University of Dayton
AC-4: Graduate Program

You can be a part of the development of energy-reducing design techniques, renewable energy and manufacturing systems, and better forms of solar energy, fuel cells and biofuels with the University of Dayton's Graduate Renewable & Clean Energy Program. Our program addresses the need for stable, clean and economical energy sources and is shared with Wright State University's mechanical and materials engineering department.

Areas of Emphasis

Energy efficiency (buildings, industry, transportation)
Renewable energy (wind, solar, geothermal, tidal)
Design for environment and resource efficiency
Large-scale energy and environmental systems
Clean energy for the developing world
Advanced thermodynamics and energy materials

A 12-credit hour course of study open to students who already hold a Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent. A goal of the certificate curriculum should be to stretch student learning beyond what they are already doing; to be interdisciplinary and community focused; to be flexible in its structure, allowing for the variety in the professional goals and interests students may bring to the program. Completion of the certificate requires the following:

Grade of 3.0 or higher in the following four courses:

• SEE 500: Foundations in Sustainability. The course would address a broad range of topics, and be applicable to students with different academic backgrounds. The Graduate Certificate in Sustainability Working Group Report (WRG) recommended a team-taught approach. The SEE Advisory Committee emphasized the need for rigor in truly establishing a foundation that is impactful for students. This would also be enabled by a team-taught approach. Two faculty representing different academic fields would be ideal. An instructor of record could also organize several experts to participate in teaching specific topics in their areas of expertise. (3 credit hours)

• Two elective courses determined in consultation with and approval by both the graduate student’s advisor and the Sustainability Studies Program Director. Based on the student’s program of study in consultation with the student’s advisor, a selection of two graduate-level courses will satisfy the depth requirement. In special cases and allowance may be made for a 400-level undergraduate course. (6 credit hours)

• SEE 590: Sustainability-Applications and Research. This seminar capstone is centered on a project-based transdisciplinary approach to as specific sustainability scenario on campus or in the community. Emphasis will be placed on the three pillars of sustainability; the social, economic, and environmental. Students will gage whether a hard or soft sustainability approach is warranted, and will consider how the project intersects with one or more of the Millennium Sustainability goals outlined by the United Nations. The foundational course would be a pre-requisite for this course. (3 credit hours)

Successful completion of a student portfolio that contains the following:
• A comprehensive plan of study developed in consultation with the student’s graduate advisor and the Sustainability Studies Program Director. The plan must include a rationale for the coursework and research undertaken, a set of goals learning goals developed with his or her advisor, and a personal assessment plan to be done after coursework has been completed.
• Demonstration of research in the student’s area of specialization. This should not be considered a thesis, but rather a requirement that the student engage in graduate-level research, and demonstrate the capacity to do so effectively.

• A summative assessment of the student’s achievement after completion of coursework for the certificate. The assessment is a learning tool meant to guide further study and consider how the learning experience intersects with the student’s vocation. The assessment will be completed in consultation with the student’s advisor, and possibly a second faculty member.