Department of Energy Management in the Price College of Business
Mike McConnell, Director of the Robert M. Zinke Energy Management Program
Phone: (405) 325-0758
Email: mmcconnell@ou.edu
The Robert M. Zinke Energy Management Program (formerly the Petroleum Land Management program) is committed to producing a business graduate with a strong and diversified understanding of both the domestic and global energy industries. Established in 1958 as the first of its kind in the U.S., we are the largest energy management program in the nation that continues to evolve and prepare our students to confidently meet the needs of the energy industry. Energy Management’s unique focus draws from the faculty and courses of four of OU’s best academic divisions - Geosciences, Engineering, Business and Law - to create curriculum that prepares students for diverse careers in Energy. Students choose from a wide variety of Petroleum Engineering, Geology, Finance, Management, Legal Studies, and other courses. Graduates leave OU with the skills to succeed in many areas of the energy business, including oil and gas, land negotiations, energy finance, gas marketing, trading, commercial/business/project development, consulting analyst and various other rotational programs.
An Energy Management student graduates with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Advanced degrees include Master of Business Administration, Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration.
Energy management students typically have interests in:
Students choose from a wide variety of courses in Sciences, Finance, Legal Studies, Management, Petroleum Engineering, Geology and other courses. The program also emphasizes adjunct professors in core classes, so students are taught by industry experts to complement the Ph.D. and other professors in the business school.
Join the Energy Management Student Association (EMSA) – nearly 100% of EMSA members secure a full-time career before graduating from Price College. EMSA members have the opportunity to attend the annual NAPE Summit in Houston, the energy industry’s largest annual marketplace for trading, buying and selling, and other experiential learning visiting drilling rigs, wind and solar farms and Midland, Texas where nearly 50% of crude oil is produced in the US.
Yes, and it is recommended. The most common and encouraged minor or second major is Finance. Our advisors are focused on planning course load to maximize the benefits and efficient class schedules to achieve the student’s goals.
From Spain to France to England, visit the Steve Dolman Family Study Abroad Office to learn more about the many courses and locations available to business students.
Supporting our Energy Management students is a priority. Since 2009, students in the Energy Management program have been awarded $4.9 million in scholarships. In 2021 alone, the program awarded $179,000 to students.
The first and oldest program of its kind (1958) continues to advance the major and the student’s capabilities. Faculty and staff continue to examine the program to be responsive to ever-changing energy needs. Just as the program was recognized at the national level for its change from petroleum land management to Energy Management, the program recently made national headlines again when Mike McConnell was announced as its seventh director. McConnell, who brings over 35 years of industry experience including leadership positions of CEO/president of public companies, also brings his passion, knowledge and experience to the students on a daily basis.
The Energy Management major is the highest paid major in Price College. Last year's average salary was $77,500 with all land negotiators making $92,000 to $105,000.
Visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ website to explore the median pay for jobs you can pursue with this degree.
Our students have excellent opportunities to gain work experience via internships with energy companies, including 59 students in 12 different cities in 2019 alone, and nearly 140 internships accepted in just the past two years.
The Michael F. Price College of Business has been accredited since 1926 by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Price College is ranked in the top 12 percent of AACSB International’s accredited undergraduate programs by U.S. News and World Report. The Energy Management Program is one of 11 undergraduate programs in this area and is accredited by the American Association of Petroleum Landmen.
Department of Energy Management in the Price College of Business
Mike McConnell, Director of the Robert M. Zinke Energy Management Program
Phone: (405) 325-0758
Email: mmcconnell@ou.edu
