nstannik

Yeah I think it's really a lot about what you make of it. I'm keeping my eyes and ears open for everyone's input, and I'm definitely going to reach out to professors and fellow students when I do get to college.

Basically I know I want to go into engineering of some sort, and I probably won't have to choose for at least a year, so I still have a lot of time to decide and do more research.

RacinReaver

It really depends on what end of the renewable spectrum you want to be on. If you want to design new technologies, then materials, chemical, EE, and even mechanical would be fine. If you want to think about implementation and such, then perhaps combining a Civil/Environmental with a Public Policy degree would be a good path.

AnnaSmith

^so carnegie mellon would also be a good school to go. I heard they're good for specialization, but is that true? Would someone going to cmu for engineering, hoping to enter a renewable energy field, get good job prospects?

RacinReaver

I think at CMU you'd have pretty good job prospects, though it might suffer a little from lots of smaller start-ups or tiny tech companies that are located in Boston/California not visiting for their career fairs.

http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/ca...alary/CivE.pdf
http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/ca...salary/EPP.pdf

There's the link for what last year's grads from CMU CivE and E&PP wound up doing.

erasmuss22

I'm going to be a freshman next year at U of Wisconsin-Madison and I have similar interests to you. I want to be in renewable energies, but I also would like to get into environmental conservation too. I'm accepted into the school of engineering, it's just that I seem to switch between MechE, Civil/Enviro, and Geological engineering on a daily basis. I'm waiting for my orientation to talk with an adviser to see what they think best suits me. Whatever I choose I am going to have a minor (a certificate at UW) in environmental studies. Then after I graduate, Wisconsin has Graduate programs in like sustainable development and environmental technology that look interesting.

nstannik

Hi all,

Just wanted to give a little update on what I've decided and how things are looking:

First, I'm now at the University of Michigan. I still think that Stanford has a stronger renewable-related program but you take what you can get I guess. Michigan is very nice though and has a great engineering department; I would definitely recommend it here.

Unfortunately I haven't made as much progress with the major choice. I have gone out of my way to talk to every single person who might have even the slightest piece of advice to offer, from grad students to professors to campus lecturers, but still haven't been able to get a 100% clear answer. A few things I've learned though:

-Most renewable energy *research* is in chemical engineering. This is far from convincing me, but if you're into research that might be the place to go.
-Civil/Environmental has little if anything to do with renewables. I'm in an "engineering overview" class right now and most of it is structural, geotechnical, etc. The parts that are environmental are mostly water or remediation based.
-Also, many grad programs are much more related to undergrad programs since they don't have to pass the official accreditation standards. Just watch for the pre-requisite degrees, some are less logical than you think.

It seems that every aspect of engineering has some relation to renewable energy, nuclear engineering perhaps being the only exception. From what I've heard and from job postings I've read, it looks like electrical and mechanical engineering are the most desirable degrees for renewables work, but maybe not the most interesting or relevant. (?)

One of the best things I've heard so far was "No matter what program you study, only 30% of it will actually be applicable or relevant". Of course I can't speak to this personally, but it certainly seems to make sense from the difficulty I'm having finding a straight answer and since there is no "renewable energy engineering" program.

So to summarize this long rambling e-mail, I'm still desperately looking for advice. I don't have to declare until the end of this year, but feel like I haven't come much closer to a decision, even though I've learned a lot.

If anyone has any input whatsoever, even a "don't do this" scenario, please post here. From all the postings it looks like a lot of people have a similar problem and I hope we can all help each other out.

everythingstaken

Civ/env is geared towards basic water quality and treatment or site remediation and cleanup. If you wanna do advanced water treatment or air quality stuff, you'd be better off with a chemical engineering degree or a degree from a school with a dedicated environmental engineering department.

As far as getting renewables work, industry positions in this field right now seem to be very limited. It seems to me like most renewable energy work is still in research, considering current renewable energy sources are either too expensive or too inefficient to replace fossil fuels.

purduefrank

From what I have seen, I think your observation that ChemE research is the most in line with what you're looking for. However, I would actually say that studying whatever undergraduate material interests you most is the way to go.

EE, Mech, Chem all have their ups and downs, but I think in the long run any of them can get you where you want to go. Wind farms are definately a way of the future and EE, Mech will both have a solid place there. Oil replacements like ethonol and all of the different things that are being done with crops to get ethonol will primarily lie within ChemE. Battery technology for future cars has a lot to do with materials science/engineering - and most of the research done with batteries is in this department.

I think it would be a good idea to specify which part you want to be involved in, as the underlying topic of renewables is pretty broad and will undoubtedly be tackled by any number of different departments.

