Advanced Certificate in High Energy Density Science
Program Details
Developed to meet growing needs in fusion research, national security, advanced materials, and planetary science, the advanced certificate in high energy density science (HEDS) is administered by the University of Rochester’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and approved by the New York State Board of Education.
Classes can be completed in-person or online. The program requires 16 credits, which can be taken full-time in the fall or spring semester or part-time over the course of two or four semesters.
How to Apply
We are accepting applications on a rolling basis for the HEDS program for fall 2026. Applicants should expect a decision within six weeks of a submitted application with complete documentation. All materials must be submitted no later than June 1, 2026, to be considered for fall 2026 admission.
The application consists of the following parts:
- Full online application
- Unofficial copies of transcript from all postsecondary institutions
- Curriculum Vitae/résumé
- Three letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose
- Copies of GRE scores uploaded to the online application
- Institution code: 2928
- Department code: 1603
- Official English Language Proficiency Test scores (International students)
Program Requirements
The advanced certificate in HEDS program is 16 credits, or the equivalent of four graduate level courses. The program can be completed in one semester of full-time study or two to four semesters of part-time study. Courses are currently offered in the fall and spring semesters during the day, and attendance is required. Some courses have been offered during the summer session but are not guaranteed every year. At this time, we do not offer courses in the evenings.
Courses
There are two required courses with electives in three tracks: plasma/inertial confinement fusion, HED materials, and HED astrophysics.
Required courses:
- ME 536: Hydrodynamic Instabilities in Fluids and High Energy Density Plasmas
- ME 537: Introduction to High Energy Density Physics
Electives:
- ME 408: Phase Transformation
- ME 434: Introduction to Plasma Physics I
- ME 435: Introduction to Plasma Physics II
- ME 439: Turbulence
- ME 488: Computational Methods for High Energy Density Physics
- ME 533: Intro-Inertial Confinement Fusion
- ME 535: Laser Plasma Interactions
- ME 545: Advanced Topics in Plasma Physics
- PHYS 451: Physics of Astrophysics I
- PHYS 452: Physics of Astrophysics II (Prerequisite: PHYS 451 Continuation of PHYS 451)
- EES 454: Physics of Planetary Interiors
For detailed descriptions of each course, visit the CDCS website.
Tuition
Courses are 4 graduate credits and part-time students will have no fees. For tuition information, please review the part-time schedule of tuition and fees on the Office of the Bursar web page.
Current PhD students may be awarded tuition scholarships on a competitive basis.
University of Rochester employees may be eligible for tuition benefits.
Contact Us
For additional information about the advanced certificate program, contact Cody Phillips, the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s graduate program administrator by emailing cody.phillips@rochester.edu.