As prices for oil and other fossil fuels inexorably increase, interest in alternative energy technologies is exploding. Learn about promising alternatives to traditional fossil fuel energy sources in Assessing Sustainable Energy Technologies, a graduate-level course offered by the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado - Boulder.  Classes starts on Tuesday, 17 January 2006, and space is limited.  Enroll now!

Do you need to know?

Middelgrunden Wind Farm, Denmark

• The fundamentals of wind, solar, geologic, oceanic, biomass, hydrogen, and hydro energy technologies?
• How to measure and compare the technical, economic, and environmental promise of these alternative energy sources?
• How to separate the hype from the facts when evaluating alternative energy technologies?
• Where to invest time and resources to best take advantage of emerging energy technologies?

We can help you with the answers!  Assessing Sustainable Energy Technologies focuses on the technological, cost, and environmental fundamentals of emerging energy technologies, including solar, wind, biomass, oceanic, geothermal, hydropower, fuel cell (hydrogen), and other more exotic sources of energy.  Throughout the course, we will investigate the technological promise, economic opportunity, and environmental impact of important alternative energy sources. Upon completion of the course, you will be conversant with the details of these sustainable energy technologies and will be prepared to make wise decisions regarding their development and deployment.

Enroll now!  SYST 6820 - Assessing Sustainable Energy Technologies

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• Target Audience:  Graduate students, business managers, technical specialists, and government leaders who wish to gain a broad understanding of  the economic fundamentals, technical promise, and environmental impact of important sustainable energy technologies

• Formats:  Traditional on-campus in-class format, and asynchronous distance format

• Distance Delivery:  Complete the course from anywhere in the world, on your time schedule.   Course materials delivered via CD or on the web.

• Course Calendar:  Class meets every Tuesday evening (5:00 - 7:30pm) beginning on 17 January 2006 and concluding on 01 May 2006; distance students participate asynchronously.  The course calendar is available online at http://Leeds.colorado.edu/faculty/lawrence/SYST6820/calendar.htm

• Credits:  Earn three graduate credit-hours from the Leeds School of Business at CU-Boulder

  • Apply credits to other graduate programs (depending on program)

  • Non-credit audit option available

• Prerequisites: An undergraduate degree in any discipline from an accredited university

• Registration:  Participate as a distance student or as an on-campus graduate student

  • Distance Students: Enroll now! via mail or fax
  • On-Campus Graduate Students:  Registered CU graduate students sign up for SYST 6820 during the usual class enrollment period.
• Online Syllabus:  Review the course schedule and syllabus online at http://Leeds.colorado.edu/faculty/lawrence/SYST6820

• Information:  For additional information or for questions, contact Leeds Executive Development Programs at (303) 735-0541 or execdev@Colorado.edu. 

Why CU Boulder?

CU Solar Decathlon Residence

• World leader in environmental science and environmental studies

• Ranked 11th best public research university in the world (Economist magazine 2004)

• Winner of the international 2005 Solar Decathlon

• Close proximity to and association with prominent national laboratories

  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) - Golden

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - Boulder

  • National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) - Boulder

  • National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) - Boulder

   

Distance Format

Marine Current Turbines

For those taking the course in a distance format, here's how it works. Class will be held weekly (Tuesdays) in the CAETE "studio" classrooms that are set up for effective video recording with three cameras (instructor, student, and printed material). Every week, the in-class lecture and discussion is recorded and then immediately distributed to distance students on CD or via downloaded video files. You can watch the lectures at work, at home, on the road, in the air, etc. Distance students submit assignments via email or fax according to the class schedule. Exams are sent to pre-identified proctors who administer the exams and verify that the conditions of the exam are met (time limits, open/closed book, etc.). Proctors are usually supervisors or HR professionals in the student's organization. The upside of the distance format is its flexibility and the ability to take a class from anywhere in the world according to your own schedule. The downside is that you don't get to participate in real-time class discussion, although we will set up an online discussion forum. CU offers a number of courses with both in-class and distance students, and the combination works very well.   More information is available on the CAETE website.

Audit Option

One alternative that some participants may prefer is the audit option. Audit students get all course materials but don't turn in homework, don't take exams, don't get a grade, and don't get academic credit. The upside is that you get the material without having to jump through the usual academic hoops; the downside is that you don't get academic credit. Audit participants do get a "certificate of participation" that can be used to earn CEUs that are required for some professional certifications.

Distance and Audit Tuition:  Distance and audit students are not subsidized by state funds

• For-credit tuition:  $1,995
• Audit tuition:  $1,495. 
• Tuition includes video access (CD, DVD, or streaming video) to all lectures and all course materials except third-party copyrighted material such as textbooks (available for separate purchase)
• Details of the distance format
• Enroll now!