MSU College of Engineering unveils new technology engineering degree program

Michigan State University’s College of Engineering unveiled a new undergraduate technology engineering program, serving as the college’s latest response to industry demand for practice-ready engineers.

“Technology engineering is a new engineering discipline and MSU is leading the way with this,” Janet Brelin-Fornari, director of Technology Engineering, said in an interview with The State News.

Technology Engineering, or TechE, which was launched in fall 2024, blends mechanical, electrical and computer engineering with computer science to prepare students for modern engineering challenges while working in state-of-the-art labs. The program aims to bridge the gap between engineers and computer scientists across product development teams, according to a press release. 

“While students have the core of choosing a concentration, they can mix it with the new Smart Agricultural Systems minor, and they can take the courses in that track as well to fulfill that,” Brelin-Fornari said. “The industry has been so excited to get their hands on these engineers.”

The new program will include courses in hardware cybersecurity, electronics and embedded systems, sensors and signal processing, robotics and automation and controls with the goal to “leverage hands-on, real-world projects that integrate cutting-edge technologies with a strong foundational engineering mindset,” the release says.

Brelin-Fornari said that with the engineering field rapidly changing due to advanced technology, MSU has created the curriculum addressing the changes to make students “career-ready engineers.”

“The students have a set of foundational courses that they have to take,” Brelin-Fornari said. “They have courses in electronics, sensors and signal processing, digital logic to understand what’s going on inside of a chip and the computer side.”

With the skills and knowledge students can learn, Brelin-Fornari said the program is designed to be hands-on.

“You need to know and understand the theory, and as engineers, a big part of what we do is to apply that theory—but the theory needs to come to life,” Brelin-Fornari said. “With that, we have hands-on opportunities in most of the courses within Technology Engineering.”

The TechE degree program’s first graduating class is expected in fall 2026, with incoming students learning more about the program during New Student Orientation. Students can find more information on the Technology Engineering program through the College of Engineering’s website.