Energy and Sustainability Engineering, MSE
Engineers will be at the forefront of designing and implementing solutions to address critical needs in energy transformation and storage, climate change, and environmental sustainability. This master’s program is an engineering degree with a strong technical focus, preparing students to become interdisciplinary leaders pioneering solutions in energy, climate, and sustainability. All students will complete one introductory course and participate in a hands-on, project-based component, which can take several forms. From four breadth categories—Environment and Climate Solutions, Clean Energy Technology, Society and Policy, and Economics and Innovation—students will select one concentration (three courses) and take one course in each of the remaining categories. Lorena Grundy serves as the program’s director and faculty advisor and is available for advising questions here.
Students participating in the program are expected to have undergraduate-level preparation in the physical sciences or engineering. All students will take a minimum 10 credit units towards the degree, of which at least 6 must be SEAS courses1 and all must be at or above the 5000 level.
Requirements
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| ENGR/CBE 5215 | Energy and Sustainability: Science, Engineering and Technology | 1 |
| ENGR 5020 | Engineering Sustainability at Penn 2 | 1 |
| Breadth and Concentration 3 | 6 | |
| Environment and Climate Solutions | ||
| Select 1 CU. Or if selecting this as your concentration, select 3 CU's. | ||
| Sustainability of Materials | ||
| Carbon Capture | ||
| Water Treatment Engineering | ||
| Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability | ||
| Aqueous Geochemistry | ||
| Advanced Atmospheric Chemistry | ||
| Advanced Climate and Big Data | ||
| Advanced Earth's Surface | ||
| Sustainable Development of Water Resource Systems | ||
| Sustainable Agriculture | ||
| One Health & Global Food Security | ||
| Topics in One Health: An Interdisciplinary One Health Seminar Course | ||
| Fundamentals of Bioclimatic Design | ||
| Building Performance Simulation | ||
| Thermodynamic Systems and Methods | ||
| Clean Energy Technology | ||
| Select 1 CU. Or if selecting this as your concentration, select 3 CU's. | ||
| Renewable Energy Technologies Lab | ||
| Electrochemistry Fundamentals, Practices, and Analysis | ||
| Computational Science of Energy and Chemical Transformations | ||
| Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage | ||
| The Physics of Solid State Energy Devices | ||
| Power Electronics | ||
| High Frequency Power Electronics | ||
| Energy Engineering in Power Plants and Transportation Systems | ||
| Direct Energy Conversion: from Macro to Nano | ||
| Wind Physics and Applications | ||
| Electrochemical Engineering of Materials | ||
| Electrochemistry: Methods and Chemical Applications | ||
| Energy, Waste and the Environment | ||
| Society and Policy | ||
| Select 1 CU. Or if selecting this as your concentration, select 3 CU's. | ||
| Introduction to Energy Policy | ||
| Complexities of the Global Energy Transition | ||
| Energy Geopolitics and National Security | ||
| Energy Justice | ||
| Decarbonization & Net Zero | ||
| Greenhouse Gas Removals & Net Zero | ||
| Effective Policy for the Energy Transition | ||
| Developing Environmental Policy | ||
| Global Energy Policy: Challenges, Strategies, and Opportunities | ||
| Environmental Law for Environmental Professionals | ||
| Urban Water Policies and Practices for a Changing Climate | ||
| Urban Water Policies and Practices for a Changing Climate | ||
| Environmental Risk Assessment: Science & Policy Challenges | ||
| Energy and its Impacts: Technology, Environment, Economics, Sustainability. | ||
| Renewable Energy and Its Impacts: Technology, Environment, Economics, Sustainability | ||
| Energy Systems and Policy | ||
| Climate Policy and Technology | ||
| Energy Grand Challenges at the Interface of Technology and Policy | ||
| Environmental Management: Law and Policy | ||
| Economics and Innovation | ||
| Select 1 CU. Or if selecting this as your concentration, select 3 CU's. | ||
| Materials Science and Market Signals in Clean Energy Supply Chains | ||
