This fall, students interested in renewable energy can enroll in a new master’s program focused on energy systems in the context of climate change.
The Master of Science in Sustainable Energy is a one-year, residential program featuring “future-focused” coursework that considers how sustainable energy will evolve over the coming decades, according to the program’s proposal. The proposal was approved earlier this month by the Corporation, the University’s highest governing body.
The master’s program builds off of the Initiative for Sustainable Energy, a faculty-led University hub that aims to educate students and conduct research on “sustainable zero-carbon energy solutions,” according to its website.
“We really need an educated workforce who can understand what’s going on (and) how to transform from a historically carbon-based economy to a decarbonized economy,” said Nitin Padture, a professor of engineering and the director of the ISE.
The program hopes to enroll 20 to 30 students each year, according to the proposal. But smaller cohorts are expected in the beginning, and they will aim to enroll around 10 students for the program’s first year, Padture said.
The program’s curriculum will be composed of two full-credit and two half-credit courses offered by the School of Engineering. Students must also take at least five additional courses in areas like chemistry, economics and sociology.
Andrew Peterson, an associate professor of engineering, will teach the core course “Sustainable Energy Science and Technology.”
In the course, Peterson will help students put together “a toolbox of how to analyze energy technologies,” he said. Students will learn about the thermodynamics, economics and environmental impacts of these technologies.
According to Rod Beresford, a professor of engineering and incoming director of the program, students will be able to choose between two tracks: one that is more STEM-oriented, and another that focuses more closely on policy and economics.
“There’s a huge national need to further renewable energy system deployments,” Beresford said. “We’re talking about a program that will help students become conversant with policy and modeling and the latest technical and scientific issues” so they can pursue cross-disciplinary careers.
The Master of Science in Sustainable Energy aligns with Brown’s goals to expand master’s programs in light of the University’s budget deficit, Beresford added.
The program will be available to Brown undergraduate students pursuing a fifth-year master’s, as well as applicants from outside of the University. Beresford said he is also proposing that the new program-specific courses be open to qualified seniors.
Beresford said recruitment for the first cohort has begun, and applications are due May 1.
“I’m just looking forward to meeting some people that are eager to pursue careers in this area and just have a lot of appetite for making change,” Peterson said.
Cate Latimer is a university news editor covering faculty, University Hall and higher education. She is from Portland, OR, and studies English and Urban Studies. In her free time, you can find her playing ultimate frisbee or rewatching episodes of Parks and Rec.
