The Engineering Leadership Program explores leadership challenges in applied science using liberal arts pedagogy. The program aims to cultivate  leaders of curiosity and character, whose technical expertise is enriched through the study of the political, moral, and philosophic dilemmas posed by the perpetual advancement of science and technology. Students in ENLP are encouraged to see engineering leadership as a humane discipline that requires lifelong reflection on questions that arise within the purview of science, but which science alone cannot answer.

The program offers a wide variety of courses on the thought and practice of leadership, many of which utilize primary source texts in history, the philosophy of science, moral philosophy, political science, and anthropology. The program’s courses count for humanities and social sciences credit in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, and most courses are discussion-based seminars. Students with a deep interest in ENLP’s curriculum are encouraged to pursue the Engineering Leadership Certificate and develop long-term relationships with faculty. Such students may also wish to take courses in the Herbst Program for Engineering, Ethics, and Society, many of which count for credit toward the ENLP certificate.

In addition to introducing students to the intellectual complexities of scientific leadership, the program also addresses contemporary concerns in engineering practice. CU engineering alumni and established leaders from engineering industry, business, and politics frequently visit ENLP classes to give guest lectures, hold interview sessions, and converse with students over informal lunches. The Engineering Leadership Program has also partnered with the Engineering Management Program to offer coursework for ENLP students interested in engineering project management, engineering entrepreneurship, and engineering economics.