Chapter 14: Power Systems and Sustainable Energy Program

Program Advisor: Dr. Maryam Khanbaghi

Overview

Twenty-first-century problems demand holistic thinking to effectively address the social, environmental, and economic impact of emerging energy technologies. We offer a graduate certificate in Renewable Energy and a multi-disciplinary master’s degree in Power Systems and Sustainable Energy. Both offerings balance deep technical expertise with practical application experience, while also promoting understanding of the economics, public policy, and ethics that shape the industry. A broad and ever-increasing range of courses—power systems, smart grid, energy management, security, and infrastructure, to name a few—are complemented by lectures, workshops, and field trips offered quarterly by our energetic Energy Club. Fuel your passion for energy engineering as you train alongside Silicon Valley professionals to meet the changing demands in energy and fulfill a pressing need in the rapidly growing renewable energy market in our Valley and the world.

Master’s Degree Program and Requirements

Students interested in this major must satisfy the standard admissions criteria used by the School of Engineering, which include an undergraduate degree in a field of engineering (physics degrees will also be considered), appropriate GRE scores and (for international students) demonstrated proficiency in English. Both TOEFL and IELTS scores are acceptable for this purpose. All students are expected to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.000 while enrolled in the program. They must also develop a PS & SE Program of Studies with the program advisor and file this document with the Graduate Studies Office by the end of their first quarter at SCU.

Required Courses

Foundational Courses

  • ECEN 280/MECH 287 Introduction to Alternative Energy Systems (2 units)
  • ECEN 281A Power Systems: Generation and Transmission (2 units)
  • ECEN 281B Power Systems: Distribution (2 units)
  • ECEN 281E Power Systems (4 units)
  • ECEN 285 Introduction to the Smart Grid (2 units)

Graduate Core Courses

  • ENGR/GREN 272 Energy Public Policy (2 units)
  • ENGR/GREN 344 Artificial Intelligence and Ethics (2 units)
  • EMGT 255 Managerial Accounting for Operating Managers (2 units)
  • EMGT 380 Introduction to Systems Engineering Management (2 units)

Applied Mathematics Courses

  • AMTH 245 Linear Algebra I (2 units)
  • AMTH 246 Linear Algebra II (2 units)
  • Or AMTH 247 Linear Algebra (4 units)
  • 4 units to be selected in consultation with the student’s academic advisor

A set of specialized energy-related courses which are appropriate to the area of
engineering in which the student is interested. These four areas are:

Mechanical Engineering

  • ECEN 231 Power System Stability and Control (4 units)
  • ECEN 287 Energy Storage Systems (2 units)
  • MECH 239 Solid State Power Generation and Energy Harvesting ( 4 units)
  • MECH 228 Energy Conversion and Conservation (4 units)

Electrical Engineering

  • ECEN 231 Power System Stability and Control (4 units)
  • ECEN 287 Energy Storage Systems (2 units)
  • ECEN 288 Energy Management Systems or ECEN 236 Linear Control Systems (2 units)
  • ECEN 353 DC to DC Power Conversion (2 units)

Computer Engineering

  • CSEN 281- Pattern Recognition and Data Mining  or CSEN  240 Machine Learning (4 units)
  • CSEN 243 Internet of Things (4 units)
  • CSEN 266 Artificial Intelligence (4 units)

Civil Engineering

  • CENG 217 Sustainable Infrastructure for Developing Countries (4 units) or
    CENG 288 Engineering Decision and Risk Analysis (4 units)
  • CENG 219 Designing for Sustainable Construction (4 units)
  • CENG 249 Civil Systems Engineering (4 units)

Additional elective courses to complete the 46-unit requirement must be approved by the academic advisor. These elective courses may include a thesis, and up to nine units.

Renewable Energy Certificate Program

The main goal of this certificate is to introduce students to the field of renewable energy. The intent is to help equip professionals in Silicon Valley with the knowledge that will help them advance in their present careers or enter the renewable energy field. To enroll in this certificate, an applicant should have a B.S. in Engineering from an accredited school and maintain a grade point average of 3.000. As with most certificates in the Graduate School of Engineering, the requirement is 16 quarter units. Eight of these units are in Power Systems and eight units are in Renewable Energy.

Continuation for a Master’s Degree

All Santa Clara University graduate courses applied to the completion of a certificate program earn graduate credit that may also be applied toward a graduate degree. Students who wish to continue for such a degree must submit a separate application and satisfy all standard admission requirements. The general GRE test requirement for graduate admission to the master’s degree will be waived for students who complete a certificate program with a GPA of 3.500 or better.

Required Courses (16 units total)

Power Systems

  • ECEN 280/MECH 287 Introduction to Alternative Energy Systems (2 units)
  • ECEN 281A Power Systems: Generation and Transmission (2 units)
  • ECEN 281B Power Systems: Distribution (2 units)
  • ECEN 281E Power Systems (4 units)
  • ECEN 285 Introduction to the Smart Grid (2 units)

Renewable Energy

  • ECEN 284 Solar Cell Technologies and Simulation Tools (2 units) or
  • ECEN 380 Economics of Energy (2 units)
  • ECEN 286/MECH 286 Introduction to Wind Energy Engineering (2 units)
  • ECEN 287 Storage Device Systems (2 units)
  • ENGR/GREN 272 Energy Public Policy (2 units)