Short Programs
Courses By Topic
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Please note that most of the courses in our current schedule can be offered at your location. Please visit our Custom Course Offerings page, which includes many of the courses listed below as well as additional offerings only available through Custom Programs.
Biotechnology / Pharmaceutical »
Crisis Management »
Data Modeling and Analysis »
Design, Analysis, and Manufacturing »
Energy / Sustainability / Transportation »
Enterprise Transformation »
Imaging »
Information and Communication Technologies »
Innovation »
Leadership / Negotiation »
Radar »
Robotics »
Systems Engineering »
Tribology »
Biotechnology / Pharmaceutical
Controlled Release Technology: Delivery Systems for Pharmaceuticals, Proteins, and Other Agents
R. Langer
Review the field and assess the prospects of future developments in the delivery and stabilization of chemicals and drugs. Topics include delivery methods and applications, with emphasis on controlled release in the pharmaceutical and medical fields. Regulatory and patent considerations will be addressed.
July 8-12, 2013 | $3,250 | 2.7 CEUs
Downstream Processing
C. Cooney
An overview of the fundamentals of downstream processing for biochemical product recovery. Discussion of practical examples and case studies to illustrate problems and solutions, along with a group project that focuses on process integration in downstream processing design.
August 5-9, 2013 | $4,050 | 2.7 CEUs
Fermentation Technology
D. I. C. Wang, K. Prather
This course emphasizes the application of biological and engineering principles to problems involving microbial, mammalian, and biochemical systems. The course will review fundamentals and provide an up-to-date account of current knowledge in biological and biochemical technology. The lectures will emphasize and place perspectives on biological systems with industrial practices.
July 29-August 2, 2013 | $4,050 | 2.8 CEUs
Flow Chemistry: Continuous Synthesis and Purification of Pharmaceuticals and Fine Chemicals
T. Jamison, K. Jensen
Overview of principles and technologies of continuous synthesis and purification of small molecules. Covers advantages and challenges of flow in comparison to batch, decision process for selecting between continuous or batch methods for a particular problem, automation, and scale-up strategies. Emphasizes cutting-edge methods, technologies, and case studies.
July 8-10, 2013 | $2,200 | 1.5 CEUs
Formulation and Stabilization of Biotherapeutics
B. Trout, M. Manning
Biotherapeutics, particularly antibodies, are currently the fastest growing pharmaceuticals. This course addresses the challenge of their stability in aqueous solutions and formulation. Topics range from aggregation to oxidation, deamidation, and hydrolysis with an emphasis on modeling. Includes cutting-edge technologies, tools, and knowledge to solve stability issues.
July 22-24, 2013 | $2,200 | 1.5 CEUs
Crisis Management
Crisis Management and Business Continuity
R. Larson, S. Goldman
With an effective combination of lecture, case studies, and class interaction, this course provides attendees with the tools and knowledge to benchmark, assess, and improve their business continuity, disaster recovery, and crisis management programs. Also included are subject-matter-expert assessments of current issues including terrorism, pandemic, cyber security, and crisis communications.
July 15-19, 2013 | $3,000 | 2.4 CEUs
Data Modeling and Analysis
Data and Models in Engineering, Science, and Business
F. D. Morgan
A course that allows participants to fit data to models. Topics include linear least squares, non-linear least squares, Singular Value Decomposition, sensitivity analysis, Levenberg-Marquardt and Ridge Regression algorithms, experiment design, parameter error estimation (Jackknife), genetic algorithm, annealing algorithm, and neural networks. Introduces principles leading to rapid application of methods. Lectures are given in the mornings, and pre-programmed computer exercises after lunch.
July 15-19, 2013 | $3,500 | 2.8 CEUs
Decision-Making, Design, and Strategy Under Uncertainty
M. Webster
An all-too-common practice in industrial or policy planning is to use a best-guess forecast and optimize the design, strategy, operation, or policy for that forecast. Unfortunately, this practice systematically leads to inefficient and generally undesirable outcomes because it does not explicitly consider uncertainty during the design/planning stage. This course is designed to increase your appreciation for WHY uncertainty matters and to give you the tools to design flexible strategies that will be robust to uncertainty.
