Energy Certificate Program

Energy Certificate Program

Energy Studies is an interdisciplinary program. This undergraduate certificate is appropriate for those who wish to develop expertise in energy production, technology, management and planning, or who desire experience in applied technology. It is designed to educate in the multifaceted problems associated with energy use in our society and to pose methods for possible solutions to problems. It can be completed by anyone, as a matriculated student or not. Upon the completion of the required courses, a certificate will be awarded. This certification program can also be completed as an integral curriculum for students pursuing a Professional Science Masters with a concentration in Energy Science. Upon completion of the concentration of study, the student will be awarded both a PSM degree and a certification in Energy Studies.

The future need for energy expertise is clear. Energy prices and supplies have become a challenge, and will remain for the foreseeable future, a major concern for homeowners, businesses and industry. The majority of residential and commercial buildings in the United States are greatly energy-inefficient and will require upgrades over the next decade; and overall energy production and distribution in the U.S. will require significant changes, if we are to meet our future energy needs. As a result, the nation will require experts able to define these necessary changes and guide us to a sound energy future. There will be a demand for expertise in building energy use, design, and management. There will also be a need for energy planning to design community plans and shape energy policy at the local, state and national level. In addition, an understanding of energy and applied technology is an asset in many career fields from science and research to policymaking.

The campus serves as a national model for some of the most promising options, including geothermal, photovoltaic solar electric and advanced aquifer thermal energy storage systems. This certificate program utilizes this opportunity to train students on leading-edge technology, with hands on experiential learning on alternative energy generation, as well as building and systems energy efficiency analysis. Our energy challenge is complex and involves scientific, technological, economical, and political components. Hence, the Energy Certificate program involves faculty from several programs across the University.

Program Organization

The Energy Studies curriculum defines a series of courses that are taken in parallel with a students’ degree requirements in their major and leads to a certificate that will be awarded at graduation. Any Stockton student, regardless of major, who can meet the requirements detailed below will be fully eligible for certification.

Career Opportunities

The Energy Certificate program will be of direct use to students pursuing careers in newly emerging fields, such as energy planning, energy conservation in buildings, alternative energy sources (e.g., wind and solar power) and other fields. 

The Energy Certificate program is also designed to give non-specialists an enhanced appreciation of how energy issues affect their own disciplines (e.g., economics, environmental science, marine science) and even their own immediate lives. Thus, it can provide non-specialists with an understanding of energy conservation in their homes and applied training in the use and potential of advanced energy technology. 

Full degree curriculum and transfer audits for the sustainability program can be explored using the Degree Works web based tool. Full details about the curriculum are accessible on the Sustainability website.