Graduate Program

The Solar Energy Engineering & Commercialization graduate program offers advanced, interdisciplinary education in solar energy to students with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM).  The objective of the program is to enable graduates to pursue careers in industry, government, or the nonprofit sector that involve solar energy and its utilization.  Students in the program must select courses from both technical and nontechnical tracks, including solar energy policy, spanning a number of academic programs and schools.  Students will engage with the solar energy industry and/or government policymakers, as part of a required culminating applied research project.  The degree program is meant to be completed in 12 months for full-time students.

The program assesses a fee in addition to the ordinary tuition charged for graduate study at ASU. Please click the “Tuition” tab for more information.

Five eligible applicants for fall 2013 will be nominated for fellowships of up to $10,000. In order to be eligible, students must be US Citizens or permanent residents and have a FAFSA on file with ASU.

In addition, the program has several need-based fellowships available for the fall and spring semester. All admitted students will automatically be considered for these fellowships, which range between $2000-$5000.

All enrolled PSM SEEC students have $1000 available to be used toward professional development and/or applied projects.

Solar Energy Engineering & Commercialization, P.S.M.: the professional science master’s (PSM) is one of a relatively new type of graduate programs that are aimed at students interested in graduate studies, but who are not necessarily interested in a Ph.D. or an MBA.  Rather, such students desire both technical and nontechnical aspects to their graduate education.  Across the USA there are at least 257 PSM programs currently in existence at over 119 institutions, according to the National Professional Science Master’s Association (NPSMA).  The PSM in Solar Energy Engineering & Commercialization at ASU is the only program of its kind that enables students to develop improved understanding of solar energy technologies along with the business/policy/nontechnical aspects necessary for successful development and commercialization.

Objectives

Objective 1. Students will be able to demonstrate & apply social, engineering, political, technical, & business skills that influence implementation of solar energy

Objective 2. Students will be able to integrate skills from multiple disciplines, and will demonstrate problem solving and critical thinking in a multidisciplinary experience that includes technical and “non-technical” areas

Objective 3. Students will participate in a collaborative mentoring program which will focus student projects on high-impact solutions to solar energy & commercialization problems.

Admission Requirements

Degree.  Minimum of a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) or a graduate degree in any physical science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) field from a regionally accredited College or University of recognized standing.

GPA.  Minimum of a 3.00 cumulative GPA (scale is 4.0 = A) in the last 60 hours of a student’s first bachelor degree program. 

English Proficiency Requirement for International Students.  If you are from a country whose native language is not English, you must provide evidence of English proficiency as indicated by acceptable scores on the TOEFL or IELTS as follows:

The minimum TOEFL requirement is 550 (PBT) or 80 (iBT).

The minimum IELTS requirement is an overall band score of 6.5.

The minimum Pearson Test of English (PTE) requirement is 60.

Other details regarding English proficiency requirements are described on the Graduate College website (http://graduate.asu.edu/admissions/international.html#proficiency). 

GRE.  All applicants are required to take the general Graduate Record Examination (GRE); a subject-specific GRE is not required.

Official Transcripts.  One set of official transcripts from every College or University from which a degree was earned should be sent directly to the ASU Graduate College.    

Letters of Recommendation.  Three Letters of recommendation are required for admission, in addition to a personal statement. 

Additional information regarding admission can be found at: http://graduate.asu.edu/admissions.

Don't Have a STEM Undergraduate Degree?

For interested applicants with a bachelor's degree that is not in a STEM field, we suggest you look into the Solar Energy Engineering and Commercialization Certification Program. The 11-session Certification Program offers both a technical and non-technical track, sharing common core courses.

More information can be found at:
asuengineeringonline.com/short-courses/solar-energy-engineering-commercialization.

Part-Time Students

Although the program is geared towards providing an intensive 12-month experience leading to the PSM degree in 12 months for full-time students, we are also accepting applications from part-time students.  Many, although not all, of the courses will also be available online, in addition to an on-campus format.  Part-time students may work at their own pace, i.e., by taking one course per semester, or whatever course load is convenient. The maximum time to graduate from the semester of admission is six years.