Master of Energy Transition and Sustainability (METS) Degree
Program Learning Outcomes for the METS Degree
Upon completing the METS degree, students will be able to:
- Explain the interconnections among Earth, Energy, and Environmental Systems and impacts on society.
- Evaluate controls on global and regional energy supply and demand and the flow of energy and money across the energy value chain.
- Identify and select technical (engineering) solutions to energy problems
- Develop and apply technical, quantitative, and practical skills for the production, storage, deployment, and use of energy resources in sustainable ways.
- Conduct integrated, interdisciplinary team-based research on energy systems, and communicate this understanding to the general public.
Requirements for the METS Degree
The METS degree is a non-thesis master's degree. For general university requirements, please see Non-Thesis Master's Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Students pursuing the METS degree must complete:
- A minimum of 11 courses (minimum of 31 credit hours) to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 31 credit hours of graduate-level study (graduate semester credit hours, coursework at the 500-level or above).
- A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken at Rice University.
- A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken in standard or traditional courses (with a course type of lecture, seminar, laboratory, lecture/laboratory).
- A minimum residency enrollment of one fall or spring semester of part-time graduate study at Rice University.
- A maximum of 2 courses (6 graduate semester credit hours) from transfer credit. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
- The requirements for one area of specialization (see below for areas of specialization). The METS degree program offers two areas of specialization:
- Engineering, or
- Geosciences.
- A minimum overall GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework.
- A minimum program GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework that satisfies requirements for the non-thesis master’s degree.
Note: Some of the listed courses are not offered every year, and some may also have prerequisites or require instructor permission.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor or, where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the department or program's Official Certifier. Additionally, these course substitutions must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the METS Degree | 31 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| BIOS 580 | SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND REPORTING | 3 |
| CHBE 549 / EEPS 549 | (ECONOMICS AND POLICIES OF THE ENERGY TRANSITION) | 3 |
| CHBE 552 | TRANSITIONING TO LOW CARBON ENERGIES: ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS | 3 |
| CHBE 680 / EEPS 680 | ENERGY TRANSITION SEMINAR | 1 |
| EEPS 582 | GEOSCIENCES FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION | 3 |
| Area of Specialization | ||
| Select 1 of the following Areas of Specialization: | 15 | |
Engineering | ||
Geosciences | ||
| Capstone Requirement | ||
| CEVE 507 | ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 31 | |
Areas of Specialization
Students must complete a minimum of 5 courses (minimum of 15 credit hours) to satisfy the requirements for one area of specialization.
Area of Specialization: Engineering
Students must complete a minimum of 5 courses (minimum of 15 credit hours) to satisfy the requirements for the METS degree program's Engineering area of specialization.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select a minimum of 5 courses (minimum of 15 credit hours) from the following: | 15 | |
| TECHNOECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND ENGINEERING DECISION TOOLS | ||
| FUNDAMENTALS AND APPLICATIONS IN ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY CONVERSION | ||
| SEPARATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR CHEMICAL AND BIOMOLECULAR PROCESSES | ||
| MATERIALS IN ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY | ||
| ANALYSIS OF ENERGY SYSTEMS | ||
| INDUSTRIAL CHEMICAL PROCESSES AND THE ENERGY TRANSITION | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL AND DATA SCIENCE IN THE ENERGY INDUSTRY | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Area of Specialization: Geosciences
Students must complete a minimum of 5 courses (minimum of 15 credit hours) to satisfy the requirements for the METS degree program's Geosciences area of specialization.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select a minimum of 5 courses (minimum of 15 credit hours) from the following: | 15 | |
| APPLIED SUBSURFACE SYSTEMS: ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL AND DATA SCIENCE IN THE ENERGY INDUSTRY | ||
| DATA SCIENCE METHODS AND DATA MANAGEMENT | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GEOTHERMAL ENERGY SYSTEMS | ||
| EARTH'S NATURAL RESOURCES FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION | ||
| THE SCIENCE OF NATURE-BASED CARBON SEQUESTRATION | ||
| EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Policies for the METS Degree
Energy Transition and Sustainability Graduate Program Handbook
The General Announcements (GA) is the official Rice curriculum. As an additional resource for students, the Energy Transition and Sustainability program publishes a graduate program handbook, which can be found here: https://gradhandbooks.rice.edu/2024_25/Master_Energy_Transition_Sustainability_Handbook.pdf/.
Admission
Admission to graduate study in Energy Transition and Sustainability is open to qualified students holding a bachelor’s degree in a related science or engineering program that included coursework in general chemistry, physics, and advanced math. Scores from the general Graduate Record Examination (GRE) must be submitted. Highly qualified candidates will demonstrate good critical thinking and communication skills, and strong quantitative abilities. Department faculty evaluate the previous academic record and credentials of each applicant individually and make admission decisions.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content) and by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS). Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Program Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the METS degree should be aware of the following program-specific transfer credit guideline:
- No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the degree.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Energy Transition and Sustainability website: https://mets.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the METS Degree
Fifth-Year Master's Degree Option for Rice Undergraduate Students
In certain situations and with some terminal master's degree programs, Rice students have an option to pursue a master’s degree by adding an additional fifth year to their four years of undergraduate studies.
Advanced Rice undergraduate students in good academic standing typically apply to the master’s degree program during their junior or senior year. Upon acceptance, depending on course load, financial aid status, and other variables, they may then start taking some required courses of the master's degree program. A plan of study will need to be approved by the student's undergraduate major advisor and the master’s degree program director.
As part of this option and opportunity, Rice undergraduate students:
- must complete the requirements for a bachelor's degree and the master's degree independently of each other (i.e. no course may be counted toward the fulfillment of both degrees).
- should be aware there could be financial aid implications if the conversion of undergraduate coursework to that of graduate level reduces their earned undergraduate credit for any semester below that of full-time status (12 credit hours).
- more information on this Undergraduate - Graduate Concurrent Enrollment opportunity, including specific information on the registration process can be found here.
Rice undergraduate students completing studies in science and engineering may have the option to pursue the Master of Energy Transition and Sustainability (METS) degree. For additional information, students should contact their undergraduate major advisor and one of the Directors of Graduate Studies of the METS degree program.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Energy Transition and Sustainability website: https://mets.rice.edu/.