The Sustainable Energy Systems (SES) certificate is open to all majors and helps you connect your field - whether business, policy, communication, engineering, or beyond - to real-world energy and sustainability challenges.
The SES certificate is a 15 credit hour multidisciplinary curriculum that draws from a range of perspectives to equip students with vital knowledge and skills needed to address complex and pressing challenges in a dynamic energy landscape. The curriculum is structured to provide a common core of fundamental knowledge, while at the same time provide the flexibility to specialize in topics of interests though elective course options.
Please note this is not a stand-alone certificate. Students must be enrolled in a Masters or Doctoral program at OU to add the certificate.
Scroll down on ou.edu/gradcollege/apply to Addition or Change of Program Application (ACOP).
Energy challenges affect people, communities, businesses, governments, and the environment. That means every major has a role to play.
The Sustainable Energy Systems Certificate helps students connect their major to the future of energy through core courses, flexible electives, hands-on learning, and perspectives from across OU.
No matter what you study, there's a place for you in energy!
YES - This Is For Your Major
| COLLEGE MAJOR | PLACE IN ENERGY | |
| Business Majors | Understand markets, investment, and energy strategy | |
| Journalism & Communication | Explain complex issues and shape public | |
| Policy & pre-law | Explore regulation and energy policy | |
| Engineering & STEM | Apply technical knowledge in broader systems | |
| Humanities & Arts/History | Examine ethics, culture and Societal Impacts |
|
Employers are looking for people who can think across disciplines and solve complex problems.
SES gives you that edge - by helping you connect your major to one of the most important challenges of our time.
The SES certificates are 15 credit hour programs with 6 credit hours of core courses and 9 credit hours of elective courses, which are selected from the approved SES elective course list. The undergraduate and graduate SES certificates are open to all majors at OU.
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 | Energy in Society: A Systems Perpsective [III-SS] | Historical, Societal, and Economic Impacts of Energy; Systems Modeling, Analysis, and Tradeoffs |
Course Number | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SES 5113 | Evaluation of Sustainable Energy Systems | 3 credit hours |
| SES 5121 | Seminar in Sustainable energy Systems x 3 | 1 credit hour, repeated 3 times |
Combined with your degree, this certificate helps position you for career opportunities including:
*Pay from Bureau of Labor Statistics & O*Net Online
The Sustainable Energy Systems (SES) Certificate Program at the University of Oklahoma invites undergraduate students to apply for research funding for the 2026–2027 academic year.
