There is an increasing demand for engineers who are qualified to work in and lead technical teams and are prepared to collaborate with clients and other organizations, both nationally and internationally. The Engineering Leadership Development (ELD) minor develops leadership potential and builds multicultural awareness through a curriculum grounded in hands-on, real-life leadership challenges. Courses in engineering leadership provide students opportunities to work in diverse teams on technically relevant projects while practicing and developing their leadership skills. Students gain an understanding of individual, team, and organizational leadership; business acumen, global competencies and multicultural awareness; and innovation and management.
Penn State students with a minor in Engineering Leadership Development have been successful in establishing careers as team leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs, in a wide variety of engineering, research, and education fields.
Coursework
The ELD minor can be completed at the Wilkes-Barre campus, or it can be begun at Wilkes-Barre and completed at University Park.
The minor consists of 18 total credits:
- 6 credits of required Engineering courses
- 6 credits of supporting Engineering courses
- 6 credits of relevant general education courses
A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor. In addition, at least six credits of the minor must be unique from the prescribed courses required by a student’s major(s).
Below is a flowchart giving an overview of the courses required to complete the Engineering Leadership Development minor:
Wilkes-Barre Track
Required Courses
(Note: At Wilkes-Barre, all four required ENGR courses in the minor are taught as asynchronous Web courses.)
ENGR 408: Leadership Principles
A project-based exploration of theories and principles of engineering leadership. Students will gain essential knowledge and skills in leading technical teams, project management, and self-awareness of leadership abilities. This course also counts towards most technical electives for engineering majors. (3 credits; fall, spring, summer)
(Note: program coordinator approval required if before semester 5.)
ENGR 405: Project Management for Professionals
Covers the essential concepts and skills needed to make effective contributions on projects, on time and within budget. (3 credits; fall, spring, summer)
ENGR 411: Entrepreneurship Business Basics
Three critical entrepreneurship skills are covered for non-business majors: business finance, intellectual property, and marketing. (3 credits; spring, summer)
(Note: 3 credits of economics is a prerequisite for ENGR 411.)
ENGR 409: Leadership in Organizations
Development of leadership skills essential for engineers to guide colleagues or an organization in a productive direction. (3 credits; fall)
Supporting General Education Electives
Select two of the courses listed below in consultation with your adviser.
(Note: At Wilkes-Barre, all of the courses below are taught in person.)
English 184: The Short Story (GH)
This course is designed to introduce students to the art of the short story and to acquaint them with some of its most talented writers. (3 credits; fall)
CRIMJ 100: Introduction to Criminal Justice (GS)
Criminal Justice 100 is an overview of the United States criminal justice system and the major components of police, courts and corrections. (3 credits; fall)
RHS 100: Introduction to Disability Culture (GS/US/IL)
This course is designed to increase student awareness of personal, interpersonal, and societal aspects of disability, including how disability can be defined and understood differently in varied individual, institutional, and cultural contexts. (3 credits; fall)
COMM 100N: The Mass Media and Society (GH/GS/US)
Mass communications in the United States: organization, role, content, and effects of newspapers, magazines, television, radio, books, and films. The course pays particular attention to the social influences (e.g., economics, politics, technology, law and culture) that shape media messages. (3 credits; fall)
INART 126N: The Popular Arts in America: The History of Hip-Hop (GA/GH/US)
Students will examine the cultural, economic, social, and political implications of hip-hop nationally and globally. Drawing on frameworks like critical race theory and Black feminist/womanist theory, students will engage in enduring debates at the heart of hip-hop — debates about art, race, class, gender, citizenship, power, and the body. (3 credits; fall)
PSYCH 100: Introductory Psychology (GS)
This course provides an overview of the field of psychology, including research, theory, and application. Specific topics include the biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, learning, cognition, motivation and emotion, development, social cognition and social influence, personality and individual differences, and mental disorders and therapy. (3 credits; spring)
SOC 119N: Race, Ethnicity and Culture (GH/GS/IL/US)
This course focuses on historical patterns and current status of racial, ethnic and cultural groups and issues locally, nationally, and internationally. (3 credits; spring)
Wilkes-Barre Suggested Academic Plan
| Semester | Course | Offered | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|---|
| sem. 1 | ENGL 184* or CRIMJ 100* or RHS 100* or COMM 100N* or INART 126N* |
fall | |
| sem. 2 | PSYCH 100* or SOC 119N* | spring | |
| sem. 3 | ENGR 408 | fall, spring, summer | program coordinator approval |
| sem. 4 | ENGR 405 | spring, summer | |
| sem. 5 | ENGR 409 | fall | |
| sem. 6 | ENGR 411 | spring, summer | 3 credits of Economics |
*This schedule is just one way of completing the minor. The two supporting general education selections can be taken at any time that they are offered and that works with the student’s schedule.
