fault calculations, economic dispatch, general technical problems of electric power networks.Requisites: E C E 330, graduate/professional standing, or member of Engineering Guest Students
ECE 504 – Electric Machine & Drive System Laboratory
ECE 504 – ELECTRIC MACHINE & DRIVE SYSTEM LABORATORY3 credits.Steady state and dynamic performance of electric machines in combination with power electronic converters. Measurement of electric machine parameters, evaluation of synchronization techniques and inverter drive properties, realization of drive operation via real time embedded control system, implementation and comparative evaluation of advanced machine control techniques.Requisites: E C E 411, or graduate/professional standing, or declared in Capstone Certificate in Power Conversion and Control
ECE 511 – Theory & Control of Synchronous Machines
ECE 511 – THEORY & CONTROL OF SYNCHRONOUS MACHINES3 credits.The idealized three phase synchronous machine time domain model including saliency, time invariant form using Park’s transformation, sudden short circuits and other transient conditions, reduced order models, excitation system and turbine/governor control, dynamics of multiple machine systems, transient stability and sub-synchronous resonance.Requisites: E C E 411 and 427, graduate/professional standing, or member of Engineering Guest Students
ECE 512 – Power Electronics Laboratory
ECE 512 – POWER ELECTRONICS LABORATORY3 credits.This laboratory introduces the student to measurement and simulation of important operating characteristics of power electronic circuits and power semiconductor devices. Emphasis is on devices, circuits, gating methods and power quality.Requisites: E C E 412, graduate/professional standing, or member of Engineering Guest Students
ECE 711 – Dynamics & Control of AC Drives
ECE 711 – DYNAMICS & CONTROL OF AC DRIVES3 credits.Principles of power converters, two axis models of AC machines and AC drives, simulation of drive systems, analytical modeling of drives, dynamic behavior of induction and synchronous motors and drive systems. Knowledge of Simulink required.Requisites: E C E 411 and (graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Power Conversion and Control)
ECE 712 – Solid State Power Conversion
ECE 712 – SOLID STATE POWER CONVERSION3 credits.Advanced power electronics which provides an understanding of switching power converters. Included are DC-to-DC, AC-to-DC, DC-to-AC, and AC-to-AC converters, commutation techniques, converter control, interfacing converters with real sources and loads.Requisites: E C E 412 and graduate/professional standing
ECE 714 – Utility Application of Power Electronics
ECE 714 – UTILITY APPLICATION OF POWER ELECTRONICS3 credits.Power electronic application to utility systems is a rapidly growing field with major impact on the industry. Covers material on HVDC transmission, energy storage systems, renewable sources, static compensators, and flexible ac transmission systems.Requisites: E C E 412, 427, and graduate/professional standing
ECE/ME 732 – Dynamics of Controlled Systems
ECE/ME 732 – DYNAMICS OF CONTROLLED SYSTEMS3 credits.Emphasis on obtaining equations which define the behavior of physical systems frequently subjected to control; mechanical processing, fluid power, and thermal systems; analytical, experimental, and computer techniques. Knowledge of Automatic Controls [such as M E 446 or E C E 322] is required.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Power Conversion and Control. Not open to students with credit for M E 746.
ECE/ME 733 – Advanced Computer Control of Machines & Processes
ECE/ME 733 – ADVANCED COMPUTER CONTROL OF MACHINES & PROCESSES3 credits.Digital control theory, design methodology, and techniques for controller implementation on digital computers. Advanced single and multi-axis motion generation algorithms. Multiple processor control systems. Multiple objective control systems for machinery guidance and manufacturing processes. Precision control. Knowledge of continuous and discrete time control [such as M E 447 or E C E 332] is required.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing. Not open to students with credit for M E 747.
ME 446 – Introduction to Feedback Control
ME 446 – INTRODUCTION TO FEEDBACK CONTROL3 credits.Overview of linear feedback control analysis and design techniques for mechanical systems. Modeling of linear dynamic mechanical systems (review), derivation of their defining differential equations, and analysis of their response using both transient and frequency response techniques; Analysis and design of feedback control of mechanical systems using classical control transform techniques such as root locus and frequency response; Analysis of system robustness through evaluation of phase and gain margins and the Nyquist stability criterion. Design of feedback controllers for mechanical systems using frequency domain loop-shaping methods. Design domains, including mechanical, thermal, and fluid feedback control systems. Effects of non-ideal system characteristics commonly encountered in mechanical systems, such as compliance, delay, and actuator and sensor saturation. Builds on knowledge of high-level computational programming language such as Matlab or Simulink.Requisites: (M E 340 or E M A 545) and (MATH 319 or 320), graduate/professional standing, member of Engineering Guest Students, or declared in Capstone Certificate in Power Conversion and Control. Not open to students with credit for M E 346.
ME 447 – Computer Control of Machines & Processes
ME 447 – COMPUTER CONTROL OF MACHINES & PROCESSES3 credits.Discrete control theory reduced to engineering practice through a comprehensive study of discrete system modeling, system identification and digital controller design. Selected industrial processes and machines utilized as subjects on which computer control is to be implemented. Focus: computer control economics and planning as well as the control theory and programming.Requisites: M E 340, 346, or 446, graduate/professional standing, or member of Engineering Guest Students

