Sustainable Energy Minor

The Minor in Sustainable Energy provides the flexibility and focus that allows for students to expand their exposure to the topic within the context of their own major.  The goal of the program is to match the developing nature of the field with the skills needed to understand sustainable energy in the greater context of its opportunities and challenges.  Courses in the minor will build on existing competencies and create an experience that provides an exposure to new the perspectives and conceptual framework that is at the core of the developing field of sustainable energy.   

Objectives
The objectives of the Minor in Sustainable Energy are to provide students with the educational experience necessary to participate in one of the fastest growing fields of employment.  Coupled with an ability to focus on meaningful employment, is our challenge to confront a changing climate; students will be given an opportunity to be a part of the solution. 

Curriculum and Requirements
The curriculum and requirements for the minor are based on exposure to three competencies that reflect the exposure necessary to grasp the basic understanding of sustainable energy: 

• Technical – Requires a basic understanding of the grid, energy flow, energy usage and the technologies of efficiency, generation and management of energy and generation sources. 
• Economics and Finance – Requires a basic understanding of utility structure, energy markets and utility rate-making.  An additional focus includes the business aspect of financing and projecting the cost-effectiveness of energy generation sources and fuels – including the development of innovative business models for deploying sustainable energy. 
• Policy – Requires a basic understanding in policy-making and implementation, including a historic perspective of our utilities, incentives and subsidies and their impact on market forces.  An additional focus includes the policy impacts of aspects related to sustainable energy deployment, including, interconnection, net metering and feed in tariffs and tax incentives. 

Academic policies related to Minors.

• Appropriate course substitutes from other study-abroad programs may also be used with permission.