July 8-12, 2013 | $3,750 | 2.8 CEUs
Design and Analysis of Experiments
P. Berger
After quickly reviewing the modest statistical background useful for the material in the course, we emphasize the design, implementation, and analysis of experiments in the physical, chemical, biological, medical, social, psychological, economic, engineering, and industrial sciences. We describe several real-world examples and include illustrations of analysis using several software packages. Our goal is to have you be able to carry out detailed experiments immediately upon your return to your company.
July 8-12, 2013 | $3,300 | 3.0 CEUs
Discrete Choice Analysis: Predicting Demand and Market Shares
M. Ben-Akiva
An in-depth study of discrete choice models (logit, nested logit, cross-nested logit, generalized extreme value, probit, logit mixtures, latent class), data collection, specification, estimation, statistical testing, forecasting, and application. Topics include the analysis of revealed and stated preferences data, sampling, simulation-based estimation, discrete panel data, Bayesian estimation, discrete-continuous models, menu choice, models with latent variables, and behavioral mixture models. Participants will learn practical applications, be provided with discrete choice software, and gain hands-on experience by estimating and testing alternative methods using real databases.
June 17-21, 2013 | $3,900 | 2.8 CEUs
NEW Social Data and Networks
M. Dahleh, D. Shah
Networks are ubiquitous in the modern era, be they social media networks such as Facebook, transportation networks formed by aerial or ground routes, political networks observed through blogs and opinions, energy dispatch networks formed between end-users and generators, or meta-networks observed in ‘interdependent’ data such as World Wide Web or biological protein interaction. We know a great deal about these networks, as all things online are recorded, cheap sensors of all sorts are providing a wealth of information about operations, and experiments can be performed at a massive scale. Understanding and utilizing such networks can help tremendously in making better societal decisions regarding public policies, business operations, financial market regulations, and utility network operations. In this course, we provide an in-depth, state-of-the-art analytic view toward making use of these networks a reality.
July 22-23, 2013 | $1,800 | 1.4 CEUs
Design, Analysis, and Manufacturing
Advanced Mechanical Design and Manufacturing
M. Culpepper
This course features intensive coverage of advanced mechanical design/mechanism theory, modeling, design, manufacturing, and fabrication practices. Emphasis is placed on understanding principles and fundamentals and how they are applied to current, emerging, and next generation applications as well as prior art. Practical applications from various industries will be discussed, including automotive, machine tool, biomedical, MEMs, and aerospace.
July 29-August 2, 2013 | $3,500 | 2.2 CEUs
Energy, Sustainability, and Life Cycle Assessment
T. Gutowski, B. Bakshi, D. Sekulic
This class addresses sustainability at multiple scales from the process level up to the global level. Analysis includes: 1) energy resource analysis, 2) material resource analysis, and 3) life cycle assessment. Examples will be taken from many areas to illustrate principles and recent advances, including fuels/biomaterials, water/desalination, and manufacturing/materials/design.
June 17-19, 2013 | $2,500 | 1.5 CEUs
High-Speed Imaging for Motion Analysis: Systems and Techniques
J. Bales and Edgerton Center Staff
A program for scientists, engineers, and photographers to learn how to gather data on rapidly moving subjects and events for study, motion analysis, and trouble-shooting. Mornings are spent in the lecture hall learning the fundamentals for lighting, imaging technologies, and motion analysis. Afternoons are spent making high-speed images in the laboratory. Relevant industry sectors include manufacturing, academic research, energy, biotech, aerospace, and ballistics.
June 17-20, 2013 | $2,400 | 2.6 CEUs
NEW Materials By Design
M. Buehler
The demand for high-performance materials with superior properties, flexibility, and resilience calls for a new design paradigm from the molecular scale upwards. This course covers the science, technology, and state of the art in atomistic, molecular, and multiscale modeling and experiment, applied to describe how mechanical properties of materials can be improved. Through lectures and hands-on labs, participants will learn how materials failure, studied from a first principles perspective, can be applied in an effective “learning-from-failure approach” to design and make novel materials. Participants will also learn how superior material properties in nature and biology can be mimicked in bioinspired materials for applications in new technology.
June 17-20, 2013 | $2,750 | 2.1 CEUs
Course Info »Energy / Sustainability / Transportation
Design of Motors, Generators, and Drive Systems
J. Kirtley, S. Leeb
This course focuses on the analysis and design of electric motors, generators, and drive systems, with special emphasis placed on the design of machines for electric drives. We will focus on fundamentals by using MATLAB software for mathematical analysis in the context of design. Extensive hands-on exposure will be provided through computer-based laboratory exercises and through the opportunity to construct and test an actual power electronic drive for a test motor in our laboratory.
