UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM:

Bachelor of Science

The requirements for the B.S. degree in Energy Resources Engineering are similar to those described in the “School of Engineering” section of the Stanford Bulletin. Students must satisfy the University general education, writing, and language requirements. The normal Energy Resources Engineering undergraduate program automatically satisfies the University General Education Requirements (GERs) in the Disciplinary Breadth areas of Natural Sciences, Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Mathematics. Engineering fundamentals courses and Energy Resources Engineering depth and elective courses must be taken for a letter grade.

Energy resources engineers work on many facets of energy production including natural gas and oil production, renewable energy sources such as geothermal, subsurface resource characterization and quantification, the storage of wastes and energy byproducts, such as carbon dioxide, in geological settings, and multiphase flow in contaminated groundwater systems. We are also poised to contribute to the production of energy from alternative sources, such as tidal and wave energy. The energy resources engineer focuses on the “upstream” or production aspects of energy.

The Energy Resources Engineering undergraduate curriculum is designed to prepare students for immediate participation in many aspects of the energy industry, or for graduate studies, while providing them with the requisite skills to evolve as the energy landscape shifts over the next half century. The program provides a sound fundamental background in mathematics, basic sciences, and engineering fundamentals such as multiphase fluid flow in the subsurface. In addition, the curriculum is structured with flexibility that allows students to explore in depth energy topics of particular individual interest.

The ERE BS degree, represents an evolution toward a broader forward-looking energy curriculum, while still providing an Earth-sciences based engineering approach to energy resources.

Within ERE, a professor will serve as the director of undergraduate teaching and advising. Professor Tony Kovscek is the current director. Additionally, the Dean of the School of Earth Sciences, Pam Matson, has indicated that she will provide funding for an undergraduate coordinator (a potential candidate for this position has been identified and discussions as to the exact nature of the position are ongoing). The undergraduate coordinator will work in collaboration with Professor Kovscek in advising, assessment of student curricular needs, and retention. Students may choose any faculty member from ERE to serve as their major advisor. In collaboration with their advisor, students will develop their individual course of study. The curriculum is designed to provide students with a sound basis in engineering Earth sciences and flexibility to choose courses of special interest.

Additionally, the curriculum incorporates gateway, writing in the major (WIM), and capstone experiences. The gateway courses include ENERGY 101–Energy Resources and the Environment, ENERGY 102–Renewable Energy Resources, and ENERGY 104–Technology in the Greenhouse. These courses represent relatively new offerings, which ERE has developed over the past 5 or so years. Enrollment has recently averaged about 15-20 students per course. ENERGY 101 attracts students with interest in the impact of current energy trends on regional and global environmental issues. ENERGY 102 is an in-depth survey of renewable energy resources and discusses the complexities involved in converting these resources to useful energy. ENERGY 104 has previously been offered as a sophomore seminar. The course employs an engineering problem solving approach to investigate technologies that can impact significantly global greenhouse gas emissions. These three courses, while they are engineering courses, are designed to be approachable by sophomore and freshman prospective majors with high-school level math and science backgrounds.

On the other end of the undergraduate course spectrum is ENERGY 199–Senior Seminar in Energy Resources Engineering. This course functions as the capstone experience for students and fulfills WIM requirements. The course will emphasize written and oral communication skills. Each student will present results of either an internship or a research experience. Peer review of papers and presentations is planned. A quarter-long group project employing energy resources engineering skills will accompany the individual work elements.

