Energy Courses
Stanford offers over 300 energy courses. Link below to current listings.
We hope to see you at the weekly cross-campus Energy Seminar on Mondays during the academic year at 4:30-5:20pm in NVIDIA Auditorium. Students may take the Energy Seminar for credit or drop in for talks of interest.
Incoming graduate and professional school students may enroll in a week-long energy course Energy@Stanford&SLAC, that runs September 8-11, 2015.
For lifelong learners, the Stanford Center for Professional Development offers an Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies Certificate.
If you notice any omissions or inaccuracies in the listing please email: precourt_institute@stanford.edu. Thank you.
2015 - 2016 Academic Year
| Department | Course Code | Course Title | Description | General Education Requirement(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENERGY | 801 | TGR Project | ||
| ENERGY | 802 | TGR Dissertation | ||
| ENERGY | 110 | Engineering Economics | The success of energy projects and companies is judged by technical, economic and financial criteria. This course will introduce concepts of engineering economy, e.g., time value of money, life... | |
| ENERGY | 123 | When Technology Meets Reality; An In-depth Look at the Deepwater Horizon Blowout and Oil Spill | The Deepwater Horizon blowout and spill in April 2010 occurred on one of the most advanced deepwater drilling rigs in the world operated by one of the most experienced companies. In this course we... | |
| ENERGY | 256 | Electronic Structure Theory and Applications to Chemical Kinetics (CHEMENG 444) | Fundamentals of electronic structure theory as it applies to chemical reaction kinetics in homogeneous and heterogeneous reaction systems. Development and application of the theory of chemical... | |
| ENERGY | 285S | Smart Fields Research Seminar: Horizontal Well Technology | Study in research areas within the department. Graduate students may participate in advanced work in areas of particular interest prior to making a final decision on a thesis subject. Current... | |
| ENERGY | 293A | Solar Cells, Fuel Cells, and Batteries: Materials for the Energy Solution (EE 293A, MATSCI 156, MATSCI 256) | Operating principles and applications of emerging technological solutions to the energy demands of the world. The scale of global energy usage and requirements for possible solutions. Basic physics... | |
| ENERGY | 293C | Energy from Wind and Water Currents | This course focuses on the extraction of energy from wind, waves and tides.nThe emphasis in the course is technical leading to a solid understanding ofnestablished extraction systems and discussion... | |
| ENERGY | 300 | Graduate Directed Reading | Independent studies under the direction of a faculty member for which academic credit may properly be allowed. | |
| ENERGY | 11SC | Energy in the Southwest (CEE 16SC, POLISCI 25SC) | The technical, social, and political issues surrounding energy management and use in the West, using California, Nevada, and Arizona as a field laboratory. Students explore energy narratives, such as... | |
| ENERGY | 275 | Quantitative Methods in Basin and Petroleum System Modeling (GS 256) | Examine the physical processes operating in sedimentary basins by deriving the basic equations of fundamental, coupled geologic processes such as fluid flow and heat flow, deposition, compaction,... | |
| ENGR | 20 | Introduction to Chemical Engineering (CHEMENG 20) | Overview of chemical engineering through discussion and engineering analysis of physical and chemical processes. Topics: overall staged separations, material and energy balances, concepts of rate... | GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-AQR, WAY-SMA |
| ENGR | 25E | Energy: Chemical Transformations for Production, Storage, and Use (CHEMENG 25E) | An introduction and overview to the challenges and opportunities of energy supply and consumption. Emphasis on energy technologies where chemistry and engineering play key roles. Review of energy... | GER:DB-EngrAppSci |
| ENGR | 30 | Engineering Thermodynamics | The basic principles of thermodynamics are introduced in this course. Concepts of energy and entropy from elementary considerations of the microscopic nature of matter are discussed. The principles... | GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-AQR, WAY-SMA |
| ENGR | 40P | Physics of Electrical Engineering (EE 41) | How everything from electrostatics to quantum mechanics is used in common high-technology products. Electrostatics are critical in micro-mechanical systems used in many sensors and displays, and... | GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-FR, WAY-SMA |
| ENGR | 50E | Introduction to Materials Science, Energy Emphasis | Materials structure, bonding and atomic arrangements leading to their properties and applications. Topics include electronic, thermal and mechanical behavior; emphasizing energy related materials and... | WAY-SMA |
| ENGR | 90 | Environmental Science and Technology (CEE 70) | Introduction to environmental quality and the technical background necessary for understanding environmental issues, controlling environmental degradation, and preserving air and water quality.... | GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-AQR |
| ENGR | 105 | Feedback Control Design | Design of linear feedback control systems for command-following error, stability, and dynamic response specifications. Root-locus and frequency response design techniques. Examples from a variety of... | GER:DB-EngrAppSci |
