Graduate Energy Certificate Program at CU-Boulder

Solving society's energy-related problems is not just a technical challenge. It will require contributions from law, business, humanities, journalism, and other disciplines as well. This graduate certificate program is intended to supplement, not replace, graduate students' degree programs. Graduates from this certificate program - whether they have J.D.s. MBAs., Masters degrees, or doctorates - will have a strong understanding of energy science and technologies, energy alternatives, energy markets and business, and energy policy. They will be well-prepared to apply their disciplinary knowledge to the energy challenge.

Paul Komor, Energy Education Director and Lecturer in Environmental Studies, directs and manages this program. Decisions about the program, including those related to course requirements and admissions, are made by the Energy Certificate Committee. Members of this Committee are:

• William Boyd, School of Law
• Paul Komor, Chair, Environmental Studies, Energy Initiative
• Michael Hannigan, Mechanical Engineering
• Carl Koval, Chemistry, Energy Initiative
• Steve Lawrence, Leeds School of Business
• Tom Yulsman, Journalism

The complete list of participating faculty:

• Len Ackland, Journalism
• Bernard Amadei, CEAE
• Linnea Avallone, ATOC and Academic Advising
• Sam Fitch, ENVS
• Lakshman Guruswamy, Law
• Michael Hannigan, Mechanical Engineering
• Paul Komor, Environmental Studies and Energy Initiative
• Carl Koval, Chemistry and Energy Initiative
• Steve Lawrence, Leeds School of Business
• Lucy Pao, ECE
• Jerry Peterson, Physics
• Roger Pielke, ENVS, CSTPR
• Keith Stockton, Leeds School of Business
• Tom Yulsman, Journalism
• Michael Zimmerman, Philosophy, Center for Humanities and Arts

The certificate program requires 18 hours of coursework: 9 for core courses, and 9 for electives.

The core courses cover the essentials of renewable and sustainable energy:

• An understanding of energy science and technology: resources, units of measurement, conversion technologies, supply and demand trends and forecasts.
• An understanding of energy politics, policy, and law: how society makes decisions about energy, what are the policy tools that can influence energy use and how do they work, how stakeholders interact to yield energy policy decisions.
• An understanding of energy markets and business. How the private sector influences energy supply, demand, and conversion; how energy markets operate; opportunities and risks in energy markets and energy businesses.

These core courses are followed by electives, which allow students to focus on specific areas that are of interest. These electives are varied, however they all share a focus on energy.

Students must take the three courses listed below, and achieve a grade of C or better in all three courses. It is recommended that the courses be taken in the sequence shown.

ENER 5000 (ENVS 5100) Energy Science and Technology
This course provides an understanding of the basics of energy science and technologies. The course starts with energy concepts (such as 'power, 'resources,' and 'carriers'), and then takes a closer look at how the U.S. produces, transforms, and consumes energy. The course explores how energy use contributes to environmental challenges, notably climate change. The course then assesses alternatives, including renewables and energy efficiency, to better understand their potentials and limitations. No technical background is required. Taught by Keith Stockton.

NOTE: Completion of a similar course, or substantive energy work experience, may be able to substitute for ENER 5000. See the FAQ section.

ENER 5001 (ENVS 5820) Renewable Energy Policy
Plentiful renewable energy resources and working technologies are necessary but not sufficient to ensure widespread use. This course uses a mix of lectures, guest speakers, discussions, mock debates, and student presentations to tease apart the complex process through which renewable technologies move from niche markets to widespread use. Questions this class addresses include: What policy tools are available to promote renewables, and how well do they work? What does it mean for a policy to be 'successful'? Are subsidies for renewables, such as the wind production tax credit, appropriate? What role can and should renewables play in carbon markets? Taught by Paul Komor.

ENER 5002 (BADM 6930) Assessing Sustainable Energy Technologies
This course focuses on the entrepreneurial opportunities that result from the growing global need for alternative energy options. Through case studies, guest speakers, and a research project, this course examines how entrepreneurs capture market opportunities in new energy technologies. Taught by Steve Lawrence.

Students must take 9 credits of qualifying electives. Courses listed at the Energy Initiative course listing web site qualify as electives, with one exception: Courses with course numbers below 4000 do not qualify.