With respect to existing programs and majors, the ERE major is intended to be complementary to degree offerings in Earth Systems and Geological and Environmental Sciences (within the School of Earth Sciences) and degrees within the School of Engineering (SOE). By design, the ERE degree offering is situated at the intersection of Earth sciences and engineering; the curriculum, course content, and unit counts clearly distinguish it as an Earth-sciences based engineering program. The environmental science, policy and economics, and other Earth Systems elements, while present (to a degree that depends on the student’s particular interest), are emphasized much less than in the Earth Systems program. In comparison to degree offerings in the SOE, the degree in ERE is distinguished by its emphasis on the upstream, or resource extraction, side of energy engineering. We also contribute on the extreme downstream end by considering the emerging field of carbon sequestration in geological formations. Finally, we note that the new ERE course offerings (e.g., ENERGY 102) have appealed to students from many departments seeking breadth and depth of study. We expect this appeal to continue.

Specific Course Requirements

Energy Resources Core                                                                                           18
Energy Resources Depth                                                                                         18
Engineering Fundamentals and Depth                                                                      24
General Education Requirements (IHUM, DB-HUM, DB-SocSci, Citizenship,
Writing, Language)                                                                                            60-67
Mathematics                                                                                                            25
Science                                                                                                                    30
Technology in Society                                                                                           3-5
Total                                                                                                              180-186

Required Core in Energy Resources

Earth and Energy Depth Concentration

Choose courses from the list below for a total of at least 18 units. At least one course must be completed in each category. Courses must be planned in consultation with the student’s academic advisor. Appropriate substitutions are allowed with the consent of the advisor.

Fluid Flow and the Subsurface

3D Modeling of Subsurface Structures

Earth and Energy Systems

Minors

To be recommended for a B.S. degree with ERE as a minor subject, a student must take a small set of required courses plus 3 elective courses for a total of 6 courses in ERE. Courses must be planned in consultation with the student’s ERE advisor. Appropriate substitutions are allowed with the consent of the advisor.

Required Courses

Elective Courses (at least 3 courses from the list below)

Honors Program

A limited number of undergraduates may be admitted to the honors program at the beginning of their senior year.

To be admitted, the student must have a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 in all course work in the University. In addition to the minimum requirements for the B.S. degree, the student must complete 6 units of advanced energy resources engineering courses and at least 3 units of research (ENERGY 193).

Students who wish to be admitted to the honors program should consult with their adviser before the start of their senior year. Those who do not meet all of the formal requirements may petition the department for admission. Those completing the program receive the B.S. degree in Energy Resources Engineering with Honors. An overall 3.5 GPA is required in all energy resources engineering courses for graduation with honors.

Coterminal B.S. and M.S. Program

The coterminal B.S./M.S. program offers an opportunity for Stanford University students to pursue a graduate experience while completing the B.S. degree in any relevant major. Energy Resources Engineering graduate students generally come from backgrounds such as chemical, civil, or mechanical engineering; geology or other earth sciences; or physics or chemistry. Students should have a background at least through MATH 51A and CS 106 before beginning graduate work in this program.

The two types of M.S. degrees, the course work only degree and the research degree, as well as the courses required to meet degree requirements, are described below in the M.S. section. Both degrees require 45 units and may take from one to two years to complete depending on circumstances unique to each student.

Requirements to enter the program are two letters of recommendation from faculty members or job supervisors, a statement of purpose, scores from the GRE general test, and a copy of Stanford University transcripts. While the department does not require any specific GPA or GRE score, potential applicants are expected to compete favorably with graduate student applicants.
A Petroleum Engineering master’s degree can be used as a terminal degree for obtaining a professional job in the petroleum or geothermal industry, or in any related industry where analyzing flow in porous media or computer simulation skills are required. It can also be a stepping stone to a Ph.D. degree, which usually leads to a professional research job or an academic position.

Students should apply to the program any time after they have completed 105 undergraduate units, and in time to take ENERGY 120, the basic introductory course in Autumn Quarter of the year they wish to begin the program. Contact the Department of Energy Resources Engineering to obtain additional information. For University coterminal degree program rules and University application forms, see the Registrar's website.

Typical B.S. Programs

The following are two hypothetical examples of the way the BS degree requirements could be met. Individual student programs can be tailored to student interests, in consultation with the academic adviser.