| ENGR | 120 | Fundamentals of Petroleum Engineering (ENERGY 120) | Lectures, problems, field trip. Engineering topics in petroleum recovery; origin, discovery, and development of oil and gas. Chemical, physical, and thermodynamic properties of oil and natural gas.... | GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-FR, WAY-SMA |
| ENGR | 145 | Technology Entrepreneurship | How do you create a successful start-up? What is entrepreneurial leadership in a large firm? What are the differences between an idea and true opportunity? How does an entrepreneur form a team and... | GER:DB-SocSci |
| ENGR | 213 | Solar Decathlon | Open to all engineering majors. Project studio for all work related to the Solar Decathlon 2013 competition. Each student will develop a personal work plan for the quarter with his or her advisor and... | |
| ENGR | 231 | Transformative Design | Too many alums are doing what they've always been told they're good at, and are living with regret and a sense that they're just resigned to doing this thing for the rest of their lives. Capabilities... | |
| ENVRES | 275 | The Practice of Mining and Its Social and Environmental Context | Seminar focused on one of the world's oldest industries: mining. Mining is a major industrial process that underpins the provision of many of the resources that we use in our daily lives; it is also... | |
| ENVRES | 330 | Research Approaches for Environmental Problem Solving | Required core course for first year E-IPER Ph.D. students. How to develop and implement interdisciplinary research in environment and resources. Assignments include development of research questions... | |
| ENVRES | 380 | Collaborating with the Future: Launching Large Scale Sustainable Transformations | This project-based d.school class combines Design Thinking Processes, Behavioral Sciences, elements of Diffusion Theory, and a methodology for scaled transformation. Tools and theories introduced in... | |
| ENVRES | 201 | The Energy Transformation Collaborative | Research seminar. Evaluate the technologies, economics, policy mechanisms and drivers, and business model innovations to enable East Palo Alto to transition to a sustainable, resilient future.... | |
| ENVRINST | 109 | Creating a Green Student Workforce to Help Implement Stanford's Sustainability Vision (CEE 109, EARTHSYS 109) | Examination of program-based local actions that promote resource resource conservation and an educational environment for sustainability. Examination of building-level actions that contribute to... | |
| ESS | 158 | Geomicrobiology (EARTHSYS 158, EARTHSYS 258, ESS 258) | How microorganisms shape the geochemistry of the Earth's crust including oceans, lakes, estuaries, subsurface environments, sediments, soils, mineral deposits, and rocks. Topics include mineral... | |
| ESS | 219 | Climate Variability during the Holocene: Understanding what is Natural Climate Change | Many elements of the debate about attribution of modern climate change to man-made influences hinge on understanding the past history of climate as well as forcing functions such as solar output,... | |
| ESS | 57Q | Climate Change from the Past to the Future (EARTHSYS 57Q) | Preference to sophomores. Numeric models to predict how climate responds to increase of greenhouse gases. Paleoclimate during times in Earth's history when greenhouse gas concentrations were elevated... | WAY-SMA |
| ESS | 111 | Biology and Global Change (BIO 117, EARTHSYS 111) | The biological causes and consequences of anthropogenic and natural changes in the atmosphere, oceans, and terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Topics: glacial cycles and marine circulation,... | GER: DB-NatSci, WAY-SMA |
| ESS | 146A | Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate Dynamics: The Atmospheric Circulation (EARTHSYS 146A, EARTHSYS 246A, ESS 246A, GEOPHYS 146A, GEOPHYS 246A) | Introduction to the physics governing the circulation of the atmosphere and ocean and their control on climate with emphasis on the atmospheric circulation. Topics include the global energy balance,... | |
| ESS | 246A | Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate Dynamics: The Atmospheric Circulation (EARTHSYS 146A, EARTHSYS 246A, ESS 146A, GEOPHYS 146A, GEOPHYS 246A) | Introduction to the physics governing the circulation of the atmosphere and ocean and their control on climate with emphasis on the atmospheric circulation. Topics include the global energy balance,... | |
| ESS | 258 | Geomicrobiology (EARTHSYS 158, EARTHSYS 258, ESS 158) | How microorganisms shape the geochemistry of the Earth's crust including oceans, lakes, estuaries, subsurface environments, sediments, soils, mineral deposits, and rocks. Topics include mineral... | |
| ETHICSOC | 136R | Introduction to Global Justice (INTNLREL 136R, PHIL 76, POLISCI 136R, POLISCI 336) | This course provides an overview of core ethical problems in international politics, with special emphasis on the question of what demands justice imposes on institutions and agents acting in a... | GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER |
| ETHICSOC | 178M | Introduction to Environmental Ethics (ETHICSOC 278M, PHIL 178M, PHIL 278M, POLISCI 134L) | How should human beings relate to the natural world? Do we have moral obligations toward non-human animals and other parts of nature? And what do we owe to other human beings, including future... | GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER |
