M.S.

Professional Development Leadership M.S. Requirement (ENGI E4000)

The Professional Development and Leadership (PDL) program educates students to maximize performance and achieve their full potential to become engineering leaders. The course aims to enhance and expand Columbia Engineering graduate students’ interpersonal, professional and leadership skills.

ENGI E4000 is an M.S. degree requirement.

Students are required to complete 10 total sessions in their first 2 semesters. Five core sessions, covering (1) Resume; (2) Professional Writing; (3) Engineer Your Job Search; (4) Communication; and (5) Ethics & Integrity. ENGI E4000 also requires (5) elective sessions to further students' development based on their personal interests. Students must take at least one Interview Skills and one Life Management elective.

This course is offered Pass/D/Fail.

While this is a graduation requirement that must be completed within your first two semesters of enrollment, we encourage you to personalize your journey through the PDL program by selecting sessions that are most pertinent to your personal and professional goals. 

Students will engage, learn and share their experiences in order to make meaning of professional development
and leadership. The students will:

  1. Launch your career by obtaining skills to find and keep a job, including: a professional portfolio (resume, LinkedIn, cover letter), interviewing, and grow your network;
  2. Cultivate your career by developing in the areas of: professional communication, time and stress management, programming and technical skills, and teamwork.
  3. Recognize and develop your leadership and followership style through observation and reflection. 
  4. Engage in experiential exercises and thought-provoking cases to develop ethical behavior and values.
  5. Promote well-being, kindness, and respect to positively effect change in the world and contribute to society.


Course Meeting Times
There will be PDL offerings during the semester at varying days and times. The precise offering will be announced at least 2 weeks in advance, and will require advanced registration via Hammer Hub. Consider your registration for a session as a professional commitment.

Academic Integrity
Complete any required assignments in a timely and ethical manner. We expect you to uphold Columbia’s standard on academic integrity.