Master of Engineering

Engineering for Tomorrow’s Power Industry

WPI’s Master of Engineering in Power Systems Engineering program will prepare electrical engineers for professional practice in the electric utility industry. It is also a great retraining tool for experienced engineers, or those who may not have a formal background in power systems.

Composed entirely of technical courses, this program brings together a wide variety of analytical and practical subjects, both classical and current, that are necessary for engineering success in today's power industry. These include foundational courses in rotating machinery, transmission and distribution systems, surge phenomena, system protection and dynamics, combined with other, more specialized topics.

Degree Requirements

Please see the prerequisites necessary for this program to determine if you have the correct background and experience. 

This part-time flexible program can be tailored to individual student goals with students choosing the courses that optimize their career and their schedule. Students, in consultation with their faculty advisor, develop a Plan of Study for their program.

Ten courses, 30 credit hours. A thesis is not required.

• Required Course (3 credits)
  • ECE 5500. Power System Analysis
• Choose four additional courses in Power Systems Engineering (12 credits)
  • ECE 523. Power Electronics
  • ECE 5510. Power Quality
  • ECE 5511. Transients in Power Systems 
  • ECE 5512. Electromechanical Energy Conversion
  • ECE 5520. Power System Protection and Control
  • ECE 5521. Protective Relaying 
  • ECE 5522. Advanced Applications in Protective Relaying 
  • ECE 5523. Power System Dynamics 
  • ECE 5530. Power Distribution 
  • ECE 5531. Power System Operation and Planning 
  • ECE 5540. Electric Power Transmission    
  • ECE 579S. Computer and Network Security 
  • ME593Z. Renewable Energy
• Choose two additional courses in either Power Systems Engineering and/or Electrical and Computer Engineering (6 credits) 
• Choose three electives from any of the following (9 credits):
  • Additional Power Systems Engineering Courses
  • Business Courses**
    • MIS 576. Project Management
    • OBC 500. Group and Interpersonal Dynamics in Complex Organizations
    • OIE 541. Operations Risk Management
    • OIE 598E. Engineering Economics
  • Any relevant course in engineering, mathematics or science at the graduate level.** 

**Note that not all courses shown in the graduate catalog are available online.

If a Master of Engineering Degree is not the right choice for you, consider our Online Master of Science Degree or Online Graduate Certificate Program. 

Online Learning

Graduate classes are captured as they happen at our Worcester, MA campus then streamed to you on the Internet. Each course has additional web-based content and collaboration tools that help foster interaction among faculty and students.

For more specifics about how online learning works, including information on the required technology, read Attending Online Class.