Graduate Programs in Sustainable Energy
GET AHEAD WITH A CAREER IN SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AND LAND YOUR NEXT SIX-FIGURE JOB!
Clover University’s STEM certified graduate programs in sustainable energy are highly specialized and designed to equip graduates with the hard-skills in data analytics and/or computational economics specifically tailored to the demand of employers in the energy industry as well as employers providing research and analysis on the energy sector. Our programs are designed to get graduates job-ready and to allow them to future-proof their careers in an increasingly competitive environment.
The world is aiming to create a cleaner and more sustainable energy future and at the same time we observe that digitalization is rapidly increasing across sectors of the economy. The successful transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy future requires the reliance on data analysts and computational economists that can provide a balanced, technically sound, and informed approach to the complex problems that the energy industry faces today.
Our graduate programs therefore offer two major fields of specialization of graduate education in sustainable energy, one in Applied Computational Economics and the second in Data Analytics. While the computational focus of these two programs slightly differs, graduates of both programs are equipped with an in-depth knowledge of the entire energy industry and its economic drivers.
Well Rounded Professional Programs
The well-rounded professional programs provide graduates with advanced skills in data analytics, and/or applied computational economics, as well as an in-depth understanding of the energy industry. Furthermore, the programs focusing on sustainable energy allow graduates to study the challenges and opportunities that arise for the diverse players in this industry in light of the energy transition.
All courses focus on hands-on applications and important theory to ensure that our graduates are job-ready. The Master of Science programs also include a capstone project that allows graduates to sharpen their research skills by working closely on their individual project with two advisors. Graduates thereby have the opportunity to analyze a problem, working on a question from beginning to end and communicate the results in the form of a presentation and a report.
Our graduates are trained to successfully combine their technical skills with a deep understanding of the energy industry and can therefore provide sound analysis and meaningful projections. The advanced skills and expertise gained in our programs will equip graduates to succeed in a variety of professional roles and environments (see degree program pages for more details).
The curricula for these highly specialized programs were developed by Clover University faculty and leadership, its Board of Advisors and the feedback from industry experts and employers.
Energy and Sustainability
The United Nations have defined the term sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”[1]
The abundance of energy or the lack thereof, high or low energy prices, the environmental impacts of various forms of energy, or energy transitions, are all factors that can have strong real life economic and social effects.
Additionally, energy security plays an increasingly important role. Hence, the term ‘sustainable energy’ is often understood to include additional concerns for the well-being of individuals and the economic performance of nations. Worldwide policy efforts are underway to create a new and cleaner energy economy. The latter will be more electrified and efficient, and will rely to a greater extent on renewable energy.[2] Energy is what keeps our economy going, the energy sector is complex and so is the energy transition. In 2021 fossil fuels accounted for 82% of worldwide energy use[3] and projections show that this share will change only slightly over the coming decades and thus fossil fuels will remain important for the foreseeable future.
The successful transition to a cleaner energy industry requires the reliance on energy professionals such as data analysts, data scientists, and computational economists that can provide a balanced approach to complex problems.
Here are just a few examples of how data is used in the energy sector, however there are many more uses depending on the particular sub-sector and the company:
- Power producers analyze big data sets to optimize generation, forecast energy consumption (for example through smart metering), and balance the demand and supply of electricity.
- In the oil and gas value chain massive amounts of data are collected at all levels of production to enhance the efficiency of resource use and improve environmental protection.
- Efforts to mitigate global warming have led to a substantial increase in the collection of CO2 emissions data. This data can then be used for CO2 taxation or to implement a market for pollution permits - many more uses are possible.
- Performing an economic analysis of the effects of a CO2 tax versus a CO2 emissions trading system.
References
[1]United Nations, 2022. www.un.org
[2]IEA, 2017. International Energy Agency, Digitalisation and Energy, available at: https://www.iea.org/reports/digitalisation-and-energy
[3]BP, 2022. Statistical Review of World Energy, available at: https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/business-sites/en/global/corporate/pdfs/energy-economics/statistical-review/bp-stats-review-2022-full-report.pdf
