Energy and Earth Resources (EER)
at-a-glance
What is EER?
Premise: All energy and earth resource challenges are inherently multidisciplinary.
The Energy and Earth Resources Graduate Program provides the opportunity for students to
pursue interdisciplinary studies in areas of geosciences, engineering, management, finance,
economics, law and policy for 21st century careers in energy, minerals, water, and
environmental resources.
Jackson (administrative home)
Cockrell
McCombs (dual MBA)
LBJ (dual MPAFF, MGPS)
Law
Energy Institute
Energy and Earth Resources
graduate program
Background
• Multidisciplinary Masters program established 36 years ago focused on energy and minerals
• Supported by approximately 35 faculty from Jackson School of Geosciences, McCombs School of
Business, Cockrell School of Engineering, LBJ School of Public Affairs, Law School and Energy Institute
• Two thirds of the students have engineering or science undergraduate degrees
• Most students enter program with 1 - 3 years of work experience
• Graduates have taken positions in many fields reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of the program;
largest single employer has previously been the oil and gas industry
 Current graduate research and employment interests significantly more diverse
• Program has been running at an average of 46 students for the past 5 years
 Currently 54 students
 Program graduates 10 – 20 students per year
Student Profile
Foreign vs. U. S.
Male vs. Female
50%
39%
50%
61%
Male
Foreign
Female
Undergrad Degree
Work Experience (excl. internships)
12%
26%
39%
22%
U. S.
74%
27%
Engineering
Science
Liberal Arts
Economics
yes
no
Where are they from?
Chile
2%
Paraguay
2%
Brazil
2%
Mexico
11%
United Kingdom
Spain
2%
Lebanon 2%
2%
Australia
2%
Nigeria
2%
USA
50%
Indonesia
2%
India
Sri Lanka 4%
2%
China
11%
Saudi Arabia
2%
South Korea
4%
What are their current interests?
8%
12%
29%
14%
16%
21%
Renewables
Water
Oil and Gas
Environmental
Energy Economics
Other
Where are they working?
2%
1%
(1989 – 2015 graduates)
1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 0%
3%
3%
3%
38%
3%
4%
5%
5%
6%
11%
9%
oil and gas
consultant /self
consulting firm
financial
renewables
business other
state agency
federal agency
int'l agency
utilities
IT
academia
environmental
water
engineering firm
law firm
minerals
unknown
military
Core curriculum
Objectives of core curriculum (tools in the “toolbox” of every EER student):
 Develop foundational knowledge and useful skills
Objective of tracks / concentrations and thesis:
 Develop depth
Core(4 courses):
1. Understand Earth and its controls on resource distribution
2. Gather and analyze large data sets and derive useful information
3. Make energy and earth resource decisions in the context of commercial viability
4. Make energy and earth resource decisions in the context of risk and uncertainty
Basic course of study
Thesis
Minimum requirements:
• Core: 4 courses
• Distribution: 1 course from each track
• Concentration: At least 2 courses in a track plus a thesis in the same theme as the track
Technology (Science / Engineering)
Policy / Law
Resource Economics / Finance
Tracks /
Concentration
+
Thesis
Core
+
Geology / Energy and Earth
Resources*
Computational Data
Analytics
Energy / Resource Finance
Decision Analysis