The following courses qualify as well:

• ATOC 4800 Policy and Climate
• ATOC 5000 Critical Issues in Policy and Climate
• ENVS 5100 The Nuclear West
• JOUR 5812 Science writing
• JOUR 5822 Reporting on the Environment

ENVS 5930, "Internship," can also count as an elective. Students are placed with an energy-related organization or practitioner (e.g., a private company, a state or local government agency, a non-profit), and are required to complete a project for that organization. Any participating faculty can act as an Internship advisor.

At least 3 of the 9 elective credits must be taken outside of the student's home school or department.

How To Apply
Applications are accepted during the fall semester, for admission the following spring semester. Applications are accepted starting October 1, 2009, and the deadline for all application materials is November 15, 2009 . Decisions are made by December 1, 2009. Applicants are asked to submit the following:

• Academic transcripts from CU-Boulder
• If you are a first-year student at CU, submit your undergraduate transcript as well
• Standardized test scores - GRE, LSAT, or GMAT
• A one-page statement of interest: Why do you want to enroll in this program?

All materials should be submitted electronically, and should be emailed to Energy_Certificate@Colorado.EDU. Unofficial copies are acceptable. Attach the required materials to your email as PDFs.

I've taken energy courses, and/or worked in the energy field. Should I take ENER 5000?
Probably. The core courses are intended to be taken in sequence. However, if you think you already know much of the material covered in the course, you can petition to be excused from that course requirement. Send a letter to Energy_Certificate@Colorado.EDU explaining why you should not have to take ENER 5000.

Does successful completion of the certificate program show up on my official CU-Boulder transcript?
Yes.

Is this program open to undergraduates?
There is a separate certificate program intended for undergraduates - click here.

Is this program open to non-students/working professionals/CU-Boulder staff/etc.?
No.  CU-Boulder does however offer other various energy courses and workshops for non-students.  See for example the Sustainable Practices offerings from the Continuing Education office (link:  http://conted.colorado.edu/) and the RETool workshops (linkto: http://leeds.colorado.edu/Deming/interior.aspx?id=7390) offered by RASEI and the Deming Center at the Leeds School of Business

Can a specific course be used to satisfy the certificate program requirements and my home department/program requirements - at the same time?
Probably. The certificate program allows for this. However, you should check with your home department/program to ensure that they allow this.

I'm planning to enroll at CU-Boulder in the fall. Can I apply to the program before I actually start my graduate studies?
Yes. If you have been accepted to CU-Boulder for graduate studies, and are planning to enroll, you may apply. See the How To Apply section for details on how to do so.

I'm in the Engineering/Law/Business/etc. graduate program at CU-Boulder. Can I apply for the program?
Yes. All CU-Boulder graduate students are eligible for this program.

Are there any course prerequisites for the program?
No. The first core course, ENER 5000, provides basic energy knowledge.

I have already taken a core course and/or qualifying elective. Can I count that already-completed course towards the program requirements?
Yes.

Is there a time limit to complete the program requirements?
No.

I have a question that is not addressed in this FAQ. Who can answer it?
Send an email to Energy_Certificate@Colorado.EDU. We'll get back to you.

There's a course that I think should count as an elective towards the certificate program, but is not on the list of qualifying electives. How do I submit it for consideration as a qualifying elective?
Send an email to Energy_Certificate@Colorado.EDU with details on the course, including a syllabus or web site link if available. We'll review it and let you know if it qualifies.

Do you have a specific question that’s not answered in the FAQ section? If so, send an email to Energy_Certificate@Colorado.EDU. We'll get back to you.

