Master of Engineering Leadership in Design Innovation (MELDI)
Turn challenges into opportunities
Boost your skills to become the leader the world needs in today's fast-paced, changing landscape. The MELDI program combines cutting-edge engineering with training in leadership, management, and innovation to give you the skills to drive change, both in tech and in the world around you.
Skills that set you apart
With a mix of technical expertise and business-savvy leadership, you'll be equipped to engineer solutions to real problems. MELDI gives you the depth and breadth to make a meaningful impact when it matters most.
The future needs you
You've got the drive to make a change through engineering, and the ambition to level up your career. The world is evolving, and to stay ahead, you need to sharpen your skills. MELDI delivers the tools and the edge you need to step into new challenges with confidence.
Level up your leadership
Grow as a leader, explore your personal leadership style, master organizational dynamics, and discover how to communicate more effectively. Collaborate with a team to tackle real-world engineering projects. With a strong support network of mentors, you'll gain the confidence and expertise to thrive in both technical and leadership roles.
MELDI isn't about getting ahead, it's about making your mark. Ready to make a difference for yourself and the world? Let's do it together.
The MELDI program overview
The MELDI program blends advanced tech skills with leadership, change management, and innovative design thinking. It's the next-level engineering training you need to tackle the challenges of the 21st century.
The program offers a range of options to specialize in areas where you can dive deep into engineering knowledge. Each concentration is forward-thinking, focused on the transformations happening in tech and the world. Check out our four technical concentrations and choose the one that's perfect for your future.
Program Stream 1: Modern Decarbonized Energy Systems
Take charge of the energy revolution, now and for the future. Move away from carbon-heavy energy systems and drive the shift to clean, decarbonized alternatives. With the right mix of technical know-how and management skills, you'll help adapt power grids to renewable energy, increased demand and climate challenges. This is a pivotal moment for innovation, investment and policy to change the way we produce and consume energy. This program will help you make an impact on both global society and the planet for years to come. The future of power is clean, smart, and resilient, and it starts with you.
Concentration 1: Energy Transitions for the Future
Led by chemical engineering
Leverage your engineering background to lead the charge in shaping the future of energy. From renewables to next-gen nuclear, clean energy is the answer to cutting emissions and powering the world sustainably. New policies, innovations, and industries are emerging to support this shift, and you'll be at the forefront of it all. Get ready to lead the clean energy revolution.
Advanced technical course topics:
- Renewable energy generation
- Generation IV and advanced nuclear power systems
- Bio-energy production
- Environmental regulations
Concentration 2: Resilient Power Systems
Led by electrical engineering
Supercharge your engineering skills to power the decarbonization movement. Rethink how we generate, distribute and use energy. Explore cutting-edge digital technologies that make the grid smarter, more efficient and resilient. Lead the design and management of future power systems, ensuring they're ready for the challenges ahead.
Advanced technical course topics:
- Industrial electronics
- Renewable energy systems
- Power system optimization
- Power system stability
Program Stream 2: Manufacturing and Design
The way we create things is changing fast, thanks to the 4th Industrial Revolution. This program dives into the latest materials and game-changing manufacturing methods. Think cradle-to-cradle production and the circular economic, where waste is minimized, efficiency is maximized, and new technologies help us do more with less. From biodegradable materials to smart tech that cuts waste and speeds up production, you'll be part of the next big shift in how we build and make things. Be part of the next wave of innovation. The world is changing fast, and the future of manufacturing and design is in your hands. Let's make it smarter, greener and more sustainable together.
Concentration 3: Building Better Communities
Led by civil engineering
If you're passionate about solving the housing crisis and creating future-proof communities, then this is for you. Explore new ways to accelerate construction while making it safer, greener and more sustainable. Design better homes and buildings, then expand your skills to build more resilient and fair communities for everyone.
Advanced technical course topics:
- Advanced digital technologies in the built environment
- Building sustainable and equitable communities
- Construction materials for the future
- Energy efficiency in building design
Concentration 4: Innovative Manufacturing
Led by mechanical engineering
The future of manufacturing is here - powered by new materials, new methods and innovative tech. Get hands-on with the circular economy and the 4th Industrial Revolution. Think robotics, AI, machine learning, 3D printing and more. This concentration will push you to the forefront of digital manufacturing, where you'll learn how to use automation and new technologies to transform industries.
Advanced technical course topics:
- Advanced manufacturing technologies
- Additive manufacturing
- Advanced materials
- Automation and industry 4.0
All advanced concentrations are supported by UNB Engineering’s globally recognized and respected research. Select your concentration when you apply.
