Build your own career resiliency
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Credit hours: 36
18-month program; 10 week terms
Courses 100% online, with two on-campus residencies
Start terms: January, April, July, October
Where energy professionals develop into industry leaders
The Global Energy Management (GEM) Program is a business and leadership program focused on turning today’s energy professionals into tomorrow’s leaders through our educational offerings.
At our core is the MS degree, which can be completed in 18-months with courses 100% online and two Colorado-based residency seminars. Our educational offerings provide business acumen paired with a future-proof global perspective of the energy industry that spans all sectors. GEM prepares you to advance in your current field or to shift into a new role or sector.
Taught by leading energy practitioners
of students report an increase in salary upon graduation
Flexible yet connected – live and work anywhere in the world
Extensive professional network of alumni
Cohort size: 15-20 students
Average age: 34
Years of experience:
10+: 12%
6-10: 29%
3-5: 39%
Students working full-time: 100%
Students from energy backgrounds: 86%
Our Master of Science in Global Energy Management (GEM) program is a business and leadership degree, offered in an online format that turns today’s energy professionals into tomorrow’s leaders. The program format includes online coursework and two on-campus residency weekends held in Denver.
Graduate with the business acumen of an MBA, paired with a future-proof global perspective of the energy industry that spans all sectors. This degree prepares you to advance in your current field or to shift into a new role or sector.
Benefits of the program include:
- 100% online coursework and a low residency requirement allows you to continue your education while working full-time from anywhere in the world
- Taught by energy practitioners with extensive experience across a number of industries
- Only energy program to offer an Executive in Residence program to give you access to leaders in the industry
Our faculty members average 15 years in the industry. You are taught by experts who understand where the trends in energy are headed. Our program model connects business, leadership, and industry expertise.
Core Competencies
- Ethics
- Practicality
- Teamwork
- Communication
Business Acumen
- Financial Management
- Energy Economics
- Problem Solving
- Negotiation
Leading and Managing
- Business Management
- Organizational Leadership
- Collaborative Learning
- Strategy
Energy Industry Expertise
- General Energy Industry Expertise
- Sector Specific Industry Expertise
- Energy Stakeholder Management
- International & Intercultural Effectiveness
This program gives you the unique opportunity to study with your industry peers from different energy sectors and to learn from energy industry practitioners through 100% online coursework and two on-campus residencies. Combine all the flexibility of online learning with the networking power of an industry-focused on-campus program!
Our program is specifically designed to develop the business acumen, leadership, and management skills needed to lead in the energy industry. Throughout the course of 18 months, you will complete 36 credit hours in 12 courses.
Core courses (27 credit hours)
These courses provide a foundation for the current realities facing the energy industry today. You’ll be exposed to perspectives from economics, law, accounting, and more. Course topics include:
- 21st century global energy issues and realities
- Global energy economics
- Environmental, regulatory, legal, and political environment in the energy industry
- Technical aspects of energy science
- Leadership and decision-making in the global energy environment
- Managerial accounting in global energy markets
- Introduction to financial management in the global energy market
- Human capital management in the global energy environment
- Strategic Management for the Energy Industry
Required courses (9 credit hours)
Required courses vary based on current energy market trends. The courses listed below are required for all students during the academic year 2022-2023.
- Environmental, Social, and Governance in Energy & Commodities
- Carbon Markets: Navigating the Future of Business
- Project development, management, and leadership in Renewable Energy
“Professors are comprised of specialists who have succeeded at the highest level both professionally and academically worldwide. They provide industry-focused management and technical tools that are immediately transferable to the workplace.”—Tyson Johnston, GEM alumnus, Vice President Land, Anschutz Exploration Corporation
MS Global Energy Management
Value 1: Business Acumen
Outcome: Demonstrate cross-functional business acumen sufficient to enable effective market and situation analysis, problem-solving, decision-making, and resource allocation to achieve expected results at both business unit (tactical) and enterprise (strategic) levels.
Value 2: Lead and Manage People
Outcome: Demonstrate the ability to lead and manage geographically and culturally diverse people and organizations at both business unit (tactical) and enterprise (strategic) levels.
Value 3: Energy Industry Expertise
Outcome: Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the worldwide energy marketplace and the information, methods, and strategies used by strategic decision-makers in the energy industry.
Value 4: Executive Presence
Outcome: Demonstrate a growing executive presence based on confidence, credibility, demeanor, communication, ethics, and personal brand.
These objectives are assessed in relevant courses across the curriculum using projects, presentations, assignments and exam questions.
The only energy program with executives in residence, our mission is to create a collaborative learning environment with insight into the expertise and deep knowledge that energy executives have gained throughout their careers. Throughout your time with GEM, you'll have access to three different executives. Those interactions help you:
- understand the decision-making processes energy leaders utilize not only to run an organization
- know how to identify high-potential performers
- receive career advice to guide your decisions
- build your own executive presence
Current Executive in Residence
J.W. Postal
Founder & CEO, WATTMORE
Residence: July - December 2022
J.W. is the founder and CEO of Nikola Power, soon to be WATTMORE, a climate tech software firm focused on energy storage. He has been a driving force behind business development, capital rounds, and industry partnerships.