| ETHICSOC | 278M | Introduction to Environmental Ethics (ETHICSOC 178M, PHIL 178M, PHIL 278M, POLISCI 134L) | How should human beings relate to the natural world? Do we have moral obligations toward non-human animals and other parts of nature? And what do we owe to other human beings, including future... | |
| GEOPHYS | 146A | Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate Dynamics: The Atmospheric Circulation (EARTHSYS 146A, EARTHSYS 246A, ESS 146A, ESS 246A, GEOPHYS 246A) | Introduction to the physics governing the circulation of the atmosphere and ocean and their control on climate with emphasis on the atmospheric circulation. Topics include the global energy balance,... | |
| GEOPHYS | 202 | Reservoir Geomechanics | Basic principles of rock mechanics and the state of stress and pore pressure in sedimentary basins related to exploitation of hydrocarbon and geothermal reservoirs. Mechanisms of hydrocarbon... | |
| GEOPHYS | 222 | Reflection Seismology (GEOPHYS 182) | The principles of seismic reflection profiling, focusing on methods of seismic data acquisition and seismic data processing for hydrocarbon exploration. | |
| GEOPHYS | 223 | Reflection Seismology Interpretation (GEOPHYS 183, GS 223) | The structural and stratigraphic interpretation of seismic reflection data, emphasizing hydrocarbon traps in two and three dimensions on industry data, including workstation-based interpretation.... | |
| GEOPHYS | 224 | Seismic Reflection Processing | Workshop in computer processing of 2D and 3D seismic reflection data. Students individually process a seismic reflection profile (of their own choice or instructor-provided) from field recordings to... | |
| GEOPHYS | 241A | Seismic Reservoir Characterization (ENERGY 141, ENERGY 241) | (Same as GP241) Practical methods for quantitative characterization and uncertainty assessment of subsurface reservoir models integrating well-log and seismic data. Multidisciplinary combination of... | |
| GEOPHYS | 246A | Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate Dynamics: The Atmospheric Circulation (EARTHSYS 146A, EARTHSYS 246A, ESS 146A, ESS 246A, GEOPHYS 146A) | Introduction to the physics governing the circulation of the atmosphere and ocean and their control on climate with emphasis on the atmospheric circulation. Topics include the global energy balance,... | |
| GEOPHYS | 255 | Report on Energy Industry Training | On-the-job-training for master's and doctoral degree students under the guidance of on-site supervisors. Students submit a report detailing work activities, problems, assignment, and key results. May... | |
| GES | 50Q | The Coastal Zone Environment | Preference to sophomores. The oceanographic, geological, and biological character of coastal zone environments, including continental shelves, estuaries, and coastal wetlands, with emphasis on San... | GER: DB-NatSci |
| GES | 267 | Solution-Mineral Equilibria: Theory | Procedures for calculating and evaluating the thermodynamic properties of reversible and irreversible reactions among rock-forming minerals and aqueous solutions in geologic systems. Emphasis is on... | |
| GS | 43Q | Environmental Problems | Preference to sophomores. Components of multidisciplinary environmental problems and ethical questions associated with decision making in the regulatory arena. Students lead discussions on... | GER: DB-NatSci |
| GS | 246 | Reservoir Characterization and Flow Modeling with Outcrop Data (ENERGY 146, ENERGY 246) | Project addressing a reservoir management problem by studying an outcrop analog, constructing geostatistical reservoir models, and performing flow simulation. How to use outcrop observations in... | |
| GS | 253 | Petroleum Geology and Exploration | The origin and occurrence of hydrocarbons. Topics: thermal maturation history in hydrocarbon generation, significance of sedimentary and tectonic structural setting, principles of accumulation, and... | |
| GSBGEN | 336 | Energy Markets and Policy | Transforming the global energy system to reduce climate change impacts, ensure security of supply, and foster economic development of the world's poorest regions depends on the ability of commercial... | |
| GSBGEN | 363 | Fiscal Policy | One of every four dollars in the American economy will be spent by the federal government this year. This course will examine how federal spending, taxes, deficits and debt affect the U.S. economy... | |
| GSBGEN | 532 | Cleantech: Business Fundamentals and Public Policy | This course examines trends and opportunities in the cleantech sector with a particular focus on low carbon energy and carbon emission reductions. We examine these trends in the context of changing... | |
| GSBGEN | 538 | Energy Policy, Markets, and Climate Change | This course will consider world energy markets as well as national and international policy challenges for the energy sector, in the context of climate change and its probable impacts. Case studies... | |
| GSBGEN | 332 | Sustainable Energy: Business Opportunities and Public Policy | This course examines trends and opportunities in the sustainable energy sector with a particular focus on low carbon energy. We examine these trends in the context of technological change, emerging... | |
