Education for Electric Power Engineering

This invited paper was presented at the Second Panamerican Congress of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. A one-year graduate program in electric power engineering has been in operation at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute since the fall of 1962; it has been quite successful, with the number of participating students increasing tenfold in this five-year period, from three students in 1962 to thirty-five students in 1967. Among a total 10 percent of students from outside the United States in the program, some are from South American countries. This program is based on engineering education, with emphasis on the electrical phase, acquired in studies leading to a first degree on the bachelor level. Completion of the program results in the Master of Engineering degree. The students devote about half of their time to electric power engineering topics, and the other half to advanced studies covering engineering economics, mathematics, and applied physics. A suggested syllabus includes a variety of recommended courses which enable the student to develop a coordinated program that is general enough to provide a well-rounded foundation for continued studies in specialized areas.