Updated 10/5/09

Currently Enrolled Graduate Certificate Students

	Christian Alexander is a Juris Doctor 2011 candidate at the University of Colorado Law School. Currently, he volunteers as a student intern with Law School’s Center for Energy and Environmental Security (CEES). Before attending CU Law, Christian worked as a field associate for Environment Texas, a statewide, non-profit environmental advocacy organization. He graduated from Amherst College in 2006 with a degree in history. Christian’s interests, aside from those related to the CU Energy Initiative, include traveling, web design, and international affairs.
	Deborah Baker is a third-year Ph.D. student with the Department of Economics at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her current research conducts an economic policy evaluation of a popular state-level renewable energy policy, the Renewable Portfolio Standard. In addition to energy policy evaluations, Deborah is interested in analyzing consumer preferences for green energy.
	James Barry is in the Class of 2011 University of Colorado Law School. He came to law school to study solutions to the energy issues facing the United States. After graduating from the University of Denver in 2000 with a BA in History and Political Science, James moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado where he worked in a variety of capacities in the Ski Industry. In 2004, James returned to the University of Denver to obtain a Master’s Degree in Education. The next fall, he started teaching American History, AP American History, and the AVID Elective at Jefferson High School in Jefferson County until he started at the University of Colorado Law School in 2008. With experience in the Ski Industry and in secondary education, he knows that clean energy is key to the ski industry’s future (indeed all industry’s future) and the importance of educating the various stakeholders about the needed energy transformation.
	Pablo Bunster is a first year MBA student at the University of Colorado, Leeds School of Business. He was born in Princeton, New Jersey and has lived in Chile for the past 25 years. He has a bachelor’s degree in business and administration with a major in finance. Upon graduation, he worked for six years in the trade policy division of the Chilean government, defending Chile’s interests at the World Trade Organization (WTO), Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) and FTA negotiations before he decided to pursue further education.
	John Burkhardt
	Jen Crawford graduated from Tufts University in 2007 with a Bachelors Degree in Physics. After school, she took a semester off to work on a Engineers Without Borders project in Ecuador, and then started at the University of Colorado at Boulder in the spring of 2008. She is now working towards a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering, with a focus on Energy and Environment. In her spare time, Jen also works with the C Three Group developing a national database of proposed transmission lines and power plants.
	Nick Farrell graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Environmental Studies and Economics and worked as an analyst for Ventyx (formerly Global Energy Decisions). There he worked to research new power generation projects throughout North America. This position gave him the opportunity to learn about the industry and some of the fundamentals driving new and current energy projects. Nick then worked directly with clients who subscribed to Ventyx’s database and GIS software offering. He has now returned to pursue his MBA at the Leeds School of Business at CU with the goal to work for a firm who is directly involved in the next generation of power producing technology and/or advanced power delivery infrastructure.
	Eric Frazier
	Stephen Hendrickson is a first year MBA student at the Leeds School of Business focusing on entrepreneurship and finance. He is particularly interested in utilizing renewable energy technologies to create jobs in low-income communities. Prior to attending CU, Stephen worked on international development and economic policy at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, DC. He received his bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in international development from the University of Pittsburgh.
	Cabell Hodge is a J.D. candidate at the University of Colorado with an eye toward environmental law. Cabell graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University with a B.A. in Economics and a minor in English Textual Studies. At SU, Cabell was a staff writer for the school newspaper, the Daily Orange. Cabell grew up outside Philadelphia and went to high school at the Episcopal Academy. Cabell has studied in Spain and taught children journalism, horticulture, and human rights in Chile.
	Mark Jenkins is a graduate from Bucknell University in 2003 with a degree in accounting and accepted employment with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Philadelphia. While with PwC, he audited both private and public companies in several industries. After auditing few energy clients, he became interested in the sustainable energy field. He has a CPA and is a candidate for an MBA in 2010
	Vazken Kassakhian
	Christopher LaCasse is a first-year Master’s of Science candidate in the Environmental Studies program. He attended the University of California at Santa Cruz for his undergraduate degree, and spent the next five years teaching English in Europe and Asia, working as a legal advocate for the San Francisco homeless population, and cutting down the beautiful forests of Lake Tahoe. He is currently interested in forestry policy in developing nations.
	Maura Lohrentz
	Jeff Palmer
	Adam Scheer is a graduate student in Physics at CU-Boulder. He is doing his Ph.D. research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratories under Dr. Barney Ellison of the CU Chemistry Department. This research is centered on understanding the thermal decomposition of various forms of biomass, with the ultimate goal of efficiently producing ethanol from abundant plant materials such as switchgrass. During his undergraduate and Master's programs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Adam studied low-energy electron interactions with biological molecules such as the DNA bases and amino acids. He wrote about scientific, environmental and political issues as an editorialist for the Daily Nebraskan, the UNL student newspaper, winning the Best Opinion Column award in 2006 for a piece about the United States' role in the United Nations. These diverse interests and experiences will be fostered and expanded in the Graduate Energy Certificate Program. Adam is also an avid climber and has worked as a white water raft guide on the Colorado River in Moab, UT.
	Charlie Sievers
	Tania Tauer
	Jason Woods attended Purdue University for his undergraduate degree, and is now in his third year in graduate school working towards his PhD in mechanical engineering. His research focus is in thermal and fluid sciences. He works with the Thermal Systems group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) where they are developing new thermal-energy storage systems. These systems would collect excess solar-thermal energy from the summer, store this energy until the winter, and then use it for heating. Although his current research is focused on these solar-thermal systems, he is interested in all topics related to energy and the environment.