Master of Engineering in Engineering, Law, and Policy

With the increasing rate of technological innovation and convergence among technologies and systems —such as Industry 4.0; energy and communication systems; the digitalization of industry through automation, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, among others—unprecedented political, ethical, economical, legal, and social implications emerge. These result in new opportunities as well as risks. To prepare the next generation of STEM professionals versed in policy and law systems and in the way emerging technologies interact with and enter into these systems, the Law, Policy, and Engineering (LPE) initiative created a new master of engineering degree in engineering, law, and policy (MELP).
The engineering, law, and policy degree leverages strengths from across Penn State as the first graduate program of its kind. This innovative non-thesis residential master’s program is the first academic offering of LPE, a collaborative initiative between the College of Engineering, the School of International Affairs, and Penn State Law at University Park. Students that pursue the MELP degree will attain broad interdisciplinary competence, an understanding of the societal and ethical impacts of emerging technologies, and technical, policy, and regulatory skills to become innovative leaders of change. This advanced professional program is flexible and can be customized to meet each students’ interests, needs, and technical background. It can be completed in as little as two semesters of intensive study, one year of full-time study, or two years of part-time study.