11youbet

heeyyy!!
well nstannik, im in your exact chose and wasted a year of my life worrying and searching.
And here was i realized, whatever major you chose, you can trace it back to environmental/ renewable engineering.
If you're intrested in the actual wiring of wind mills or whatever they are called and how they work, then go for electrical or maybe even mechanical engineering.
But keep in mind that you may not work in energy related jobs, depends on where you live.
Like where i live, if youre a mechanical engineer and your not working in energy related jobs, yooure going to work in things having to do with air conditionng which is veryy unbearable to me.
If you study chemical engineering, too much chemistry will drive me crazy if its not strictly related to what i want, so i cancelled it out.

Where I live, i'm not sure those energy stuff would become usable so im going to study civil engineering as a back up plan because it's something i could do and i think i might like. Ima take the environmental part of it which is mostly water and wastewater.. kinda disgusting but is related to environmental engineering. Then as a masters i can continue the energy stuff.
By the way check the syllabus for the university of British Columbia Vancouver >> major : biological and cheemical engineering (has an amazing environmental engineering program in it)

Jracer6

I realize this thread is a fairly old, but I found it very interesting and thought I would share my experience and thoughts.

I too want to get in to renewable/alternative energy. Ive been researching schools for a while and decided to take a different route. Im very interested in wind energy. I researched schools and found many two year programs, and many graduate programs. This left me in a bit of confusion. So I researched options and found a great two year program that was a mix between wind science/engineering/technical maintenance at Lorain County Community College in Elyria, OH. Having lived in Ann Arbor for five years it wasn't too hard to move 2.5 hours away and get into renewables. Great option. Ive been exposed to some amazing faculty, had an internship at a local engineering firm that is developing a prototype gearbox for commercial size wind turbines, and been able to climb wind turbines. As I near completion of my program Im pursuing a four year degree in electrical engineering. I too debated much like many here have of the best route to get into renewables. With many discussions from industry professionals and my instructors I decided EE was the best option for me. Many of my professors started by getting their degrees in EE. Twenty years into their careers they were able to adapt their unique experience to the vastly growing fields of wind and solar. These two fields are entirely comprised of electronics and electrical devices. And from much research in job openings in these fields, a four year degree in EE or Mech is a requirement.

From past experience alone, a degree alone does not guarantee you employment! It merely shows that you have had some training and helps you to be taken more seriously which can assist you to get an interview. Your experience in the work place is everything. This is where your internships, co-ops, work experience are vital.

What I have gathered from my discussion with my instructors is that you should pick a program that can work for you. As many have pointed out here, its hard to find a program that is the best one size fits all. Engineering should be something you are going to adapt to suit the direction you want to go with your career. Find a program with faculty doing research and teaching subjects that you are most interested in. Much of your fourth year will be senior projects. Having faculty that is interested in the same things you are will help adapt a program like EE to become renewable energy related. Internships in that field will also help.

The schools I have been looking at include the University of Colorado-Boulder, Penn State, and Case Western Reserve University. CU has a reputable EE program and faculty doing research in power systems and generation in the alt. energy spectrum. Penn State has (as many have pointed out) an Energy Engineering program. They also have a separate campus 2 hours east of main campus that has renewable studies in solar, wind, etc. And lastly Case Western has the Great Lakes Energy Institute where they are studying wind energy and researching offshore wind capabilities on Lake Erie. They also have a Renewable Energy Power System curriculum for undergraduates.

CU is at the top of my list. Its one of the most promising as far as local companies that are building turbines, researching options for efficiency, etc. They are also near NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) which is a research facility of the US Dept. of Energy and offer internships, workshops, lectures, and Grad Student studies and work. Their faculty also sit highly on the board for IEEE.

While the student who started this thread is well into their education at U of M, I thought I would share this info with others looking to get into this field.

Good Luck.

-Alex

Jracer6

Oh, and to be in renewables, you have to go where the work is. Be very willing to relocate, and sometimes to less desirable places to do the work that most interest you. There is always a sacrifice for what you love.

purushottam

3 years after this discussion was started, I'm having the same problem deciding MS programs/schools for renewable energy. Rarely, schools have programs called MS in Renewable Energy. A lot of them are offered through Electrical, Mechanical or Civil/Environmental departments. So, it needs a lot of digging through their websites.

OIT has good Undergraduate program but they don't offer MS yet. Three good ones that I've identified so far and offer MS degrees are Stanford's Atmsphere/Energy, UC Boulder's ECE and UC Berkeley's Energy & Resources. Does anyone know of other good ones?

