Purdue to launch engineering master’s program focused on innovative technologies

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Today’s trend of electronics-in-everything requires engineers who can build and code. To meet this growing demand, Purdue University’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering is launching a new Professional Master’s Program with a concentration in innovative technologies. The one-year program provides engineers with the technical depth, breadth at the edges of their technical focus, and the critical professional, business, and soft skills needed to excel in professional settings today.

The aim of the program is to develop leaders in technology innovation; the focus is on creating innovative products and solutions enabled by new technologies.

According to Vijay Raghunathan, director of the program and professor of electrical and computer engineering, the centerpiece is a yearlong, immersive design experience in which student teams conceive, pitch and execute ambitious projects while at the same time developing and practicing their technical, business and soft skills.

“Integrating a realistic design experience with the development of success skills will help students in this new program quickly develop into tomorrow’s leaders in technology innovation,” Raghunathan said.

Each student chooses a technical focus track (a few of which include autonomous vehicles, Internet of Things, System-on-Chip design) and then builds breadth at the edges of their technical focus by choosing a set of 1-credit short courses. These unique short courses were developed specifically for the Professional Master’s Program by Purdue faculty who are internationally known for integrating forefront research with innovative curriculum development. Students will leave the program with skills in hardware design, coupled with an understanding of systems, society, software, data science and AI.

Mark Lundstrom is the Don and Carol Scifres Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and chairs the faculty leadership council for the Professional Master’s Program. He says the goal of this accelerated program is to develop “technology maestros”— engineers with a deep understanding of fundamentals, unusual technical breadth, and with a rare talent for creating new technologies and transitioning them to the market place.

“Progress in electronics over the past 50 years has given us a set of technologies with almost unlimited capabilities, and new technologies continue to emerge,” Lundstrom said. “This new program is designed to develop technical leaders who can seize the opportunities that this new era of electronics offers.”

Each year’s cohort begins in the fall and includes students with different technical expertise and different backgrounds, some with industry experience and some coming directly from undergraduate programs. Applications for the first cohort, beginning in fall 2019, are being accepted. The deadline for priority consideration is 11:59 p.m. EST Jan. 15. Applications will be accepted until May 1, but space is limited, so apply early. For more information, see https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECE/Academics/PMP.

The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, established in 1888, was one of the world’s first EE programs. It is the largest school at Purdue, with more than 100 faculty and more than 1,700 students. Purdue ECE consistently ranks among the top 10 programs in the United States. 

Media Contact: Brian Huchel, 765-494-2084, bhuchel@purdue.edu 

Source: Vijay Raghunathan, vr@purdue.edu