This college-wide interdisciplinary minor is designed for students considering a career in the field of renewable energy, or as preparation for graduate work in a wide range of academic disciplines.
Renewable energy, as normally understood, includes a variety of methods of energy generation, such as solar, wind, hydro, tidal, and geothermal, as well as energy storage methods and energy conservation. Jobs related to renewable energy lie in a wide range of areas including engineering, business, marketing, finance, installation, software, legal affairs, and research. Projections suggest that employment opportunities in the renewable energy field will increase dramatically in the near future. The renewable energy interdisciplinary minor is therefore ideally suited for students with majors in engineering, business, policy, and science.
Policies
Eight credits of coursework must be unique to the minor and students must complete all coursework with a minimum GPA of 2.00. For policies governing all minors, see AP.5.3.4 Minors.
Minor Requirements
Total credits: 15-17
Students should refer to the Admissions & Policies tab for specific policies related to this program.
Core Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete the following core courses: | ||
| RENE 131 | Introduction to Renewable Energy | 3 |
| RENE 411 | Renewable Energy Internship | 3 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Minor Options
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose three courses, including: | 9 - 11 | |
One (1) course (3 credits) from Category A | ||
One (1) course (3-4 credits) from Category B | ||
One (1) course (3-4 credits) from Category C or one (1) 300-400 level course (3-4 credits) from Category A or Category B | ||
| Category A: Economics and Policy | ||
| Economics for the Citizen (Mason Core) | ||
or ECON 103 | Contemporary Microeconomic Principles (Mason Core) | |
or ECON 104 | Contemporary Macroeconomic Principles (Mason Core) | |
or ECON 105 | Environmental Economics for the Citizen (Mason Core) | |
| Economic Problems and Public Policies | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Economics of Energy (Mason Core) | ||
| Economics of Environmental Policy | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Policy | ||
| Energy Policy | ||
| Geography of Resource Conservation (Mason Core) | ||
| Geographic Approaches for Sustainable Development | ||
| American State and Local Government | ||
| Public Policy Making | ||
| Category B: Science and Technology | ||
| Environmental Issues and Solutions Around the World (Mason Core) | ||
| Introduction to Modern Chemistry (Mason Core) | ||
or CHEM 102 | Chemistry for Changing Times (Mason Core) | |
or CHEM 103 | Chemical Science in a Modern Society (Mason Core) | |
or CHEM 104 | Chemistry for Changing Times (Mason Core) | |
or CHEM 155 | Introduction to Environmental Chemistry I (Mason Core) | |
or CHEM 211 | General Chemistry I (Mason Core) | |
or CHEM 271 | General Chemistry for Engineers Lecture (Mason Core) | |
| Introduction to Environmental Chemistry II (Mason Core) | ||
or CHEM 212 | General Chemistry II (Mason Core) | |
| Physical Chemistry I | ||
| Physical Chemistry II | ||
| Global Warming: Weather, Climate, and Society (Mason Core) | ||
or CLIM 102 | Introduction to Global Climate Change Science (Mason Core) | |
| Physical Geography (Mason Core) | ||
| Dynamic Atmosphere and Hydrosphere (Mason Core) | ||
| Dynamic Geosphere and Ecosphere | ||
| Geology of Energy Resources | ||
| Physics of Renewable Energy | ||
| Solar Cells | ||
| Materials Science with Applications to Renewable Energy | ||
| Introductory Statistics I (Mason Core) | ||
or STAT 344 | Probability and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists I | |
or STAT 346 | Probability for Engineers | |
| Category C: Business and Communication | ||
| Survey of Accounting | ||
or ACCT 204 | Honors Survey of Accounting | |
| Legal Environment of Business | ||
| Global Environment of Business (Mason Core) | ||
| Business Analytics I (Mason Core) | ||
| Business Analytics II | ||
| Introduction to Public Relations | ||
| Writing across the Media | ||
| Business and Sustainability | ||
| Nonprofit Financial Planning | ||
| Accounting in a Global Economy | ||
| Managing Projects and Operations | ||
| Principles of Management | ||
| Total Credits | 9-11 | |