The Engineering Leadership Program
The Engineering Leadership Program cultivates leaders of curiosity and character, whose technical expertise is enriched through the study of the political, moral and philosophic dilemmas posed by the perpetual advancement of science and technology.
Students in the Engineering Leadership Program are encouraged to see engineering leadership as a humane discipline that requires lifelong reflection on questions that arise within the purview of science, but which science alone cannot answer.
Meet Alumni and Industry Leaders
’s engineering alumni leaders play a crucial role in ENLP’s curriculum. Alumni and experts from engineering industry, academia, business, and politics frequently visit ENLP classes to give guest lectures, hold interview sessions, and converse with students over informal lunches.
Students gain illuminating perspectives of leadership through government and civic engagement from masterminds like Monisha Merchant and the Honorable Federico F. Pena. Corporate presidents and CEOs from businesses like Google, Lockheed Martin Corp., Textron Inc., LyondellBasell and National Instruments share their leadership knowledge.
Engineering Leadership Program Courses
The Engineering Leadership Program explores leadership challenges in applied science using liberal arts pedagogy and small discussion-based seminars.
- Engineering Leadership Program courses are open to all students in the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
- The program’s courses count for humanities and social sciences credit in the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
ENLP 2000: Leadership, Fame, and Failure - Examines the ambition, moral character, prudence, and grit required for effective leadership. Common causes of leadership failure are also considered. A wide variety of ancient and modern leaders are studied in the disciplines of science and technology, politics, business, and military affairs using primary source readings in history, philosophy, and literature. Also explores whether leadership is a teachable art.
ENLP 3000: Intelligent Leadership - Investigates what it means to be "smart.” In small, discussion-based classes, explores science fiction texts that generate fundamental questions about the dimensions, manifestations, and value of intelligence. Emphasizes relevance to leadership, with students researching how course themes are reflected in present-day, “real life” technologies, policies, and cultural phenomena.
ENLP 3100: Complex Leadership Challenges - Approaches leadership as a process of inquiry, empathy, and action, cultivating skills leaders need to understand, communicate about, and generate innovative approaches to complex issues. Each student conducts extensive, principled research about a complex social issue of their choice, investigating its multidimensionality by applying different analytic lenses.
ENLP 3150: Global Intensive in Uganda (1 Credit) - Augments ENLP 3100: Complex Leadership Challenges, extending this semester-long course to include a ten day immersion experience in Uganda and Rwanda. With an interdisciplinary lens on international development, engages students in individualized learning experiences that expose them to varieties of perspectives from diverse stakeholders working in areas of health, education, economic development, and public management.
ENLP 4000: The Empire of Modern Science - Examines science and technology's rise to the status of political, cultural, and economic leader of the modern world. Also considers the ambitions and limits of the modern scientific enterprise, and investigates whether scientists are adequately equipped to lead humanity's political, spiritual, and evolutionary future. Readings are drawn from primary sources in history, economics, politics, philosophy, and literature.
The program offers a wide variety of courses on the thought and practice of leadership, many of which utilize primary source texts in history, the philosophy of science, moral philosophy, political science and anthropology.
Certificate in Engineering Leadership
The Certificate in Engineering Leadership is designed for students who seek a deeper understanding of the relationship between leadership, applied science and the cultural and political challenges that face modern technological society.
Certificate students take a wide variety of engineering leadership courses, develop close relationships with faculty, host events and lead the student-centered components of the program.
Such students may also wish to take courses in the Herbst Program for Engineering, Ethics and Society, many of which count for credit toward the Certificate in Engineering Leadership.
As part of 's Center for Leadership community, ENLP connects students with leadership opportunities across campus and beyond, including mentorship, professional one-on-one leadership coaching, outdoor experiential education, and overlapping coursework in other minors and certificates.
Certificate Process
All certificate students are encouraged to begin their studies in engineering leadership by enrolling in ENLP 2000: Leadership, Fame, and Failure.
The certificate requires 12 credit hours (4 classes) of ENLP coursework, or 3 ENLP courses and 1 approved elective.
- All courses must be taken for a letter grade, students must achieve a minimum grade of C+ in each course, and courses may not be taken Pass/Fail.
- ASEN 3046: Introduction to Humans in Aviation
- ASIA 4500: Urban Asia – Tradition, Modernity, Challenges
- ASTR 4800: Space Science – Practice and Policy
- ATLS 2000: Meaning of Information Technology
- EHON: 1151: Critical Encounters
- EMEN 4030: Project Management Systems
- EMEN 4100: Engineering Economics
- EMEN 4050: Leadership and Professional Skills
- ENVS 3140: Environmental Ethics
- ENVS 3621: Energy Policy and Society
- ENES 1850: Engineering in History: The Social Impact of Technology
- ENES2100: The History of Science & Technology from Ancient Times to Newton
- ENES 2120: The History of Modern Science, from Newton to Einstein
- ENES 2130: The History of Modern Technology, from Steam to Atomic Power
- ENES 2210: Engineering, Science, and Society
- ENES 2020: The Meaning of Information Technology
- ENES 3100: Advanced Humanities for Engineers
- ENES 3350: Gods, Heroes, and Engineers
- ENES 3843: The Limits of Reason
- MILR 4072: Adaptive Leadership
- MILR 4082: Global Issues in Leadership
- NAVR 4020: Leadership and Ethics
- PHIL 1400: Philosophy and the Sciences
- PHIL 3160: Bioethics
- PHIL 3200: Social and Political Philosophy
- PHYS 3000: Science and Public Policy
- PRLC 1810: Leadership Foundations and Applications I
- PRLC3800: Global Issues in Leadership
- PSCI 1101: American Political System
- PSCI 2004: Survey – Western Political Thought
- PSCI 2106: Intro to Public Policy Analysis
- PSCI 2116: Environmental Policy and Policy Analysis
- PSCI 3011: American Presidency
- PSCI 3054: American Political Thought
Graduating students who have completed their certificate requirements must fill out the Certificate Completion Form to receive certificate status on their transcripts.
Minor in Leadership Studies
The Engineering Leadership Program provides an Engineering Leadership pathway to earning a Minor in Leadership Studies through the School of Education. Students who complete requirements for ENLP's Certificate in Engineering Leadership can take just one more course. LEAD 4000: Leadership in Context and Emerging Challenges: A Capstone, to earn a Minor along with their Certificate.
For more information, consult which also guides your next steps for declaring and completing the Minor. Please email Professor Thieman Dino with any questions about ENLP's Pathway to the Leadership Studies Minor.
Meet the team