June 10-14, 2013 | $3,500 | 3.2 CEUs
Energy, Sustainability, and Life Cycle Assessment
T. Gutowski, B. Bakshi, D. Sekulic
This class addresses sustainability at multiple scales from the process level up to the global level. Analysis includes: 1) energy resource analysis, 2) material resource analysis, and 3) life cycle assessment. Examples will be taken from many areas to illustrate principles and recent advances, including fuels/biomaterials, water/desalination, and manufacturing/materials/design.
June 17-19, 2013 | $2,500 | 1.5 CEUs
Innovations in Personal Urban Mobility
K. Larson, R. Chin
This workshop-style course will focus on the development and deployment of innovations for achieving sustainable personal mobility in cities. We will examine the latest innovations in technologies, designs, strategies, and policies employed by cities to increase energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and improve overall access and mobility for increasingly dense and crowded urban environments.
June 24-27, 2013 | $3,200 | 2.4 CEUs
Modeling and Simulation of Transportation Networks
M. Ben-Akiva
An in-depth study of state-of-the-art transportation network modeling and simulation methods including theory and applications of origin-destination estimation and prediction; traffic flow models and alternative simulation methods (microscopic, mesoscopic, and macroscopic); dynamic traffic assignment methods; models of user behavior; public transportation models; equilibrium methods; calibration and validation; and real time traffic information systems.
July 29-August 2, 2013 | $2,900 | 2.8 CEUs
Nuclear Plant Safety
M. Kazimi, N. Todreas
A review of safety and regulatory issues for operating reactors and licensing of new reactors. Emphasis on new developments. Fuel storage and waste repository issues will be covered.
June 10-14, 2013 | $3,300 | 2.9 CEUs
Sustainability: Principles and Practice
N. E. Selin
Introduces the goals, principles, and practical applications of sustainability. Examines sustainability definitions in the context of major environmental issues and trends from a scientific and practical perspective through lectures, case studies, and hands-on activities. Presents practical skills for integrating sustainability into business practices, operations, and policies.
August 5-9, 2013 | $3,300 | 2.6 CEUs
Enterprise Transformation
Architecting the Future Enterprise
D. Rhodes, D. Nightingale
Enterprises evolve over time, but transformation efforts too often fail to achieve intended outcomes. We teach a holistic approach to understand the ‘as-is’ enterprise, generate and evaluate alternative concepts, and select a ‘to-be’ architecture. Students learn techniques for stakeholder analysis and for ‘future-proofing’ to evaluate fitness of architectures for alternative futures.
June 10-12, 2013 | $2,500 | 1.7 CEUs
Principles of Enterprise Transformation
D. Nightingale, J. Srinivasan
This course highlights the importance of going beyond classical lean thinking to truly embracing the enterprise paradigm to achieve successful and sustainable transformation. Over two days, we provide a set of enterprise principles and a transformation roadmap that serve as the foundation for the holistic analysis framework that captures the current state, envisions the future state, and determines actions needed for transformation.
July 15-16, 2013 | $1,800 | 1.2 CEUs
Imaging
NEW Advances In Imaging
R. Raskar
The course provides an overview of computational imaging techniques. They include novel imaging platforms to sample light in radically new ways, emerging topics in image analysis, and exploitation. Key topics include lightfields, high dynamic range imaging, signal processing, applied optics, Fourier optics, ultrafast and multi-spectral imaging, compressive sensing, computer graphics and computer vision, electronics, art, and social photo collections.
July 29-30, 2013 | $1,600 | 1.2 CEUs
High-Speed Imaging for Motion Analysis: Systems and Techniques
J. Bales and Edgerton Center Staff
A program for scientists, engineers, and photographers to learn how to gather data on rapidly moving subjects and events for study, motion analysis, and trouble-shooting. Mornings are spent in the lecture hall learning the fundamentals for lighting, imaging technologies, and motion analysis. Afternoons are spent making high-speed images in the laboratory. Relevant industry sectors include manufacturing, academic research, energy, biotech, aerospace, and ballistics.
