Power Engineering Programs & Research

Power engineering education, research and partnerships for a changing grid

Power engineering is evolving quickly. Electric utilities, manufacturers, developers, consultants and researchers are all responding to major shifts in the field, including renewable generation, inverter-based resources, storage, electrification and grid modernization. Clarkson’s strength is helping students and partners engage with those changes through rigorous academics, practical experience and research that connects directly to industry and society.

Clarkson University brings together strong teaching, applied research and meaningful industry engagement to prepare students and collaborators for the future of electric power. From undergraduate study through doctoral research, Clarkson offers multiple ways to build expertise in power systems, grid modernization, renewable integration, reliability, resilience and advanced analysis.

Why Clarkson for Power Engineering

Research and teaching that connect to real-world challenges
Clarkson combines strong fundamentals with current power system challenges. Students and faculty engage with topics such as renewable integration, grid reliability, resilience, energy storage, protection, planning and operations.
Hands-on preparation
Students learn through more than lectures alone. Labs, simulation, capstone experiences, internships, co-ops and applied research all help students connect theory with practice.
Industry-informed learning
Clarkson’s program benefits from strong connections with industry and alumni. Those relationships help create professional opportunities for students while keeping academic work aligned with the needs of the field.
Multiple educational pathways
Whether you're just starting college, preparing for graduate research or returning as a working professional, Clarkson offers flexible educational pathways in power engineering.

Power Engineering Research Strengths

Research areas aligned with the modern electric grid

Clarkson’s faculty and students work on challenges that matter now and will matter even more in the years ahead. Research and teaching strengths in power engineering include:

Power system reliability and resilience
Renewable and inverter-based resource integration
Offshore wind and photovoltaic impacts on the grid
Energy storage and flexible power resources
Power system planning, operations and protection
Modeling, simulation and analysis for complex electric networks

This work helps prepare students to contribute to a field that is changing rapidly and supports opportunities for sponsored research, cross-institutional collaboration and industry engagement.

Center for Electric Power Systems Research (CEPSR)

Clarkson University’s Center for Electric Power Systems Research (CEPSR) is a national leader in electric power engineering education and research. Building on one of the top power engineering programs in the United States, CEPSR connects students with industry experts and cutting-edge research focused on clean energy, smart grids and electrification. Undergraduate and graduate students gain hands-on experience tackling real-world challenges like reducing carbon emissions and advancing sustainable energy systems. With strong industry partnerships and career-focused programs, Clarkson prepares future power engineers to lead the transformation of the global energy landscape.

Meet Our Electric Power Engineering Faculty

Educational Pathways

Undergraduate Program Options

Electrical Engineering Major
Students interested in power engineering can begin with Clarkson’s Electrical Engineering bachelor's degree program and build toward electric power applications through upper-level coursework, laboratories, projects and applied experiences.

Electrical Power Engineering Concentration
This pathway offers a more specialized route for electrical engineering bachelor's degree students who want to focus more directly on electric power systems and related technologies through a professional concentration.

Power Engineering Research
Students from a variety of majors, minors and concentrations can take part in the many power engineering research projects unfolding at Clarkson, starting from their first semester.

Graduate Program Options

Power Systems Engineering Advanced Certificate
This 12 credit advanced certificate offers a focused option for learners who want targeted graduate-level expertise in electric power and power systems engineering.

Electrical and Computer Engineering Master's Program with Power Engineering Concentration
Clarkson’s electrical and computer engineering master’s degree program allows students to deepen technical knowledge in electrical and computer engineering while pursuing advanced work in power engineering through coursework and research.

Watch this video explaining our Power Engineering Distance Learning Cohort Program

Electrical and Computer Engineering Ph.D. Program
Students in the electrical and computer engineering doctoral program can pursue original research in power systems and related fields with close faculty mentorship and opportunities to address major challenges in the future of the grid.

Industry Partnerships & Engagement

A strong platform for collaboration

Clarkson’s power engineering community offers meaningful ways for outside organizations to engage. Corporate partners, research collaborators and donors can help shape the next generation of engineers while advancing shared goals in innovation, talent development and applied problem solving.

Opportunities for engagement

sponsored research
capstone and student project support
internships and co-ops
guest lectures and industry mentoring
laboratory and equipment investments
student scholarships and program support

Partner With Us

Our Industry Partners & Board Members

In 2018, Clarkson established the Center of Electric Power System Research (CEPSR) to advance and promote research, education, and outreach activities between Clarkson and the industry with board members including:

Yonghong Chen, Chief Scientist, Grid Planning and Analysis Center, NREL
Frank Peverly, Market Segment Leader, CHA
Casey Kirkpatrick, Director, Group Strategic Engineering (NY), National Grid
Carl Terry, Consultant, Nuclear Power Industry
Robb Pike, Vice President, Market Operations, NYISO

Nathan Cote, Manager, P&C Engineering Projects, Eversource
Dan Lorden, Principal, DJL Energy Consulting, LLC
Andrew Boulais, Regional Manager and SVP- Northern New York, New York Power Authority
Bruce Balch, Senior Manager, Clean Energy Policy Energy Storage, Avangrid

Career Possibilities

Earning a degree in electrical & computer engineering with a concentration in power engineering can boost your job prospects, creating new career opportunities and the potential for higher earnings.

Today, all electrical engineers are in demand throughout many areas of the economy, including:

Commissioning and operations engineering
Distribution system planning
High voltage engineering
Photovoltaic power
Power electronics converter design
Power equipment and control design
Transmission system planning
Wind energy systems

Below are common job titles for our graduates:

Bulk power system operator
Commissioning engineer
Congestion analyst
Consulting engineer
Control and protection engineer
Data center project manager
Distribution planning engineer
Electric power systems engineer
Market design specialist
Power supply engineer
Product development engineer
Substation design engineer
Transmission engineer

Furthering Career Opportunities

Isaac Ashdown, a graduate student in Clarkson’s online MS in Electrical Engineering (Power Systems Cohort) program, is already applying what he’s learning to his full-time engineering career at National Grid.⁠
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“I knew earning a master’s degree from such a reputable university would open career opportunities that might have otherwise been out of reach.”⁠
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From synchronous lectures to cohort collaboration, Isaac is proving that flexible online learning can still be highly connected and career-changing.
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