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This archived information is dated to the 2011-12 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Bachelor of Science in Energy Resources Engineering

The four-year program leading to the B.S. degree provides a foundation for careers in many facets of the energy industry. The curriculum includes basic science and engineering courses that provide sufficient depth for a wide spectrum of careers in the energy and environmental fields.

One of the goals of the program is to provide experience integrating the skills developed in individual courses to address a significant design problem. In ENERGY 199, taken in the senior year, student teams identify and propose technical solutions for an energy-resource related problem of current interest.

PROGRAM

The requirements for the B.S. degree in Energy Resources Engineering are similar, but not identical, to those described in the "School of Engineering" section of this 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.

The Energy Resources Engineering undergraduate curriculum is designed to prepare students for participation in the energy industry or for graduate studies, while providing requisite skills to evolve as the energy landscape shifts over the next half century. The program provides a 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 energy topics of particular individual interest and to study abroad.

In brief, the unit and subject requirements are:

Subject

Minimum Units

Energy Resources Core

16

Energy Resources Depth

18

Mathematics

25

Engineering Fundamentals and Depth

19-23

Science

29-30

Technology in Society

3-5

University Requirements: IHUM, GERs, Writing, Language

60-70

Total

170-187

The following courses constitute the normal program leading to a B.S. in Energy Resources Engineering. The program may be modified to meet a particular student's needs and interests with the advisor's prior approval.

REQUIRED CORE IN ENERGY RESOURCES ENGINEERING

The following courses constitute the core program in Energy Resources Engineering:

ENERGY 101. Energy and the Environment

3

ENERGY 104. Transition to Sustainable Energy Systems

3

ENERGY 120. Fundamentals of Petroleum Engineering

3

ENERGY 160. Modeling Uncertainty in the Earth Sciences

3

ENERGY 199. Senior Project and Seminar in Energy Resources (WIM)

4

Total

16

Mathematics:
Science:
Engineering Fundamentals:

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

ENERGY 120A. Flow Through Porous Media Laboratory

3

ENERGY 121. Fundamentals of Multiphase Flow

3

ENERGY 130. Well Log Analysis

3

ENERGY 175. Well Test Analysis

3

ENERGY 180. Production Engineering

3

ENGR 62. Introduction to Optimization

3

3D Modeling of Subsurface Structures

ENERGY 125. Modeling and Simulation for Geoscientists and Engineers

3

ENERGY 141. Practice of 3D Subsurface Modeling

3

ENERGY 146. Reservoir Characterization

3

GEOPHYS 112. Exploring the Geosciences with Matlab

3

GEOPHYS 182. Reflection Seismology

3

GES 151. Sedimentary Geology

3

Earth and Energy Systems

ENERGY 102. Renewable Energy Resources

3

ENERGY 153. Carbon Capture and Sequestration

3

ENERGY 269. Geothermal Reservoir Engineering

3

ENERGY 191. Optimization of Energy Systems

3

ENERGY 301. The Energy Seminar

1

CEE 64. Air Pollution

3

CEE 70. Environmental Science and Technology

3

CEE 173B. The Coming Energy Revolution

3

CEE 176B. Electric Power

3-4

GEOPHYS 104. The Water Course

3

GEOPHYS 150. Geodynamics

3

MATSCI 156. Solar Cells, Fuel Cells, and Batteries: Materials for the Energy Solution (MATSCI 256)

3-4

HONORS PROGRAM

The program in Energy Resources Engineering leading to the Bachelor of Science with Honors provides an opportunity for independent study and research on a topic of special interest and culminates in a written report and oral presentation.

The Honors Program is open to students with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.5 in all courses required for the ERE major and minimum of 3.0 in all University course work. Qualified students intending to pursue honors must submit an Honors Program Application to the Undergraduate Program Director no later than the eighth week of their ninth quarter, but students are encouraged to apply to the program during Winter Quarter of their junior year. The application includes a short form, an unofficial transcript, and a 2-3 page research proposal prepared by the student and endorsed by a faculty member who will serve as the research advisor.

Upon approval, students enroll in the Honors Program via Axess. Students must enroll in a total of 9 units of ENERGY 193; these units may be spread out over the course of the senior year, and may include previous enrollment units for the same research project. Research undertaken for the Honors Program cannot be used as a substitute for regularly required courses. A formal written report must be submitted to the student's research advisor no later than the fourth week of the student's final quarter, and the report must be read, approved, and signed by the student's faculty advisor and a second member of the faculty. Each honors candidate must make an oral presentation of his or her research results.

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