Also, since someone suggested that students should go to uni where the job is. Well, where are renewable jobs?

Solar007

It's True: there aren't many Renewable Energy programs out there.
In fact, few universities have a single class in renewable energy systems or photovoltaics. Clean Tech has only been respectable for 10 years now tops. It is decidedly still cutting edge and not mainstream. This sounds like bad news, until you think about all the extra competition for jobs you would have faced if every university was churning out super-specialized clean tech engineers. Be glad the band wagon hasn't taken off quite yet.

That said, there are a few university that do seem to have specialist engineering programs. U of CO Boulder (connected to N.R.E.L.!), Oregon Inst of Tech. Top engineering schools. Ideally, the University will have institutions/programs/courses with "Energy" in the names rather than "Environment". Maybe others will recommend more renewables-focused engineering programs.

Since there aren't renewable energy majors specifically, you should major in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering. Try to set up something interdisciplinary with your university to avoid a few of the most-unrelated engineering courses. Employers only care about the quality of your degree. If you can handle it, this is Certainly the most direct route into clean tech. Most graduate programs in Renewable energy do require a undergrad degree in science/engineering. I think it's a fact that people who know more about technology will make more money than those that don't.

If you just can't do the hard engineering, then I recommend majoring in Economics/Business and approaching the industry from that direction. Being able to do complex financial analyses is a HUGE part of the game. Take a year of Chemistry, a minor in Physics, and leave the really tough engineering to the Eggheads! Look for courses in power production and the environment. You'll be in a great position to get in the industry.

With Environmental Engineering, you're focusing on pollution. Computer modeling of climate and ecosystems, chemical analysis, making detailed measurements in exciting topics ranging from unproductive dirt to glacial air bubbles. When it comes to renewable energy, you'll only be equipped to Complain about the problem, and not be able to develop solutions. I submit that if an "Environmentalist" is to have any effect whatsoever, you'll have to go to law school, and then go after polluters or go into public policy. But understand that climate change is an energy problem. Honestly, you would be more useful and in demand if you learned to speak Chinese.

By far the best programs are at Stanford and UC Berkley, incredibly competitive schools. Stanford and UC Berkley is where the action is, and if you got in there you Will Be Set For Life. But understand you need to study until you can score 1600 SAT, 800 SAT 2 Physics AND Chemistry. Get the Spark Notes, skip class, and work that book cover to cover. This is to High school students but also Undergraduates, you can apply to transfer to the top schools, but you need the test scores and you need A's in freshman Chem, Physics, & Calc.
Assuming you can't get in, you should Definitely take advantage of their Free Online Courses, this is an Outstanding resource you can download free to your iPod:
Energy Seminar (Fall 2007) - Download free content from Stanford on iTunes (Start with "Future of Concentrating Solar" for a taste)

Finally, anyone interested pursuing Renewable Energy professionally is Strongly encouraged to read this book, the single best primer on the Solar industry and why you should be excited about it: Solar Revolution by Travis Bradford. $1.25 for a used copy on Amazon.
Amazon.com: Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry (9780262524940): Travis Bradford: Books
It's a better education in clean tech than 95% of universities could give you, and it's $1.25, and that, friends, is the dirty little secret of college. But don't worry, clean tech is destined to be the Next Great World-Changing Technology, and wisely investing in your diploma is the smartest thing you can do.

Best of luck to all of you!

corneliasusie

Fascinating. I enjoyed and learned from every post.

Top Geothermal programs are U of Nevada Reno with five of the top US companies doing geothermal in town, one is Swiss: NV has the most active geothermal activity in the nation, wind blowing off theSierra Nevada like you wouldn't believe, and 300 days of sunshine. the last geothermal conference was in Reno. other programs participating were Cornell, Stanford, UofUtah, UofO and another. UNR is affordable and their engineering depart is one of their strongest. Learn Mandarin: china super poluted, needing help and their gov just ruled last week that their Ivy League level univerisities no longer have to demand Eng and soon none. Meaning they are so strong economically , no debt, owning our debt, people to spare to fight wars, and advanced stem colleges and requirements beyond ours, that they feel they hold the future's cards and if anyone wants to do business with them, they'd better speak Mandarin. Kind of like how Americans/English/Aussie/Kiwis/some Canadians have not bothered to learn other languages ,cause this past couple centuries English has been king. I 'llwager that half through this century American schools will require it, just like somany foreigners have required English for their population. Such a horrific language too: thousands of pictures to memorize, no alphabet, four ways to say each picture with different tones for completely different meaning. If only we could all just speak simple Spanish with it's no-exceptions and what you say is what you write....back to energy and school and jobs: think into the future.