University Park Track
Required Courses
ENGR 408: Leadership Principles
A project-based exploration of theories and principles of engineering leadership. Students will gain essential knowledge and skills in leading technical teams, project management, and self-awareness of leadership abilities. This course also counts towards most technical electives for engineering majors.
ENGR 407: Technology-Based Entrepreneurship
Technology innovation coupled with business planning and development.
Additional Engineering Courses
Select two of the courses below in consultation with your adviser (or just one if you already took ENGR 405 at Wilkes-Barre):
ENGR 405: Project Management for Professionals
Covers the essential concepts and skills needed to make effective contributions on projects, on time and within budget.
ENGR 409: Leadership in Organizations
Development of leadership skills essential for engineers to guide colleagues or an organization in a productive direction.
ENGR 410: Coaching Skills and Practice for Engineering Leaders
This course provides an applied approach to engineering leadership education. Students will develop a deeper understanding of leading engineering teams through applying coaching techniques designed to foster innovative and creative thinking through a non-directive process.
ENGR 422: Leadership of International Virtual Engineering Teams
This course provides students with the opportunity to develop intercultural engineering collaboration skills. The course focuses on developing leadership competence in cross-cultural teaming through a virtual learning environment.
ENGR 496: Independent Study (Schreyer Honors College only)
If you choose to do your honors thesis within an engineering leadership discipline, the ENGR 496 independent study can be applied for 3 credits towards the completion of the ELD minor.
ENGR 497: Ethics and Equity
The course will examine the role of the engineer in the development of the technological society. It will cover an introduction to major ethical theories including utilitarianism, duty ethics, virtue ethics and care ethics. The second part of the course will examine the overlap between engineering, equity, and leadership.
Supporting General Education Electives
Select two from a list of relevant general education courses in consultation with your adviser.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can complete the minor in Engineering Leadership Development?
Students in all majors are eligible to take the ELD minor; an engineering background is recommended but not required.
How long will it take for me to complete the minor?
The two elective courses in the minor can be used to fulfill some of Penn State’s General Education requirements. Students interested in the ELD minor should work closely with their academic advisers within their degree program to plan the best sequence of courses.
I’m a 2+2 student. Can I complete the minor while I’m still at Penn State Wilkes-Barre?
No, but you can begin it here, and complete it at University Park. (See the flowchart above for details.)
Are the ELD minor courses online or in person?
At the Wilkes-Barre campus, it’s a combination of online and in person. All of the ENGR courses in the minor are asynchronous Web, while the general education courses are in person.
At University Park, the delivery method varies. Check LionPATH before enrolling.
How do I enroll in the ELD minor? What is the first course I should take?
Whether you are at the Wilkes-Barre campus or University Park, begin the minor by first enrolling in ENGR 408 (speak to the program coordinator to get the semester 5 requirement waived). Then you can enroll in the ELD minor through LionPATH. Discuss the ELD minor’s elective options with your academic adviser, and then sign up for your remaining ELD courses. (Don’t forget to take the prerequisite 3-credit course in economics before ENGR 411.)
At Wilkes-Barre, sign up for these remaining courses:
- ENGR 405, ENGR 409, and ENGR 411
- Two of the following: ENGL 184, CRIMJ 100, COMM 100N, RHS 100, PSYCH 100, SOC 119N, INART 126N
At University Park, sign up for these remaining courses:
- ENGR 407
- Two of the following: ENGR 405, 409, 410, 422, 496, and 497
(or just one if you already took ENGR 405 at Wilkes-Barre) - Two of the courses from a list of relevant general education courses.
Where can I go for more information?
Talk to the academic adviser within your degree program to discuss the Engineering Leadership Development minor. You can also read more on the College of Engineering’s website:
ELDM helped me to go outside my comfort zone while working in teams and helped me to be more understanding of other cultures on both a business and personal level.