June 17-20, 2013 | $2,400 | 2.6 CEUs
Information and Communication Technologies
Applied Cyber Security
J. R. Williams, A. Sanchez
The course covers securing computers, applications, networks, digital forensics, fraud detection, and the ethical and legal practices affecting all computer users. The content is targeted at ensuring the privacy, reliability, and integrity of information systems.
June 24-25, 2013 | $1,800 | 1.3 CEUs
NEW Game Development for Software Engineers
J. Paradis, P. Tan
This course is intended for software development professionals aiming to understand the similarities and differences between modern software engineering and game development practices. Participants will conceive and develop prototype games in small teams, with access to game development tools and guidance from the MIT Game Lab.
August 5-9, 2013 | $3,750 | 3.0 CEUs
NEW Social Data and Networks
M. Dahleh, D. Shah
Networks are ubiquitous in the modern era, be they social media networks such as Facebook, transportation networks formed by aerial or ground routes, political networks observed through blogs and opinions, energy dispatch networks formed between end-users and generators, or meta-networks observed in ‘interdependent’ data such as World Wide Web or biological protein interaction. We know a great deal about these networks, as all things online are recorded, cheap sensors of all sorts are providing a wealth of information about operations, and experiments can be performed at a massive scale. Understanding and utilizing such networks can help tremendously in making better societal decisions regarding public policies, business operations, financial market regulations, and utility network operations. In this course, we provide an in-depth, state-of-the-art analytic view toward making use of these networks a reality.
July 22-23, 2013 | $1,800 | 1.4 CEUs
NEW Social TV: Architectures, Technologies, and Deployment
V. M. Bove, M. Montpetit
This course addresses the creation and delivery of next generation TV, including novel display technology, the device ecosystem, content creation, and community viewing challenges. We place particular emphasis on television in a social context and at the center of the convergence of communication and entertainment. Participants will explore the material via lectures and a short group project.
July 8-12, 2013 | $3,500 | 2.4 CEUs
Innovation
NEW Mastering Innovation and Design-Thinking
J. Schindall, B. Kotelly
Learn to think like a designer to create phenomenal products and services. Using a 10-step design process and a 3-step vision-creation process, this highly interactive class will expand your thinking and develop techniques to help you and your organizational teams create more powerful and successful solutions.
July 8-10, 2013 | $2,150 | 1.6 CEUs
Technology, Organizations, and Innovation: Putting Ideas to Work
S. Weiner, J. Womack
Innovations begin with new technical ideas, but that is just the first step on the path to success. Technical change usually requires complicated organizational changes as well. These changes include gaining resources for technical development and the support of others in the organization or outside it. Thus organizational change can be the real bottleneck in implementing new ideas. This course focuses on case studies of overcoming the bottlenecks: how to build the winning coalition for successful innovation.
June 24-27, 2013 | $3,600 | 2.4 CEUs
Radical Innovation
S. Sarma
Innovation is a challenge within a medium or large company. We will discuss methods to encourage innovation, ranging from creativity exercises to incentive systems and from IP strategies to internal venture. We will examine innovation from the financial, operational, and cultural standpoints and discuss when a spin-out or an acquisition might be best.
June 10-12, 2013 | $2,500 | 1.4 CEUs
Leadership / Negotiation
Challenges of Leadership in Teams
C. Colton, B. Burrell
Develop the skills and techniques you need to succeed and lead in today's team-based organizations. Experts in both business and psychology will address team dynamics, leadership style, and other key issues.
July 22-26, 2013 | $4,950 | 2.9 CEUs
NEW Engineering Leadership for Early Career Professionals
J. Schindall, R. Schuhmann
This highly interactive course, designed for those with fewer than 5 years in their fields, will develop your ability to lead projects and implement your ideas in the workplace. Participants will lead teams in engineering situations through role-plays, simulations, design-build experiences, case study analyses, and presentations. Participants will receive feedback on their leadership effectiveness and create plans for personal leadership development.
June 17-21, 2013 | $4,600 | 2.8 CEUs
Course Info »Leadership Skills for Engineering and Science Faculty
C. Leiserson, C. McVinney
This course focuses on human-centered strategies for leading effective teams in technical academic environments. Through a series of interactive role-playing activities, self-assessment instruments, and group discussions, you will develop a repertoire of techniques for addressing issues that commonly arise within engineering research groups and teaching staff.
