The Energy and Sustainability minor welcomes students from all majors. Although housed in the Honors College, it is open to all qualified students. Graduates have found the breadth of knowledge available in its courses to be an advantage in the job market, particularly in the energy-dominated economy of the Houston region.

The program takes an aggressively interdisciplinary approach to the study of sustainable energy systems. It pays special attention to the crowded intersection of energy security and environmental stewardship. Here we find technical, economic, environmental and political issues raised by the production and consumption of different fuels. These range from the traditional environmental impacts of energy use on air, water and land to the global challenges of climate change.

The most significant issues of the 21st century loom large in this course, and students are encouraged to learn to think creatively and independently about them. Breadth of understanding is a central goal of interdisciplinary study, and our minor offers a blend of courses in an array of disciplines, including business, engineering, the natural sciences, architecture, economics, political science and history.

The required introductory and capstone courses combine with the wide choice of electives and research projects in many of the classes to give students ample flexibility to learn in depth about topics of special interest or to acquire a breadth of knowledge about energy and sustainability. Understanding these two closely-related topics will be essential to responsible citizenship in the coming decades.