| GSBGEN | 335 | Clean Energy Project Development and Finance | This case study-oriented course will focus on the critical skills needed to evaluate, develop, finance (on a non-recourse basis), and complete standalone energy and infrastructure projects. The... | |
| HISTORY | 103D | Human Society and Environmental Change (EARTHSYS 112, ESS 112) | Interdisciplinary approaches to understanding human-environment interactions with a focus on economics, policy, culture, history, and the role of the state. Prerequisite: ECON 1. | WAY-SI |
| HISTORY | 163 | A History of North American Wests | The history, peoples, and natural systems of a region that has never been contained within a single empire or nation state, but has been united by the movement of peoples, species, and things. Topics... | GER:DB-SocSci |
| HISTORY | 103E | The International History of Nuclear Weapons (POLISCI 116) | An introduction to the history of nuclear weapons from World War II to the present. The focus is on politics, but the role of technology transfer ¿ whether legal or illicit ¿ in the... | GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI |
| HUMBIO | 4B | Environmental and Health Policy Analysis | Connections among the life sciences, social sciences, public health, and public policy. The economic, social, and institutional factors that underlie environmental degradation, the incidence of... | GER:DB-SocSci |
| HUMBIO | 111M | Marine Resource Economics and Conservation (EARTHSYS 156M, ECON 156) | Economic and ecological frameworks to understand the causes of and potential solutions to marine resource degradation. Focus on conservation of marine biodiversity and ecosystem-based management.... | WAY-SI |
| INTNLREL | 136R | Introduction to Global Justice (ETHICSOC 136R, PHIL 76, POLISCI 136R, POLISCI 336) | This course provides an overview of core ethical problems in international politics, with special emphasis on the question of what demands justice imposes on institutions and agents acting in a... | GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER |
| IPS | 270 | The Geopolitics of Energy | The global energy landscape is undergoing seismic shifts with game-changing economic, political and environmental ramifications. Technological breakthroughs are expanding the realms of production,... | |
| LAW | 220 | Regulatory Economics | Law 220 examines public policies for dealing with problems arising in markets in which competitive forces are weak. The focus is on monopolies, oligopolies, cartels, and other environments where... | |
| LAW | 238 | Administrative Law | Administrative agencies interpret statutes, promulgate regulations, and adjudicate disputes, thereby affecting vast areas of life -- from employment to food and drug safety, from the environment to... | |
| LAW | 338 | Land Use | This course focuses on the pragmatic (rather than theoretical) aspects of contemporary land use law and policy, including: nuisance as a land use tool and foundation for modern land use law; use and... | |
| LAW | 432 | Managing Natural Resources In the Face of Climate Change and Other Stressors Workshop | This workshop seminar will provide students with the opportunity to examine and critique cutting-edge research and work in the natural resources field, with a focus on how climate change and other... | |
| LAW | 455 | Energy Law | The supply of a reliable, low-cost and clean energy supply for the United States is a key determinant of current and future prosperity. Perhaps as a result, electric utilities are among the most... | |
| LAW | 488 | Legal Aspects of Autonomous Driving | Self-driving cars and trucks are rapidly entering the mainstream. They raise key legal and policy questions, which this seminar explores through source materials (from case law to treaties), academic... | |
| LAW | 514 | California Coast: Science, Policy and Law | This interdisciplinary course integrates the legal, scientific, and policy dimensions of how we characterize and manage resource use and allocation along the California coast. We will use this... | |
| LAW | 515 | Sustainable Energy: Business Opportunities and Public Policy | This course examines trends and opportunities in the sustainable energy sector with a particular focus on low carbon energy. We examine these trends in the context of technological change, emerging... | |
| LAW | 605 | International Environmental Law | This course examines the legal, scientific, political, economic, and organizational issues associated with the creation of international environmental regimes. The principal emphasis will be on the... | |
| LAW | 746 | Climate Change Policy: Economic, Legal, and Political Analysis | This course will advance students' understanding of economic, legal, and political approaches to avoiding or managing the problem of global climate change. Beyond focusing on economic issues and... | |
| LAW | 774 | Clean Energy Project Development and Finance | This case study-oriented course will focus on the critical skills needed to evaluate, develop, finance (on a non-recourse basis), and complete standalone utility-scale energy and infrastructure... | |
| MATSCI | 154 | Thermodynamic Evaluation of Green Energy Technologies | Understand the thermodynamics and efficiency limits of modern green technologies such as carbon dioxide capture from air, fuel cells, batteries, and solar-thermal power. | GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-SMA |