| Engineering Economics | ||
| Engineering Entrepreneurship I | ||
| Engineering Entrepreneurship II | ||
| Engineering Entrepreneurship Lab | ||
| Climate Risks and Opportunities | ||
| Building a Clean Energy Economy with Strong, Stable, Shared Growth | ||
| The Microeconomics of Clean Energy Technologies | ||
| Climate Technology: Finance and Policy | ||
| Global Supply Chain Decarbonization | ||
| Energy Markets and Policy | ||
| Climate and Financial Markets | ||
| The Business and Governance of Water | ||
| Environmental Sustainability and Value Creation | ||
| Strategy and Environmental Sustainability | ||
| Electives | 2 | |
| Engineering Courses | ||
| Multiscale Modeling of Chemical and Biological Systems | ||
| Chemical Product Design | ||
| Molecular Modeling and Simulations | ||
| Interfacial Phenomena | ||
| Experimental Methods and Autonomous Experimentation in Soft Materials Research -Theory and Practice | ||
| Advanced Molecular Thermodynamics | ||
| Advanced Chemical Kinetics and Reactor Design | ||
| Transport Processes I | ||
| Fundamentals of Linear Algebra and Optimization | ||
| Machine Learning | ||
| Big Data Analytics | ||
| Programming and Problem Solving | ||
| Linear Systems Theory | ||
| Simulation Modeling and Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Optimization Theory | ||
| Quantum Circuits and Systems | ||
| Electromagnetic and Optics | ||
| Prin of Quantum Tech | ||
| Quantum Engineering | ||
| Nanoscale Science and Engineering | ||
| Estimation and Detection Theory | ||
| Introduction to Micro- and Nano-electromechanical Technologies | ||
| System-on-a-Chip Architecture | ||
| Nanofabrication and Nanocharacterization | ||
| Hardware/Software Co-Design for Machine Learning | ||
| Machine Learning for Data Science | ||
| Statistics for Data Science | ||
| Human Systems Engineering | ||
| Transportation Planning Methods | ||
| Advanced Transportation Seminar | ||
| Datacenter Architecture | ||
| Mixed Signal Circuit Design and Modeling | ||
| Integrated Photonic Systems | ||
| Tribology | ||
| Failure Analysis of Engineering Materials | ||
| Materials and Manufacturing for Mechanical Design | ||
| Design of Mechatronic Systems | ||
| Feedback Control Design and Analysis | ||
| Design for Manufacturability | ||
| Elasticity and Micromechanics of Materials | ||
| Finite Element Analysis | ||
| Continuum Mechanics | ||
| Advanced Dynamics | ||
| Viscous Fluid Flow and Modern Applications | ||
| Turbulence | ||
| Transport Processes I | ||
| Mechanical Properties of Macro/Nanoscale Materials | ||
| Fundamentals of Materials | ||
| Mathematical Methods for Engineering Applications | ||
| Structure of Materials | ||
| Thermodynamics and Phase Equilibria | ||
| Electronic Properties of Materials | ||
| Kinetics of Materials | ||
| Atomic Modeling in Materials Science | ||
| Fabrication and Characterization of Micro and Nanostructured Materials | ||
| Physics of Materials I | ||
| Machine Learning and Its Applications in Materials Science | ||
| Introduction to Polymers | ||
| Non-Engineering Courses | ||
| Statistical Mechanics I | ||
| Statistical Mechanics II | ||
| Quantum Chemistry I | ||
| Quantum Chemistry II | ||
| Chemical Dynamics | ||
| Physical Organic Chemistry I | ||
| Physical Organic Chemistry II | ||
| Advanced Organic Chemistry 1 | ||
| Advanced Organic Chemistry 2 | ||
| Inorganic Chemistry II-A | ||
| Inorganic Chemistry II-B | ||
| Organometallics | ||
| Mathematics for Chemistry | ||
| Materials Chemistry | ||
| Chemistry of the f-Block Elements | ||
| Data Analysis in Earth Science | ||
| Advanced Geochemistry | ||
| Fundamentals of Climate Action Planning for Cities | ||
| Mathematical Methods of Physics | ||
| Electromagnetic Phenomena | ||
| Introduction to Condensed Matter Physics | ||
| Introduction to Elementary Particle Physics | ||
| Introduction to Liquid Crystals | ||
| Quantum Mechanics I | ||
| Statistical Mechanics | ||
| Total Course Units | 10 | |
- 1
SEAS programs are: BE, BIOT, CBE, CIS/CIT, EAS, ENGR, ENM, ESE, IPD, MSE, & MEAM. If a course is cross-listed, students must take the SEAS version of it for it to count toward this 6 SEAS course requirement.
