Electric Power Systems Engineering

Designed for students with an undergraduate degree in an engineering discipline, the Master of Science in Electrical Power Systems Engineering (MSEPSE) provides graduate students with a thorough understanding of the tools, methods and practice of electric power engineering. The program was developed with the goal of providing an education that is directly applicable to a career in industry and is suitable for a new or recent graduate, as well as experienced professionals who want to receive the necessary retraining to change careers or pursue career advancement.

The MSEPSE is a 30-credit-hour degree program that does not require a thesis, oral exam or on-campus residency.

This program is administered by Engineering Online at NC State.

Eligibility

Minimum requirements for admissions to the graduate degree program in Electrical Power Systems Engineering include:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in electrical engineering
• An overall GPA of at least 3.0/4.0.
• Three letters of recommendation
• Statement of Purpose – a statement about your academic career, research, and career goals.

Students who do not have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in electrical engineering must satisfy the requirements listed at the MSEPSE graduate program website.

The distance education MSEPSE degree program is limited to those individuals who work or reside in the United States and to United States military personnel serving overseas. The Graduate School requires that all international applicants take the TOEFL or IELTS examination unless they have completed one year of study at a university in the United States. The exam must have been taken within 24 months of anticipated date of entry.

Plan of Study

The program consists of 30 credit hours. A full-time graduate student may take 9 credit hours of course work per semester; part-time students typically take 3 or 6 credit hours of coursework per semester. All requirements for the degree must be completed within six years of enrolling in the first course which appears on the NC State graduate transcript. All students must comply with Graduate School regulations for continuous registration or must request a leave of absence not to exceed one year.

Students who are employed full-time may enroll in only two courses per semester. It is highly recommended that new students enroll in just one course during their first semester.

Students are assigned an academic advisor and work with this advisor to develop an individual Plan of Graduate Work. Some specialty areas have specific course requirements.

Career Prospects

The MSEPSE explores issues including power system operation and control, power generation including renewable energy based systems, power distribution, communication systems for system monitoring, system protection, and transient and steady-state stability. This advanced degree provides the depth of knowledge necessary for career advancement in designing, managing, and improving critical electrical power systems.

Additional Resources

For detailed information regarding engineering online programs and how to apply and enroll, please visit the Engineering Online website.