Academics:Degree Programs:Graduate:Energy & Sustainability MAIS


MAIS Concentration in Energy and Sustainability

The master's degree program in interdisciplinary studies (MAIS) is designed for students who seek a degree that integrates knowledge from several disciplines. It addresses a rapidly evolving demand for specialized and individualized graduate study. This concentration is particularly relevant for students who are pursuing or interested in pursuing careers in energy and environmentally related applications in the law, national and international policy, government, print and media journalism, public and social service, teaching, advanced graduate studies, ethics, business, and basic and applied research. A good source of useful information on careers and internships in the renewable energy field can be found on the internet including: www.rev-up.org

Sustainability by definition aims to meet our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. A sustainability education lies within the intersection of environmental science and engineering, economics & business, public policy, and many other areas. Energy is a crucial component of sustainability. Thus, the program has the following five goals:

Planning and business: Help students understand the principles of environmental engineering management, so that they will be able to conduct environmental impact assessments and develop models capable of satisfying multiple objectives in areas such as transportation, water resources, the environment, and energy.

Basic science: Help students understand the scientific principles that underlie the technologies relating to various energy sources (both renewable and non-renewable), and energy conservation. These include thermodynamics, fluid flow, material science, and solar radiation among other areas. Students will be able to apply their understanding of basic principles in the energy assessments, policies and models.

Policy: Help guide students so they can critically assess the environmental, social, economic and ethical impacts of technology and policy decisions, particularly as they relate to energy, and the constraints under which such policy choices are made.

Research Methods: Help students become proficient so they can independently use quantitative and qualitative tools needed to conduct a program of research, including the use (and misuse) of statistics, testing hypotheses, and evaluating evidence.

Research Project: Guide students as they conduct an independent piece of research involving of the environmental, social, economic and ethical impacts of energy technology and policy.

Three examples of the kinds of research projects or theses that students in this concentration might be expected to conduct would be:

1. An analysis of how various nations that use nuclear power have dealt with the problems associated with waste disposal.

2. An economic and business analysis of how improving the costs of drilling deep wells would impact the viability of geothermal power over a larger region

3. An analysis of the environmental costs associated with hydropower and how these can be mitigated


Curricular requirements


At least two policy courses (at least 6 credits) chosen from:

EVPP 505 Energy Policy (3)

EVPP 638 Environmental Management and Policy (3)

ECON 695 Special Topics: Economics of Energy (3)

PUBP 710 International Energy Policy (3)


At least 6 credits of planning, modeling and management courses chosen from:

CEIE 501 Sustainable Development (3)

CEIE 601 Infrastructure Modeling (3)

OR 671 Judgment and Choice Processing and Decision Making (3)

EVPP 692 Environmental Science & Policy Seminar (1), may be repeated for distinct topics

EVPP 693 Directed Studies in Environmental Science and Policy (1-3)


A basic science course (3 credits):

PHYS 580 Topics in Renewable Energy (3)


At least one more basic science course (at least 3 credits):

CSI 685/PHYS 615 Fundamentals of Material Science (3)

CSI 720 Fluid Mechanics (3)

CHEM 633 - Chemical Thermodynamics and Kinetics (3)

PHYS 614 Thermodynamics & Kinetics of Materials (3)


Research Methods course -- choose one (3 credits):

CSI 700 Numerical Methods (3)

EVPP 630 Methods and Logic of Social Inquiry (3)

OR 563 Research Methods in Systems Engineering & IT (3)

OR 682 Computational Methods in Engineering and Statistics (3)


Proposal (1 credit):

MAIS 797 - Interdisciplinary Studies Proposal Credits: (1)


Project (2-5 credits) or thesis (5 credits):

MAIS 798 - Interdisciplinary Studies Project Credits: (2-5) or MAIS 799 - Interdisciplinary Studies Thesis Credits: (5)

Total: 36 credits


Application Requirements

All applicants for graduate study at George Mason University must meet the admission standards specified in the Admission chapter of the University Catalog. Included with their application, all applicants must submit the materials required by the university listed on Application Requirements. Below are clarifications and additions for applicants to this program. Applicants to the MAIS program should also submit:

1. Departmental Application Form Applicants to the concentration in energy and sustainability requires

2. successful completion of Undergraduate course sequence in calculus and an undergraduate introductory physics course sequence in calculus-based physics. Applicants who have completed lacking these courses a significant time ago are urged to audit them before taking any courses that require them as prerequisites.

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