Graduate Program

Purdue established the School of Engineering Education (ENE)—the world's first such academic unit—in 2004, and along with it, the world's first engineering education doctoral program, for students who wish to pursue rigorous research in how engineering is best taught, learned, and practiced.

Just as the picture features our growing alumni community, the same is true for our graduate program! In the last three years, we have added a graduate certificate for both resident and online students and a new online master’s degree in engineering education.

Are you ready to take the next step to become a leader in engineering education?

Here, graduate students and faculty work together to probe how engineering is best learned, best taught, and best practiced.

Purdue has been a powerhouse for educating engineers for more than 120 years, but the academic study of how best to educate engineers has emerged in just the past few decades. Determined to lead in the discipline, in 2004 Purdue established the School of Engineering Education, the world's first such academic unit, and, along with it, the world's first engineering education graduate program.

At Purdue, an enthusiastic and committed community of scholars (including 25+ faculty members) has developed a research base for guiding engineering education by experimenting with new teaching methods, developing curricula, assessing how students learn, and moving those findings into the classrooms of tomorrow’s engineers. The ultimate goal? To educate engineering leaders who can respond creatively and responsibly to 21st-century challenges.


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PhD in Engineering Education

Years in the making, we took all of our frequently asked questions and created a one-stop-shop brochure to help guide you through the details of our PhD in Engineering Education.

Last Updated July 2020

Contact Us

  • Use this online form to request more information about graduate study in the School of Engineering Education.
  • Plan a Visit. Call the Engineering Education Graduate Programs Office at (765) 494-3331 or email us at enegrad@purdue.edu.
  • Explore other engineering education programs here.
  • Attend the ENE Open House

The online master’s program in engineering education covers both the theory and the practice of engineering education and is designed to be valuable to four different audiences:

Ph.D. students in engineering or a closely related field who are preparing for a faculty career,

Current engineering or science faculty members who would like to become more effective teachers, 

Mid-career scientists and engineers who are considering a second career teaching at a college or university, and

Industry professionals and consultants seeking continuing professional development and additional qualifications to support technical training.

Purdue University’s School of Engineering Education is the world's first such academic unit, originally designed for PhD students who wish to pursue rigorous research in how engineering is best taught, learned, and practiced.  The online Master’s Degree in Engineering Education has been added for those who want to understand both the underlying theory and the practical applications but are not currently planning to pursue a Ph.D. The online master’s program is offered through Purdue Graduate Engineering Online which is ranked among the top three by US News & World Report.

For those interested in a shorter graduate program, Engineering Education offers an online graduate certificate entitled Teaching and Learning in Engineering.  Courses in the graduate certificate can be counted toward the MS in Engineering Education if the student subsequently decides to pursue the master’s degree.

Some students in the master’s program may ultimately decide to pursue a Ph.D. in Engineering Education.  The master’s program is designed so that most, if not all, of the MS courses would count toward the Ph.D.


For More Information

Questions about the online MS ENE may be addressed to

Prof. Brent Jesiek, Chair, Graduate Committee, bjesiek@purdue.edu

Prof. Audeen Fentiman, Crowley Family Professor in Engineering Education, fentiman@purdue.edu

The Teaching and Learning in Engineering Graduate Certificate is designed to enhance the preparation of doctoral students in engineering for academic careers.  However, this certificate is also of value to current or prospective faculty members in engineering and other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields. 

Certificate outcomes include enhanced capability to

  • Think critically about teaching and learning
  • Streamline course design to align outcomes, assessment and instruction
  • Apply state of the art teaching methods to improve student learning
  • Identify and work with mentors to deepen your understanding of teaching and learning through feedback and reflection
  • Succeed as an engineering or STEM professor

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Graduate Certificate 
Online Brochure

A brief overview of our graduate certificate, Teaching and Learning in Education and the benefits for current engineering or STEM faculty, PhD students in STEM fields, and engineers and scientists seeking a career change. 

Last Updated June 2019