Certificate in Energy Management & Policy


Open the door to a career in energy with a respected credential built on targeted coursework.


Student presenting at the Kleinman Center
Jump start your energy career with a Certificate in Energy Management and Policy

Certificate Design

Penn graduate students who wish to earn the Certificate in Energy Management and Policy must successfully complete ENMG 5020: Introduction to Energy Policy, one foundation course selected from a preapproved list of four courses, and three courses within one of the three concentration tracks: Energy Markets, Risk, and Finance; Regional Energy Planning; or Energy Law and Policy.

There is a total of five-course units to complete the certificate. Students are highly encouraged to participate in an applied learning experience to complement their discipline-centered course work, though it is not a requirement.

“I loved that the certificate program fosters a diversity of thought and pushes you to take classes from other schools to broaden your perspective.”

— Hayley McCurdy (MES’20)

Candidates

The certificate is available to all of Penn’s currently enrolled graduate students, but is aimed at those in the following programs:

  • Law—JD
  • Law—Master in Law
  • SAS—Master of Applied Geosciences
  • SAS—Master of Environmental Studies
  • SAS—Master of Public Administration
  • SEAS—Master of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics
  • Weitzman School—Master of City and Regional Planning
  • Wharton—MBA

Designed to complement the curricula of the above programs, this certificate provides an understanding of relevant topics in energy policy and the analytic skills necessary for policy development and implementation. Recipients will be well-suited for work in government organizations, think tanks, and NGOs.

Deadlines

  • Spring 2023 Admission: November 1, 2022
  • Fall 2023 Admission: January 12, 2023

Admissions

Students at the Weitzman School

Complete the certificate program application and send it to the Weitzman School admissions office (110 Meyerson Hall or admissions@design.upenn.edu).

Students at Other Schools

Complete the certificate program application via ApplyWeb. To receive a fee waiver code, contact the Weitzman School admissions office prior to submission.

Note: Students must be currently enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Pennsylvania to pursue this certificate.

“I’ll graduate with a master of environmental studies degree, but my experience with the Kleinman Center feels like a second master’s degree.”

— Brandon Burke (MES’18)

Curriculum


Introduction to Energy Policy

ENMG 5020

Shelley Welton

This course provides an advanced introduction to the design and delivery of energy policy at various levels of government in the U.S. and elsewhere.


Required Course

  • ENMG 5020: Introduction to Energy Policy

ENMG 5020 is only offered intermittently and there are no substitutions available. It is recommended that you take this course as soon as possible.

Foundation Courses

(Choose one)
  • ENMG 5070: Ideas in Energy Policy
  • ENVS 6440: Energy, Waste, and the Environment
  • ENMG 5030: Topics in Energy Policy: Emerging Ideas in Energy
  • EAS 5050: Climate Policy and Technology
  • CBE 5050: Carbon Capture
  • CBE 5450: Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage

Courses by Track

(Choose three from a single track)

  • BEPP 7610: Risk Analysis and Environmental Management
  • BEPP 7630: Energy Markets & Policy
  • BEPP 8050: Risk Management
  • EAS 5060: Electricity and Systems Markets
  • ENMG 5080: Geopolitics of Energy in Russia and Eurasia
  • FNCE 7560: Energy Finance
  • GAFL 5140: Public Finance and Public Policy
  • GAFL 6210: Public Economics
  • OIDD 5250: Thinking with Models

  • CPLN 5310: Introduction to Environmental Planning & Policy
  • CPLN 7500: Advanced Transportation Seminar: Air Transportation Planning
  • CPLN 7300: Sustainable Cities
  • ESE 5200: Agent Based Modeling and Simulation
  • LARP 7800: Topics in Theory and Design
  • OIDD 5250: Thinking with Models
  • URBS 4170: Cities and Sustainability

  • EAS 5030: Energy Systems and Policy
  • ENVS 6200: Developing Environmental Policy
  • ENMG 5080: Geopolitics of Energy in Russia and Eurasia
  • LAW 6340: Environmental Law
  • LAW 6950: Land Use Law
  • LAW 9190: Energy Law and Climate Change
  • LAW 9310: Regulatory Law and Policy
  • LAW 9850: Oil and Gas Law
  • LGST 8150: Environmental Management: Law and Policy

Your certificate courses can double count with your degree requirements, provided you have approval from your home department.

Students Admitted Before 2020

Students admitted to the certificate before 2020 are able to follow the old certificate design. This includes taking ENMG 5020: Introduction to Energy Policy and any 4 other courses from any of the above tracks. For these students, MEAM 5020: Energy Engineering and MSE 5450: Energy Storage & Technology can be taken for credit.

Petitions

Students may petition to count a course not currently listed on the approved list toward the certificate requirement. All petitions must be submitted in writing to Oscar Serpell and should include the course description and full syllabus, in addition to a summary of the main learning outcomes of the class, prepared by the student.

For students admitted after 2019, petitions must also make the case for why the course is relevant for the student’s chosen track. Please note that following the redesign of the certificate, the Kleinman Center will be more cautious about approving courses that are not pre-approved.


For questions about the certificate program, please contact Oscar Serpell.


The certificate program exposed me to a cross-section of courses from different departments. Being able to think like an engineer, a lawyer, or a designer gives me an interdisciplinary perspective and helps me be nimble.

Miriam Posner (MPA’16)