Graduate Courses for Reliability Engineering (ENRE)

Schedule of Classes: Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer
(Only current and next semester available)

ENRE 445 Applied Reliability Engineering I (3 credits)
Prerequisite: MATH246, PHYS270 and 271 (Formerly: PHYS263), or permission of instructor. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE445 or ENRE489C. Formerly ENRE489C.
Topics covered include: fundamental understanding of how things fail, probabilistic models to represent failure phenomena, life-models for non-repairable items, reliability data collection and analysis and applicable quality techniques. Distribution functions such as the normal, Weibull, exponential, binomial, and gamma are explored.

ENRE 446 Applied Reliability Engineering II (3 credits)
Prerequisite: MATH246, PHYS270 and 271 {Formerly: PHYS263}, or permission of instructor. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE446 or ENRE489D. Formerly ENRE489D.
Topics covered include: System modeling and analysis, designing for reliability, reliability testing, reliability in manufacturing, and reliability management. Fault tree analysis, RBD, and cut sets are covered along with sneak circuits, time-on-test plots and acceptance testing.

ENRE 447 Fundamentals of Reliability Engineering (3 credits)
Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE445 or ENRE447. Formerly ENRE445.
Topics covered include: fundamental understanding of how things fail, probabilistic models to represent failure phenomena, life-models for non-repairable items, reliability data collection and analysis, software reliability models, and human reliability models.

ENRE 452 Software Testing (3 credits)
Prerequisite: CMSC114 or CMSC214; and CMSC/MATH475 or MATH461; or permission of department.
Topics covered include: Methods for unit testing, and system testing; Structural testing (flowgraphs and data-flows); Functional testing (behavioral models and textual descriptions); Deterministic and statistical generation of inputs; testing of object-oriented programs.

ENRE 489 Special Topics in Reliability Engineering (3 credits)
Prerequisite: permission of department. Repeatable to 6 credits if content differs.
Selected topics of current importance in reliability engineering.

ENRE 600 Reliability Engineering (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 620.
Organization, management and communication concepts in reliablity engineering. Mechanisms and physics of failure, methods for failure-rate determination. Methods of design for reliability and maintainability. Life cycle costing and equipment sparing policies. Measuring reliability for improvement.

ENRE 601 Fundamentals of Failure Mechanisms (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 620. For ENRE majors only.
Introduces students to basic principles of Reliability Engineering and Reliability Physics. The approach is to provide a general tool set by which engineers can understand how to consider reliability in all phases of the design and manufacture of a product. The emphasis is on integrating statistics and probability with understanding the fundamental physics of processes that lead to failures.

ENRE 602 Reliability Analysis (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 620.
Principal methods of reliability analysis, including fault tree and reliability block diagrams; Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA); event tree construction and evaluation; reliability data collection and analysis; methods of modeling systems for reliability analysis. Focus on problems related to process industries, fossil-fueled power plant availability, and other systems of concern to engineers.

ENRE 607 Reliability Engineering Seminar (1 credits)
Topics of current interest, emphasizing the latest techniques and developments. Invited speakers will be selected to provide insights from the viewpoint of practitioners noted for their expertise in various facets of industry. Managers of reliability programs will be included along with those who are responsible for setting national policies and requirements. In-depth reviews will be provided, describing current research work underway across the nation.

ENRE 620 Mathematical Techniques of Reliability Engineering (3 credits)
Also offered as ENNU 620.
Basic probability and statistics (required for ENRE 600 and ENRE 602). Application of selected mathematical techniques to the analysis and solution of reliability engineering problems. Applications of matrices, vectors, tensors, differential equations, integral transforms, and probability methods to a wide range of reliability related problems.

ENRE 624 Failure Mechanisms and Effects Laboratory (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 600 or permission of department. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 624 or ENRE 674. Formerly ENRE674.
Techniques for studying failure analysis, corrosion and corrosion protection, statistical process control, mechanical failure mode analysis, failure reporting and corrective action systems, and environmental stress screening.

