The Energy Studies Minor consists of 18 credit hours and incorporates coursework in business, geoscience, law, and petroleum engineering.
The Energy Studies Minor (ESM) is designed to equip future energy leaders with the technical expertise and business acumen needed to address our future. The minor incorporates coursework in business, geoscience, law, and petroleum engineering.
The Energy Studies Minor is an intensive program that includes four required summer courses, student treks, and guest speaker lectures. In addition to the summer coursework, students must also complete two elective courses of their choice to tailor the minor to their interests.
Required Summer Courses:
This course covers key real estate laws, including property rights, contracts, mortgages, easements, brokers, and foreclosure. Students will explore how these legal principles impact property transactions and ownership.
This class helps students analyze energy and power systems in regulated and competitive environments and explores the implications on business decisions for firms in these industries. Topics covered include, fuel choice, market design, energy demand and potential energy policies.
This course gives students the tools to evaluate strategic initiatives within a company and as they affect the company’s position in the marketplace. Issues related to regulation, deregulation, ethical, environmental, and governance concerns will also be introduced.
This course provides an introduction to the legal, regulatory, and policy frameworks governing the U.S. energy sector. The course examines how federal and state laws, regulatory agencies, and public policy shape energy production, markets, and infrastructure across traditional and emerging energy sources. Students will analyze current energy law issues, assess the role of government and stakeholders, and develop an understanding of how legal and policy decisions influence the evolving energy landscape.
Overnight trek to Houston to visit energy companies Multiple day treks in Austin to visit energy facilities and companies Frequent energy industry speaker lunches Career Prep Workshop Networking dinner with KBH Energy Center Council members Access to Energy 101: Energy & Technology Policy
Remaining Courses (Pick 2):
This course explores the strategic valuation of natural resources, covering investment initiation, evaluation, and financing. Students apply theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios and simulations to develop practical skills in navigating complex investment decisions.
This course provides students with a foundational understanding of the legal frameworks that govern the exploration, production, and regulation of oil, gas, and mineral resources in the United States, with a particular emphasis on Texas law and practice. Through case studies and real-world examples, the course explores how legal principles shape industry operations, influence energy markets, and interact with environmental and land use concerns.
This course provides students with a comprehensive, accessible introduction to the exploration and production (E&P) segment of the energy industry—without requiring a technical background. Students will gain an understanding of how oil and gas resources are discovered, evaluated, and developed, exploring the key stages from geological surveying and leasing to drilling, completion, and production. Emphasis is placed on the economic drivers, regulatory frameworks, environmental considerations, and geopolitical factors that shape E&P operations.
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the technologies that power modern society and the policies that shape their development and deployment. Students will examine a wide range of energy systems—including fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewable energy—through technical, economic, environmental, and geopolitical lenses. Emphasis is placed on understanding how innovation, regulation, and markets interact to influence energy production and consumption on both national and global scales.
This course provides a foundational understanding of Earth’s physical systems with a focus on their relevance to global energy resources. Students will explore the structure and composition of the Earth, plate tectonics, rock and mineral formation, geologic time, and surface processes such as erosion and sedimentation. Emphasis is placed on the geologic processes that create and shape energy resources—including fossil fuels, geothermal systems, and mineral deposits critical to renewable technologies.
This course provides students with a comprehensive introduction to financial principles and analytical tools essential for understanding the energy sector. Students will explore topics such as capital budgeting, project finance, valuation methods, commodity pricing, risk management, and investment analysis, with a focus on their application to energy markets and companies.
Sid Richardson Chair, LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Cockrell Family Chair #16, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Research Fellow & Energy Week Coordinator, Energy Institute
Associate Professor of Instruction
Professor; Business, Government and Society Red McCombs School of Business
Mason Bregenzer, Analyst at Plains All American Pipeline & 2024 Energy Studies Minor Student
Andrew Silvestri, Chemical Engineering & 2025 Energy Studies Minor Student
Aliya Khairul, Sustainability Studies & 2025 Energy Studies Minor Student
William Citizen, Economics & 2025 Energy Studies Minor Student
Cecil Armstrong, Staff Geologist at Roux & 2024 Energy Studies Minor Student
Energize your education with the Energy Studies Minor! This exciting program teaches energy in all its forms, helps you make valuable connections, and explore career opportunities. Apply by March 12, 2027 through the button below.
All enrolled UT students are eligible to participate
Gain a multidisciplinary understanding of the energy industry through classroom learning and industry treks across Texas.
Tour energy facilities, visit top companies in the industry, and hear from energy experts.
Meet potential employers & expand your network
Join the Newsletter