Year 1 courses
August refresher
- ENGG 6111 Computer Programming
- ENGG 6112 Engineering Mathematics
Year 1 overview
- Technical Concentration (12 ch)
- Design Innovation (6 ch)
- Management and Leadership (6 ch)
Fall: Term 1 (12 ch)
- Program Stream core course: Either ENGG 6411 Energy for a Decarbonized World, or ENGG 6412 The Future of Making Things
- First technical concentration
- ENGG 6211 Transformative Design for a Transforming World
- LEAD 6311 Leading as an Engineer
Winter: Term 2 (12 ch)
- ENGG 6113 Data Science and Application
- Second technical concentration
- ENGG 6212 Strategizing Design
- MBA 6166 Communicating Innovation and Change
Year 2 courses
Summer
- Co-op Option
Year 2 overview
- Technical Concentration (6 ch)
- Design Innovation (6 ch)
- Management and Leadership (12 ch)
Fall: Term 3 (12 ch)
- Third technical concentration
- ENGG 6221 Design Innovation Studio 1
- LEAD 6321 Understanding Systems
- MBA 6178 Managing Innovative Engineering Projects
Winter: Term 4 (12 ch)
- Fourth technical concentration
- ENGG 6222 Design Innovation Studio 2
- MBA 6134 Managing Innovative Organizations
- LEAD 6322 Engineers Exercising Leadership
Advance with MELDI: Lead, innovate, connect
Lead the charge in your career
MELDI's management and leadership courses are all about empowering you to drive change and innovation. Sharpen your leadership skills, improve your communication, and master the art of analyzing organizations to find and overcome barriers to progress. Take your influence beyond the workplace and make an impact in your community too.
Create with a purpose
Innovating is a team effort. MELDI's design innovation courses immerse you in the full process, from theory to practice and application. You'll collaborate with a team on a real project for an industry partner, designing new products, processes, or systems to solve real challenges. Throughout the project, you'll be mentored by professionals and experts who help guide your creative process.
Expand your network
Through the design project and an optional summer co-op, you'll build valuable connections within the industry. Plus, you'll gain real Canadian work experience to boost your resume and help you land your dream job after graduation.
Ge ready to lead, innovate and thrive with MELDI.
Dive into the details
Degree benefits
Take your advanced technical expertise and step into leadership. The field of engingeering is changing rapidly to an emphasis on interdisciplinary team work. There is a new urgency to promote resiliency and sustainability along with advances in processes and materials. Technical experts who can lead and innovate are essential to the global shifts and transformations.
The MELDI is
- comprehensive, with a well balanced approach to interdisciplinary engineering leadership,
- future-focused, to help you evaluate, analyze and understand the context of your work in a changing world,
- challenging, through skill development in management, leadership, and design innovation, and
- designed to enhance your creativity, with a two-term design studio.
Management and leadership course topics
Be the change you want to see with a curriculum based on change management. The leadership and management courses start with personal leadership styles and approaches and end with a view to the wider world to enable leadership in any context.
- Leading as an Engineer
- Communicating innovation and change
- Understanding systems
- Managing innovative engineering projects
- Managing innovative organizations
- Engineers exercising leadership
Design innovation course topics
Start with a foundational methodology and theory of design innovation. Then live your learning in a team project.
- Transformative design for a transforming world
- Strategizing design
- Design innovation studio 1
- Design innovation studio 2
Common technical courses
There are common technical courses for all students.
- Computer Programming (refresher course for all students in August)
- Engineering Mathematics (refresher course for all students in August)
- Data Science and Application (all first-year MELDI students)
- Five advanced technical courses in your concentration
Tuition and fees
Tentative tuition costs are $14,380 per year for domestic tuition and $20,315 per year for international tuition, with a programming fee of $1,500 per student per year. Fees are pending Board approval and may be adjusted.
The outlined costs are an estimate only for the Academic Year: 2025-2026, based on the selected criteria. Actual amounts are subject to review and may increase with each year of study. Mandatory fees, including insurance also apply each new academic year. Additional course costs may also apply. In the event of a discrepancy, the fees listed by Financial Services will be taken as authoritative for the given academic year.
How to apply
This is a premium program with early application deadlines. Mark these dates for a start in August 2025.
- Applications open for fall term 2025 on Nov. 15, 2024.
- Applications close for fall term 2025 on March 1, 2025.
- Applicants notified of acceptance by March 31, 2025.
What it takes to join us
- Check that you qualify with an undergraduate degree that prepares you for your chosen specialization.
- Make sure you are ready for advanced technical training with a minimum Canadian GPA of 3.0 (B) average.
- Complete the application. A complete submission, with references, can be processed more quickly.
- If you are an international applicant whose first language is not English, submit language scores. See our English language requirements.
- See the School of Graduate Studies for more details.
How to find out more
Contact Cheryl Bradbee, Curriculum Designer, at c.bradbee@unb.ca.