ENRE 625 Materials Selection and Mechanical Reliability (3 credits)
Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 625 or ENRE 648L. Formerly ENRE648L.
Topics include: microstructure development, mechanical properties of metals, plymers, ceramics, composites and semiconductors, fracture, fatigue, creep, fractography and failure analysis.

ENRE 640 Collection and Analysis of Reliability Data (3 credits)
Prerequisites: ENRE 620 and ENRE 602.
Basic life model concepts. Probabilistic life models, for components with both time independent and time dependent loads. Data analysis, parametric and nonparametric estimation of basic time-to-failure distributions. Data analysis for systems. Accelerated life models. Repairable systems modeling.

ENRE 641 Accelerated Testing (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 663 or permission of department. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 641 or ENRE 650. Formerly ENRE650.
Models for life testing at constant stress. Graphical and analytical methods. Test plans for accelerated testing. Competing failure modes and size effects. Models and data analyses for step and time varying stresses. Optimizing of test plans.

ENRE 642 Reliability Engineering Management (3 credits)
Unifying systems perspective of reliability engineering management. Design, development and management of organizations and reliability programs including: management of systems evaluation and test protocols, development of risk management-mitigation processes, and management of functional tasks performed by reliability engineers.

ENRE 643 Advanced product assurance (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 600 and ENRE 602 or permission of department. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 643 and ENRE 680. Formerly ENRE680.
Product assurance policies, objectives, and management. Material acquisition management, quality control documents and product assurance costing. Design input and process control, advanced testing technology, regression methods, and nondestructive testing. Simulation techniques, CAD/CAE methods. Software quality management, software documentation and software testing methods. Total quality management.

ENRE 644 Bayesian Reliability Analysis ( credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 602 and ENRE 655 or permission of department. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 644 or ENRE 730. Formerly ENRE730.
Foundations of Bayesian statistical inference, Bayesian inference in reliability, performing a Bayesian reliability analysis, Bayesian decision and estimation theory, prior distribution such as non-informative, conjugate, beta, gamma, and negative log gamma, estimation methods basedon attribute life test data for estimating failure rates and survival probabilities. System reliability assessment and methods of assigning priordistribution. Empirical Bayes reliability estimates (implicitly or explicitly estimated priors).

ENRE 645 Human Reliability Analysis (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 600 and ENRE 602 or permission of department. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 645 or ENRE 734. Formerly ENRE734.
Methods of solving practical human reliability problems, the THERP, SLIM, OAT and SHARP methods, performance shaping factors, human machine systems analysis, distribution of human performance and uncertainty bounds, skill levels, source of human error probability data, examples and case studies.

ENRE 646 Maintainability Engineering (3 credits)
Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 646 or ENRE 740. Formerly ENRE740.
Role of maintainability in readiness and profitability. Design principles, including fault tolerant design, FMECA for maintainability, maintainability quantification, establishing testability requirements, establishing hardware and software requirements and reliability centeredmaintenance.

ENRE 648 Special Problems in Reliability Engineering (1-6 credits)
Repeatable to 6 credits if content differs.
For students who have definite plans for individual study of approved problems. Credit given according to extent of work.

ENRE 650 Accelerated Testing (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 663.
Models for life testing at constant stress. Graphical and analytical analysis methods. Test plans for accelerated testing. Competing failure modes and size effects. Models and data analyses for step and time varying stresses. Optimization of test plans.

ENRE 653 Advanced Reliability and Maintainability Engineering (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 600. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 653 or ENRE 663. Formerly ENRE663.
Reliability and maintainability concepts in conceptual, development, production and deployment phases of industrial products. Costing of reliability, methods of obtaining approximate reliability estimates and confidence limits. Methods of reliability testing-current research and developments in the area of reliability engineering. Modern CAD techniques in reliability design, thermal analysis of circuit boards, vibration analysis, maintainability analysis and preventive maintenance methods.