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Tuition and Financial Aid

$1,600 per credit payable at the beginning of each semester. Students are responsible for paying their tuition bill in full by the due date. There is no lump sum payment plan.See Tuition & Cost for more information.
Employer Support Many students receive some financial support from their employers. Often, students find it beneficial to sit down with their employer and discuss how this program applies to their current and future responsibilities. Other key points to discuss include how participation will not interrupt your work schedule.

Admissions and Events

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All applicants must:
  • Hold a bachelor’s degree from a program accredited by ABET or the equivalent.*
  • Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on the last 60 semester hours of coursework.
  • Submit evidence of English language proficiency, if applicable. See the Graduate School Requirements for more information.
Ideal applicants will:
  • Have B.S. in Electrical Engineering. For those who do not have a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, see Guide for list of required coursework.
* Applicants who do not hold a degree from an ABET-accredited program may still qualify. You must have:
  • A BS in science, technology, or a related field with sufficient coursework and professional experience to demonstrate engineering proficiency OR
  • At least 16 credits of college-level math and science coursework
  • If you are registered as a professional engineer by examination, include this in your application.
The admissions committee considers exceptions to standard requirements on an individual basis.

  • Online application
  • Resume/CV
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Two letters of recommendation
For complete application details visit UW–Madison’s Guide 

Application Deadlines by Term:

Summer 2026June 1, 2026
Fall 2026August 1, 2026
Spring 2027December 1, 2026
Online Graduate Programs Overview Tuesday, September 8, 2026 5-5:30 PM CTJoin program staff for a conversation about our online graduate programs, including curriculum, application process and career impact.Register Now
Program Overview: Electrical & Computer Engineering: Power Engineering MS Wednesday, September 30, 2026 12-12:30 PM CTLearn about the Electrical & Computer Engineering: Power Engineering MS program including curriculum, application process and potential career paths.Register Now
Online Graduate Programs Overview Tuesday, October 13, 2026 12-12:30 PM CTJoin program staff for a conversation about our online graduate programs, including curriculum, application process and career impact.Register Now

Faculty and Staff

Steve Fredette Academic Director

Email Steve

Libby Miller Graduate Student Advisor

Email Libby

Giri Venkataramanan, PhD
Michael R. Zinn, PhD

FAQ

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A: Yes. The Capstone Certificate in Power Conversion and Control is 100% online and designed for working professionals.

A: Most students finish in about three to four semesters while working full time, typically taking 1 to 2 courses per semester.

A: Tuition is charged per credit. See Tuition & Fees for more information.

A: Yes. Courses are designed for part-time study alongside a full-time job.

A: All credits from this program transfer to the online Power Engineering M.Eng. degree program. Some credits may be eligible to apply toward other UW-Madison online engineering master’s programs; contact the program office for details.

A: Submit your application through our Professional Degrees & Certificates site. See Admissions for details or click here.

Ready to lead with confidence? Advance your career with UW–Madison’s online Capstone Certificate in Power Conversion and Control.

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