Earn up to $1,000 while completing your SES Certificate!
Open to All Majors
The Sustainable Energy Systems undergraduate certificate is a 15 credit hour multidisciplinary program.
Open to all undergraduate majors at OU.
2 core SES courses (6 credit hours)
3 SES electives (9 credit hours)
The core SES courses provide a common core of fundamental knowledge and framework of understanding for:
The SES electives, with over 50 options, provide flexibility to specialize in topics of interest in more in-depth ways.
Courses can double-count toward student's major and the SES certificate!
Course Number |
Course Title |
Core Domains |
| SES 2113 |
Fundamentals of Earth Systems, Energy, and Sustainability [II-NS] |
Carbon Cycle, Climate Change, and Environmental Sustainability; Fundamentals of Energy |
SES 2123 |
Historical, Societal, and Economic Impacts of Energy; Systems Modeling, Analysis, and Tradeoffs |
The required 6 hour core of the SES undergraduate certificate curriculum is designed to provide all students with a systems perspective relative to both technical and societal aspects of energy systems. Core technical areas include energy fundamentals, carbon cycle, climate change, and environmental sustainability (SES 2113). The core societal aspect areas are covered based on the concept that energy production and consumption can be viewed as a complex system, influenced by histories of the environmental, economic, political, and even cultural structures of which we are a part (SES 2123).
SES 2113 is approved for general education credit Type II - Natural Science.
SES 2123 is approved for general education credit Type III - Social Science.
With the strong common core serving as the foundation, students in the SES program select 9 hours of elective courses from various tracks and content areas including subsurface energy and storage, life cycle analysis, carbon management, engineering and technology, strategic communications, historical and social aspects, legal, economic, and policy aspects, and energy markets and business.
Students must complete three elective courses from the list of courses provided. Depending on the student’s degree major and interests, one or more of the SES elective courses may also count for credit toward the degree requirements of the student’s major.
Approximately 25% of the SES elective courses also satisfy OU’s General Education requirements.
Elective Course Areas:
The Sustainable Energy Systems (SES) Certificate Program is pleased to offer scholarship funding for undergraduate students enrolling in the program for the 2026-2027 academic year. Twenty (20) scholarships of $1,000 each are available to students from all majors. Scholarships are awarded incrementally as students progress through the certificate, rewarding commitment, persistence, and completion.
Earn up to $1,000 while exploring some of the most important energy challenges facing society.
Through the SES Certificate, you'll gain exposure to perspectives from engineering, science, business, policy, law, communication, and other disciplines while building the skills needed to navigate complex energy systems. Scholarship recipients are supported as they complete the certificate and prepare for careers that contribute to the future of energy.
Scholarship Opportunities
Open to All Majors
Also:
Scholarship recipients are encouraged to explore SES undergraduate research opportunities and engage with faculty across multiple disciplines.
Applications submissions open August 24, 2026.
Application submission closes September 30, 2026 at 11:59pm.
Recipients Notified: October 19, 2026
Twenty (20) scholarships of $1,000 each are available to new undergraduate students enrolling in the SES Certificate Program.
Awards are distributed as you progress through the certificate, rewarding your commitment to interdisciplinary energy education.
Strong applications typically:
| Milestone | Timing | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Enroll in and complete SES Core Course 1 (after drop period) | After Drop Period | $250 |
| Enroll in and complete SES Core Course 2 (after drop period) | After Drop Period | $250 |
| Complete all certificate requirements — final course enrollment confirmed | After Drop Period | $500 |
Describe a specific moment — a place you visited, a conversation you had, a news story that stopped you mid-scroll, a problem you noticed in your hometown or on campus — when you first recognized that energy is not just a technical problem. What were the circumstances, and what did you see or feel that made the complexity of energy real to you?
Using that moment as your starting point, reflect on the following:
Your discipline’s blind spot
What does your current field of study do well when it comes to energy challenges — and where does it fall short? What knowledge, tools, or perspectives from another discipline do you find yourself wishing you had, and why?
What SES specifically offers you
How does the interdisciplinary structure of the SES Certificate address that gap? Be specific — don’t just tell us that “interdisciplinary learning is valuable.” Tell us what you expect to be uncomfortable learning, and why you think that discomfort will make you better at the work you want to do.
Your career horizon
Where do you want to be in ten years, and what role do you see yourself playing in the energy transition? How does earning this certificate move you closer to that — not on your résumé, but in terms of how you actually think and work?
Finally, in a brief closing paragraph (not counted toward your 400–600 word limit), please describe your financial need and how this scholarship would support your ability to participate fully in the SES program.
We are looking for essays that only you could write.
Vague statements about “passion for sustainability” or generic descriptions of why interdisciplinary learning matters will not distinguish your application. The most compelling essays will be grounded in a specific experience, honest about limitation, and clear-eyed about where you are headed.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 30, 2026
