The Program
25
Courses Required
1
Year-long Senior Design Project
Course Delivery: In-person
As a student in the Energy Resource Engineering bachelor's degree program, you'll
prepare to become a versatile energy engineer, ready to excel in any energy-producing
industry.
You'll gain a strong foundation for a successful career in the ever-evolving energy
sector, including the dynamic oil and gas industry, as well as the growing field of
renewable and alternative energy sources. You’ll dive deep into a broad range of disciplines,
including mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering science, giving you a comprehensive
understanding of the complexities involved in energy production. Your coursework will
cover topics such as petroleum and geothermal drilling, reservoir and production engineering,
carbon capture, electrical and power systems, energy and the environment, data analysis,
and energy resource characterization and economics.
The Energy Resource Engineering program culminates in a year-long senior capstone
design project, where you'll apply your knowledge to create practical energy resource
engineering systems and components. By the time you graduate, you’ll be ready to develop
and implement cutting-edge energy technologies across multiple resource options while
tailoring designs to meet the unique needs of Alaska’s communities and industries.
Get ready to lead the way in shaping the future of energy!
Student Focus Areas
Renewable Energy Systems
You'll study the processes of renewable energy integration, electromechanical energy conversion and energy systems design.
Traditional Energy Production
You'll learn drilling techniques, reservoir engineering and production engineering.
Analytical and Economic Competency
You'll gain experience in data analytics and energy resource economics.
Student Opportunities
--Storage of hydrogen in depleted natural gas reservoirs
--Feasibility study of blue hydrogen and ammonia production in Alaska's North Slope
--Design of recovery methods for heavy oil development in the Ugnu Reservoir
--Numerical study of CO2 + nanoparticle injection for enhanced recovery of viscous
oils
--Potential for riverine hydrokinetic energy generation
--Optimization of wind energy on diesel hybrid microgrids
--Battery and electric-thermal energy storage for remote microgrid stability
--Baker-Hughes, Inc. (Baker Oil Tools)
--Chevron
--ConocoPhillips
--Electric Power Systems, Inc.
--Halliburton
--Hilcorp
--Weatherford
--Alaska Electric Light & Power (AELP)
--Chugach Electric
--Cordova Electric Association
--Golden Valley Electric Association
--Matanuska Electric
Career Pathways
The Energy Resource Engineering program is designed to meet Alaska's growing energy workforce needs while equipping you with skills that are applicable to both local and global challenges. This program will prepare you to tackle the complexities of energy production, sustainability and environmental stewardship, empowering you to contribute to both state and national security as well as economic prosperity.
Recent job market data from Hanover* shows the top energy resource engineering-related positions as petroleum engineers, energy engineers, wind energy engineers and solar energy engineers. 47% of these roles are focused on traditional petroleum and reservoir and drilling engineering, while the remaining positions fall under the broader energy engineering category. UAF's Energy Resource Engineering program prepares you for both of these career pathways.
As a graduate of the Energy Resource Engineering bachelor's degree program, you'll be uniquely qualified to navigate both the traditional petroleum industry and the growing renewable energy sector. This broad expertise opens doors to opportunities in both industries, making you a sought-after professional in today’s evolving energy landscape.
*Hanover Research, 2023
Meet the Faculty
The energy resource engineering undergraduate degree is housed within the Department of Petroleum Engineering and is taught and supported through combined efforts of faculty within the petroleum, electrical and mechanical engineering departments in the College of Engineering and Mines and research faculty in the Alaska Center for Energy and Power.
Abhijit Dandekar
Chair of Petroleum Engineering
Daisy Huang
Associate Professor of Energy
Yin Zhang
Professor of Petroleum Engineering
Richard Wies
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Obadare Awoleke
Associate Professor of Petroleum Engineering
Omid Mohammadzadeh
Assistant Professor of Petroleum Engineering
Related Majors
B.S. in Petroleum Engineering
The petroleum engineering degree at UAF puts you in the heart of the nation’s energy frontier, with access to research, hands-on learning and professional opportunities you won’t find anywhere else in the world.
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering
With a special focus on cold-climate engineering, our program offers you unique opportunities to apply do-it-yourself ingenuity and gain specialized training for jobs in Alaska (the top paying state in the nation for mechanical engineers).
Ready to apply to the Energy Resource Engineering program?
Get started here with UAF's application. You can also find UAF on the Common App.
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