ENRE 655 Advanced Methods in Reliability Modeling (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 602. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 655 or ENRE 665. Formerly ENRE665.
Bayesian methods and applications, estimation of rare event frequencies, uncertainty analysis and propagation methods, reliability analysis of dynamic systems, analysis of dependent failures, reliability of repairable systems, human reliability analysis methods and theory of logic diagrams and application to systems reliability.

ENRE 657 Telecommunications Systems Reliability (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 602.
Reliability perspectives in telecommunications networks, comparison of networks with respect to operations and reliability, network relibility modeling techniques, applicable procedural/human reliability models, and network metric objectives and data collection.

ENRE 661 Microelectronics Device Reliability (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 600. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 661 or ENRE 648Q. Formerly ENRE648Q.
An approach to continuous improvement of reliability of semiconductor devices is developed. Topics covered include: an introduction to device technology, degradation mechanisms, optoelectronic components, power device reliability and accelerated testing.

ENRE 662 Reliability and Quality in Microcircuit Manufacturing (3 credits)
Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 662 or ENRE 750. Formerly ENRE750.
Design and materials characteristics of microcircuits, including discrete chips, hybrids, printed wiring boards and electronic assemblies. Thermal design analysis. Common failure mechanisms, including metallization and interconnect degradation. Typical manufacturing processes and variability control. Design for reliability and manufacturability.

ENRE 663 Advanced Reliability and Maintainability Engineering (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 462.
Reliability and maintainability concepts in conceptual, development, production, and deployment phases of industrial products. Costing of reliability, methods of obtaining approximate reliability estimates and confidence limits. Methods of reliability testing-current research and developments in the area of reliability engineering. Modern CAD techniques in reliability design, thermal analysis of circuit boards, vibration analysis, maintainability analysis, and preventive maintenance methods.

ENRE 664 Electronic Packaging Materials (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 620 or permission of department. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 648N or ENRE 664. Formerly ENRE648N.
Energy bands and carrier concentration, carrier transport phenomena, p-n junction, bipolar devices, unipolar devices, crystal growth and epitaxy, oxidation and film deposition, diffusion and ion implantation, lithography and etching, integrated devices, electomigration.

ENRE 665 Advanced Methods in Reliability Modeling (3 credits)
Bayesian methods and applications, estimation of rare event frequencies, uncertainty analysis and propagation methods, reliability analysis of dynamic systems, analysis of dependent failures, reliability of repairable systems, human reliability analysis methods, and theory of logic diagrams and application to systems reliability.

ENRE 670 Risk Assessment for Engineers I (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 602. Also offered as ENNU 651. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENNU 651 or ENRE 670.
Why study risk, sources of risk, probabilistic risk assessment procedure, factors affecting risk acceptance, statistical risk acceptance analysis, psychometric risk acceptance, perception of risk, comparison or risks, consequence analysis, risk benefit assessment. Risk analysis performed for light water reactors, chemical industry, and dams. Class projects on risk management concepts.

ENRE 671 Risk Assessment for Engineers II (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 670. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 648W or ENRE 671. Formerly ENRE648W.
Advanced techniques for performing quantitative risk assessment will be covered. The fundamental theory of systems risk modeling, methods for vulnerability identification, risk scenario development and probability assessment are presented. Also covered are methods for risk results presentation and several example applications.

ENRE 674 Failure Mechanisms and Effects Laboratory (3 credits)
Prerequisite: ENRE 600 or permission of instructor.
Techniques for studying failure analysis, corrosion and corrosion protection, statistical process control, mechanical failure mode analysis, failure reporting and corrective action systems, and environmental stress screening.

ENRE 681 Software Quality Assurance (3 credits)
Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 648G or ENRE 681. Formerly ENRE648G.
Topics covered will include: quality assurance roles in the software lifecycle, government and industry standards/methodologies, quality system scoring, quality system management, quality analysis metrics and tools for assessment. The principles of software configuration management, software testing and maintenance will also be covered. A laboratory with software quality analysis tools is used.

