Minor in Energy and Water Sustainability
Program Learning Outcomes for the Minor in Energy and Water Sustainability
Upon completing the minor in Energy and Water Sustainability, students will be able to:
- Analyze basic environmental issues related to energy and water sustainability, including the role of climate change.
- Evaluate the role of social and political factors on energy and water sustainability issues.
- Develop financial, environmental, and human impact analyses of energy and/or water related projects.
Requirements for the Minor in Energy and Water Sustainability
Students pursuing the minor in Energy and Water Sustainability must complete:
- A minimum of 7 courses (19 credit hours) to satisfy minor requirements.
- A minimum of 5 courses (16 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
- A Design Practicum.1
- A minimum of 1 course (3 credit hours) of the Elective Requirements should be completed for the minor only (not shared or double-counted with a student's major core requirements).
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this minor. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the minor’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the Program Director. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the minor's Official Certifier). 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 Minor in Energy and Water Sustainability | 19 | |
Minor Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| CEVE 301 | ENGINEERING ECONOMICS AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| or ECON 480 / ENST 480 | ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS | |
| CEVE 302 / ENGI 302 | SUSTAINABLE DESIGN | 3 |
| or CEVE 406 / ENST 406 | INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL LAW | |
| CEVE 307 / EEPS 307 / ENST 307 | ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT | 3 |
| Design Practicum 1 | ||
| CEVE 499 | SPECIAL PROBLEMS (at least 1 credit hour) | 1 |
| Elective Requirements 2 | ||
| Select a total of 3 elective courses (minimum of 9 credit hours) from at least 2 of the following 3 categories: | 9 | |
| Energy | ||
| Select up to 2 courses from the following: | ||
| ANALYSIS OF ENERGY SYSTEMS | ||
| ENERGY ECONOMICS | ||
| EARTH’S NATURAL RESOURCES FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION | ||
| UNDERSTANDING ENERGY: ENERGY LITERACY AND CIVICS | ||
| Water | ||
| Select up to 2 courses from the following: | ||
| SUSTAINABLE WATER PURIFICATION FOR THE DEVELOPING WORLD | ||
| URBAN WATER SYSTEMS: SOURCES, TREATMENT, DISTRIBUTION, RESOURCE RECOVERY AND REUSE | ||
| HYDROLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY AND MICROBIAL ECOLOGY | ||
| Sustainability | ||
| Select up to 2 courses from the following: | ||
| CASE STUDIES IN SUSTAINABLE DESIGN | ||
| CASE STUDIES IN SUSTAINABILITY: THE REGENERATIVE REPOSITIONING OF NEW OR EXISTING RICE CAMPUS BLDGS | ||
| SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND REPORTING | ||
| SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT ASSESSMENTS 3 | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL LAW | ||
| CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT | ||
| SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE MATERIALS | ||
| SMART MATERIALS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT | ||
| MODELING AND ANALYSIS OF NETWORKED SYSTEMS | ||
| THE SCIENCE OF NATURE-BASED CARBON SEQUESTRATION | ||
| SUSTAINABLE FUTURES: AN EXPLORATION OF GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: RICE INTO THE FUTURE | ||
| URBAN POLITICS | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL STATISTICS AND DECISION MAKING | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 19 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | Students are required to complete 1 special topics course (CEVE 499), typically during the fall semester of their senior year. Students in engineering and architecture will fulfill this requirement by preparing a report that describes the incorporation of sustainability concepts into their design effort in consultation with their senior (capstone) design course instructor. Students not engaged in a suitable design project will either consult with an extant design group or pursue a project related to their own area of study in consultation with the EWSU advisors. |
| 2 | No more than 2 electives courses can be drawn from any 1 of the 3 electives categories. At least 1 elective course must be taken from a different school than the school hosting the student’s major. No more than 2 of the 3 electives can be used to also fulfill a student's major core requirements. Course offerings of interest that are not listed above can be approved via contacting the minor's Official Certifier, Jorge Loyo. |
| 3 | With permission and special registration, only juniors and seniors may register for BIOS 559. |
Policies for the Minor in Energy and Water Sustainability
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the minor in Energy and Water Sustainability should be aware of the following program restriction:
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, i.) students may declare their intent to pursue a minor only after they have first declared a major, and ii.) students may not major and minor in the same subject.
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 designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Energy and Water Sustainability website: https://cee.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the Minor in Energy and Water Sustainability
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Energy and Water Sustainability website: https://cee.rice.edu/.