June 10-11, 2013 | $1,600 | 1.4 CEUs
NEW Negotiation in Scientific and Technical Fields
X. de Souza Briggs
Explore strategies for effective and principled negotiation in technical fields and work settings. Through structured role plays, in-class discussion, and small-group coaching exercises, you will learn to analyze and conduct negotiations that secure important objectives and build or enhance working relationships—developing your personal style and repertoire in the process.
July 15-17, 2013 | $2,900 | 1.3 CEUs
Radar
Build a Laser Radar: Design Principles, Technologies, and Applications
J. Shapiro, K. Holman
In this project-based course, you will learn the fundamentals, operating principles, and applications of laser radar systems. You will also have the opportunity to perform laser radar experiments that demonstrate the basic operations for ranging, 3D imagery, and coherent sensing.
July 15-19, 2013 | $4,500 | 3.2 CEUs
NEW Build a Multi-Channel Search and Track Radar
G. Wornell, B. Perry
This unique, hands-on course covers the design, fabrication, and testing of a laptop-based phased array radar sensor capable of ground moving target imaging (GMTI) using analog and digital beamforming, along with applications of tracker principles on the acquired images. It will appeal to those who want to learn array-based radar systems engineering, analog and digital beamforming, or tracking; use radar technology in a product or experiment; or make components or sub-systems. Participants will build a radar channel and participate in group experiments highlighting analog and digital beamforming, calibration, and radar processing.
August 5-9, 2013 | $3,500 | 2.8 CEUs
Build a Small Phased Array Radar Sensor
M. Watts, S. Davis, T. Levy
Learn how phased-arrays work by reviewing applied electromagnetics, circuit design, and antennas. Then build your own phased array radar and perform field experiments including ranging and moving target imaging. This course will appeal to those who want hands-on experience learning about phased arrays, developing radar systems, and using radar technology for imaging.
June 24-28, 2013 | $3,800 | 2.8 CEUs
Build a Small Radar System
M. Watts, P. Bell
Learn how radar systems work by reviewing applied electromagnetics, circuit design, and antennas. Then build your own and perform field experiments including ranging, Doppler, and SAR imaging. This course will appeal to those who want to learn how to develop radar systems or SAR imaging, use radar technology, or make components or sub-systems.
June 10-14, 2013 | $3,500 | 2.8 CEUs
Robotics
NEW Rapid Robotics: Autonomous Systems with Open Source Software
H. Asada, M. Boulet
Get a hands-on introduction to applied robotics software programming. Using the popular ROS robotics framework and open source autonomy libraries, you will develop advanced autonomous system behaviors such as person-following, patrolling, exploration, and map-making on a small ground robot.
August 5-9, 2013 | $4,250 | 3.0 CEUs
Systems Engineering
Decision-Making, Design, and Strategy Under Uncertainty
M. Webster
An all-too-common practice in industrial or policy planning is to use a best-guess forecast and optimize the design, strategy, operation, or policy for that forecast. Unfortunately, this practice systematically leads to inefficient and generally undesirable outcomes because it does not explicitly consider uncertainty during the design/planning stage. This course is designed to increase your appreciation for WHY uncertainty matters and to give you the tools to design flexible strategies that will be robust to uncertainty.
July 8-12, 2013 | $3,750 | 2.8 CEUs
Product Platform and Product Family Design: From Strategy to Implementation
O. de Weck, T. Simpson
Explore the strategic and implementation aspects of using product architecture and platforms to manage a product family in a competitive manner. Learn the latest theory and tools through case studies, interactive discussion, and hands-on exercises.
July 22-25, 2013 | $3,600 | 2.6 CEUs
Systems Engineering, Architecture, and Lifecycle Design: Principles, Models, Tools, and Applications
E. Crawley, D. Dori
This course combines theoretical foundations of systems engineering and architecture with practical exercises to instill solid understanding of systems architecture and design principles. Foundations are formally presented using SysML (OMG Standard) and the emerging ISO 19450 Standard Object-Process Methodology, while student teams model a system of their interest using a systems engineering and lifecycle support software environment.
July 29-August 2, 2013 | $3,950 | 3.0 CEUs
Tribology
Tribology: Friction, Wear, and Lubrication
N. Saka
Did you know that waste from high friction and wear represents more than 6% of the GNP? Gain a systematic understanding of tribology—the science and technology of interacting surfaces—including experimental techniques and useful problem-solving methods.
June 24-28, 2013 | $3,250 | 2.8 CEUs
