Advanced Study
For the two EST&P-Advanced Study degrees, EST&P-ADS and EST&P-AAS, you also choose an Advanced Study Concentration (for 36 units of coursework) to go beyond the required Energy Core, Engineering Concentration, and Breadth Electives (up to 12 appropriate units of Advanced Study can also count for Breadth Electives).
As an interdisciplinary engineering program focused on energy, educating engineers and technical managers to understand the interdisciplinary challenges of energy, Advanced Study is naturally represented by a balance of breadth and depth that also increases degree customizability for individuals. There are two Advanced Study Concentrations you may choose, and each has much flexibility for individuals:
- Second Engineering Concentration
- Energy Projects Concentration
1. Second Engineering Concentration
Students may complete their Advanced Study by satisfying the requirements of a Second Engineering Concentration. Here, breadth is achieved by exposure to a second engineering discipline’s approach to energy, and depth is achieved through completing a second cluster of concentrated engineering coursework. As examples, a student with CEE and EPP concentrations can be strong and broad in areas of sustainability and climate policy; or a student with MEG and ECE concentrations may be broad and strong in areas of generation and storage in modern grids. Many other examples are possible in achieving Advanced Study in energy that are customized to individual students’ interests and technological needs. 12 of the 36 units needed for an Engineering Concentration will also count toward Breadth Electives.
2. Energy Projects Concentration
Students may complete their Advanced Study by satisfying the requirements of the Energy Projects Concentration. Here, breadth is achieved by further exposure to energy related topics, in coursework or independent study, and depth is achieved by applying knowledge while tackling significant energy related projects, also in coursework or independent study. 12 of the 36 units needed for Energy Projects will also count toward Breadth Electives. The Energy Projects Concentration can be satisfied by completing any combination of the following, for a total of 36 units:
- Independent Master’s Project (up to 36 units)
Carnegie Mellon faculty are engaged in a wide range of energy related research, in which undergraduate, master, and doctoral students participate. EST&P students working with faculty usually enroll in 39-660 Masters EST&P Project, or the equivalent Masters Project / Independent study course numbers from the partner engineering departments. See examples of previous student projects. -
Project-Intensive coursework (up to 36 units)
Many energy-related graduate courses at CMU have a significant energy-related projects integrated with the coursework, allowing students another avenue in which to generate independent solutions. With advance approval from an EST&P advisor, such project‐intensive engineering courses may count towards meeting the Energy Projects Concentration requirement. Approved courses are generally 12-unit graduate engineering courses that have a significant energy-related project integrated with the coursework (as indicated in the syllabus). In this context, a significant project represents 30 % or more of the overall grade in a 12-unit course. Your EST&P advisor maintains a list of appropriate courses (which includes a number of regularly scheduled engineering classes), such as this list of pre-approved project courses.
- Breadth Elective coursework (up to 12 units)
A limited number of units of Breadth Electives can be used to count towards the Energy Projects Concentration. Ideally, the Breadth Electives will be related to a student’s interests in project work. Advisor approval is required.
For more information on Advanced Study and Energy Projects Concentration, please refer to the EST&P Student Handbook. Enrolled students will find Project Approval forms and additional information posted in the EST&P Professional Resources CANVAS site.