Penn Engineering recently announced the launch of its new Master of Science in Engineering in Energy and Sustainability program.
The program is designed for students interested in technical training related to energy systems and sustainability. It will combine coursework with a required team-based capstone project and opportunities for internships or industry experiences.
According to the Almanac, the MESE curriculum will emphasize experiential learning and applied coursework applicable to industry challenges, and provide students with practical experience in energy and sustainability.
Students enrolled in the program will be able to choose from four concentration areas: environment and climate solutions, clean energy technology, society and policy, and economics and innovation. The curriculum also allows students to take courses across the University, including at the Wharton School, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Stuart Weitzman School of Design.
MESE Program Director Lorena Grundy told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the idea for the program stemmed from conversations with students who had strong engineering backgrounds but said they were unsure how to apply their skills to energy and sustainability work.
“What we’re trying to do with this program is take people who have a technical background in some kind of engineering, science, or math and help them learn the fundamentals of energy and sustainability engineering so that they can apply those skills to climate change and environmental sustainability,” Grundy said.
Grundy explained that this approach will allow students to use their engineering knowledge to find practical solutions to complex environmental challenges.
As the program develops, Grundy said she hopes to expand opportunities for students beyond the classroom, particularly through partnerships and applied experiences.
“As the program grows and program alumni are off working at really exciting companies or in government or at other universities, more and more collaboration opportunities,” Grundy said. “Because I really think you learn in the classroom, but you learn a lot outside the classroom. So growing that even more, I think, will be really exciting.”
Grundy added that the program is open to external applicants looking to pursue a master’s degree at Penn, and available to current Penn undergraduates — both within the School of Engineering and Applied Science and in other schools — as an accelerated master’s program.