While some courses may fit into multiple course requirements, students must take a total of 10 credit units and may not double-count courses across the curriculum. Double counting may be allowed in dual degree majors, accelerated programs and other select cases. Please see an advisor for more information. Additionally, students may not take cross-listed courses twice under different course codes and count these toward the degree twice.- 2
ENGR 5020 may be substituted for another energy- or sustainability-related experiential component at the discretion of the program director. Examples include independent study (e.g. CBE 5990) or an off-campus experience. If an off-campus experience is used, students must take an additional elective to satisfy the 10 CU requirement.
- 3
Students must take at least 1 CU in each breadth category. Students must select one breadth category as a concentration, in which to take at least an additional 2 CU's courses.
- 4
The final two credit units are electives. Any course from the above breadth categories may be used as an elective. The list above are pre-approved as electives. Other courses outside of those on this list must be approved by the program director.
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2026 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.
Below is a generic possible plan of study for a full-time master's student.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| ENGR/CBE 5215 | Energy and Sustainability: Science, Engineering and Technology | 1 |
| 1 CU of Concentration Course | 1 | |
| 1 CU of Breadth Area #1 | 1 | |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| 1 CU of Concentration Course | 1 | |
| 1 CU of Breadth Area #2 | 1 | |
| 1 CU Elective | 1 | |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| 1 CU of Breadth Area #3 | 1 | |
| 1 CU of Concentration | 1 | |
| 1 CU Elective | 1 | |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGR 5020 | Engineering Sustainability at Penn | 1 |
| Course Units | 1.00 | |
| Total Course Units | 10.00 | |
Below is a sample course plan for a student with a background in mechanical engineering.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| ENGR/CBE 5215 | Energy and Sustainability: Science, Engineering and Technology | 1 |
| MEAM 5020 | Energy Engineering in Power Plants and Transportation Systems | 1 |
| MEAM 5030 | Direct Energy Conversion: from Macro to Nano | 1 |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENMG 5300 | Energy Justice | 1 |
| EAS 5450 | Engineering Entrepreneurship I | 1 |
| MEAM 5040 | Tribology | 1 |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| MEAM 5480 | Wind Physics and Applications | 1 |
| MEAM 5620 | Water Treatment Engineering | 1 |
| ENGR 5400 | Engineering Economics | 1 |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGR 5020 | Engineering Sustainability at Penn | 1 |
| Course Units | 1.00 | |
| Total Course Units | 10.00 | |
Below is a sample course plan for a master's student with a background in chemical engineering.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| ENGR/CBE 5215 | Energy and Sustainability: Science, Engineering and Technology | 1 |
| MEAM 5480 | Wind Physics and Applications | 1 |
| MSE 5450 | Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability | 1 |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CBE 5300 | Electrochemistry Fundamentals, Practices, and Analysis | 1 |
| CBE 5050 | Carbon Capture | 1 |
| BEPP 7630 | Energy Markets and Policy | 1 |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CBE 5440 | Computational Science of Energy and Chemical Transformations | 1 |
| MSE 5450 | Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability | 1 |
| CBE 5990 | Master's Indep Study | 1 |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENMG 5450 | Greenhouse Gas Removals & Net Zero | 1 |
| Course Units | 1.00 | |
| Total Course Units | 10.00 | |