Goal
The RESS professional master’s program (MPS-RESS) is an interdisciplinary master’s degree program designed to prepare professionals to lead the world’s transition from the fossil-fuel-based energy economy to a more sustainable operation based on renewable sources. For example, attaining an ambitious national goal of 25% of energy from renewable resources by the year 2025 in the U.S. requires a tremendous increase in renewable energy share and the use of energy technology in ways that are reliable, equitable, and environmentally sound. The MPS-RESS program is designed to address the critical need for professional workforce skilled to design and implement renewable energy and sustainability projects.
Curriculum
The program provides broad coverage of topics from energy technologies and resource to and economics and policy. Students follow a focused curriculum that combines requisite rigor with flexibility appropriate for the rapidly changing field. The core courses provide an in-depth understanding of the sustainability framework relevant to energy and sustainability systems as well as science fundamentals and principles of key technologies. Further, students may choose to follow one of the two program tracks: (i) Renewable Energy Systems or (ii) Sustainability Management and Policy. The former provides specialized technical instruction in various engineering aspects of energy systems while the latter considers broader aspects of energy business and its role in sustainable development.
A comprehensive Scholarship and Academic Research Integrity (SARI) plan embeds ethics and integrity training both at the start and at the end of the Master’s program. The Capstone experience course is required of all students and serves to aggregate the material and skills learned throughout the program and apply it to a real-world scenario. Capstone is a group project for which students are connected to real clients and stakeholders in the industry.
Requirements
The MPS-RESS degree is conferred upon students who earn a minimum of 33 credits of course work at the 400, 500, or 800 level while maintaining an average grade-point average of 3.0 or better, including at least 18 credits at the 500 or 800 level and who complete a Capstone experience (capstone course or scholarly paper) in consultation with a graduate adviser.
The program curriculum includes:
- 12 credits of core courses
- 12 credits of courses from either program tracks
- 6 credits of electives
- 3-credit Capstone experience
For more details
For specific coursework breakdown and sample academic plans, navigate to specific 'tracks' under RESS-MPS in the menu.
With any questions on the RESS curriculum, structure, and requirements, please email to [email protected]