ENRE 682 Software Reliability and Integrity (3 credits)
Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 682 or ENRE 732. Formerly ENRE732.
Defining software reliability, initiatives and standards on software reliability, inherent characteristics of software which determine reliability, types of software errors, structured design, overview of software reliability models, software fault tree analysis, software redundancy, automating tools for software reliability protypes and real time software reliability.

ENRE 683 Software Safety (3 credits)
Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 648M or ENRE 683. Formerly ENRE648M.
The focus is on major software safety standards in government and industry, the software safety lifecycle, detailed coverage in safety requirements-specificatioon, analysis, modeling, designing, coding, testing and maintenance. Also covered are hazard analysis and design, failure modes and effects analysis, fault tree anlaysis, designing for fault tolerance and formal methods techniques for developing high assurance software. A laboratory with software tools is used.

ENRE 684 Information Security (3 credits)
Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 648J or ENRE 684. Formerly ENRE648J.
This course is divided into three major components: overview, detailed concepts and implementation techniques. The topics to be covered are: general security concerns and concepts from both a technical and management point of view, principles of security, architectures, access control and multi-level security, trojan horses, covert channels, trap doors, hardware security mechanism, security models, security kernels, formal specifications and verification, networks and distribution systems and risk analysis.

ENRE 689 Special Topics in Engineering Materials (3 credits)

ENRE 730 Bayesian Reliability Analysis (3 credits)
Prerequisites: ENRE 470 and ENRE 462.
Foundations of Bayesian statistical inference, Bayesian inference in reliability, performing a Bayesian reliability analysis, Bayesian decision and estimation theory, prior distributions such as non-informative, conjugate, beta, gamma, and negative log gamma, estimation methods based on attribute life test data for estimating failure rates and survival probabilities. System reliability assessment and methods of assigning prior distribution. Empirical Bayes reliability estimates (implicity or explicitly estimated priors).

ENRE 732 Software Reliability and Integrety (3 credits)
Defining software reliability, initiatives and standards on software reliability, inherent characteristics of software which determine reliability, types of software errors, structured design, overview of software reliability models, software fault tree analysis, software redundancy, automating tools for software reliability protypes, and real time software reliability.

ENRE 734 Human Reliability Analysis (3 credits)
Prerequisites: ENRE 470 and ENRE 462; or permission of department. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENRE 734 or ENSE 606.
Methods of solving practical human reliability problems, the THERP, SLIM, OAT, and SHARP methods, performance shaping factors, human machine systems analysis, distribution of human performance and uncertainty bounds, skill levels, source of human error probability data, examples and case studies.

ENRE 750 Reliability and Quality in Microcircuit Manufacturing (3 credits)
Design and materials characteristics of microcircuits, including discrete chips, hybrids, printed wiring boards and electronic assemblies. Thermal design analysis. Common failure mechanisms, including metallization and interconnect degradation. Typical manufacturing processes and variability control. Design for reliability and manufacturability.

ENRE 770 Life Cycle Cost and System Sustainment Analysis (3 credits)
Also offered as ENME770. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENME770 or ENRE770.
This course melds elements of traditional engineering economics with manufacturing process and sustainment modeling, and life cycle cost management concepts to form a practical foundation for predicting the cost of products and systems. Various manufacturing cost analysis will be presented including: process-flow, parametric, cost of ownership, and activity based costing. The effects of learning curves, data uncertainty, test and rework processes, and defects will be considered. Aspects of system sustainment including the impact on the life cycle (and life cycle costs) of reliability, maintenance, environment impact, and obsolescence will be treated.

ENRE 798 Master's Non-Thesis Research (1-6 credits)

ENRE 799 Master's Thesis Research (1-6 credits)

ENRE 898 Pre-Candidacy Research (1-8 credits)

ENRE 899 Doctoral Dissertation Research (1-8 credits)