J.W. has been involved in multiple innovative companies in the renewable energy industry. He founded Nikola Power in 2017 and led the formation of the company through its recent successful Series A round while positioning it for future growth and success. He was also the co-founder of Main Street Power, a pioneer in the distributed generation power purchase agreement space, and an innovator in clean energy finance. While at Main Street Power, J.W. spearheaded the first combined New Market and Investment Tax Credit portfolio in the country. J.W. has also served as Chief Development Officer, and Chief Operating Officer, with Milender White Construction, SunShare, and Clean Energy Collective respectively.
J.W. is a leader in clean energy in Colorado and across the country. He has worked on trailblazing legislation for distributed solar, community solar, and renewable energy finance and has traveled the country developing solar projects in AZ, CA, CO, MA, MN, NJ, NM, SC, and TX. He has been a frequent speaker at industry events around the nation for topics such as clean energy finance, community solar, and now solar + storage and entrepreneurship.
Prior to his work in solar, J.W. had a successful 13-year career in the investment management business with A.G. Edwards and his own fiduciary investment advisory firm. In 1997, with nothing more than a pile of index cards and a telephone, J.W. built a nationally renowned fiduciary advisory practice with hundreds of millions of dollars under management.
J.W. is a graduate of the University of Colorado and has a Master in Public Policy degree from Georgetown University. He is married to his college sweetheart, Jennifer, and they have three amazing kids – Carly, Jackson, and Calvin. J.W. is active in Colorado politics, non-profits, and community work. He currently serves on the board of the Colorado Solar & Storage Association (COSSA), Solar Electric Light Fund (www.SELF.org), Conservation Colorado, and is the 2018 co-chair of the Denver Public School Foundation Gala with his wife. In his spare time, he enjoys fly fishing, cycling, fiction writing, and coaching youth baseball.
The cost of tuition is $54,000 ($4,500 per course) and is guaranteed for the entire 18-month program. Tuition includes all student fees, course-related software, morning and afternoon refreshments on class days. Textbooks, airfare, and your hotel are not included in the price of tuition.
A $500 non-refundable deposit is due upon acceptance into the program and will be applied to the first term’s tuition. Tuition is billed in installments for each term.
Employer Reimbursement
We recommend meeting with human resource and benefits departments to discuss eligibility for tuition reimbursement. We are happy to provide information to help you gain approval. If you receive tuition assistance from your employer, you can still apply for student loans.
Financial Aid
You have the opportunity to take out student loans and apply for scholarships. More information can be found on at the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
Federal Stafford Student Loan
The Federal Stafford Student Loan is available to US citizens and is non-credit based and does not affect your credit rating. The award consists of subsidized and unsubsidized loans. The approximate award is $20,500 for each calendar year. The program runs over two years, which equals a total of $41,000 possible for the program.
Graduate Plus Loans
The Graduate Plus Loan application is automatically included in the Stafford Loan. You can choose whether or not to accept it. Graduate Plus Loans are federal funds but based on your credit rating.
Private Graduate Loans
Many banks offer private loans. Private lender guidelines vary from lender to lender and are determined based on a student’s credit rating. Most private loans offer rates lower than traditional credit cards.
Military Educational Programs
Programs like the GI Bill may be used to fund the GEM program. For more information, please visit the CU Denver Veteran and Military Student Services.
Self-directed Scholarships
Minority, professional, and personal affiliations may have scholarship opportunities. We recommend using the web to research opportunities you may have.
Home Equity Loans or Additional Mortgages
Interests on these loans may be low depending on market conditions. The interest may be tax deductible. These loans require credit approval and are likely to have closing costs.
Application Checklist
Application fee
Online application
Two letters of recommendation
GMAT score—waivers available
Official transcripts from each college or university attended
Essays
Resume
English language proficiency—international applicants only
The Global Energy Management program has four start dates throughout the year: Spring (January or April start) and Fall (July or October start).
Admissions are made on a rolling basis, meaning decisions are made as applications are completed. The program accepts a limited number of students each start date. Applicants should submit a completed application as early as possible during the admissions cycle.
Application Process
You will need to complete the online application and submit all additional documents by the deadline. A phone interview is required as part of the admissions process.
Once we've received all of your application materials, you will typically receive a decision within two to three weeks. Applications may take longer to process depending on the current volume of applications received.
GMAT Information
Students with significant experience in the energy industry may not have to take the GMAT for admission into the GEM program. The chart below provides information on whether or not you are required to take the GMAT. If you already have your graduate degree in another discipline, you are automatically waived from the GMAT requirement.
Years of Experience in Energy | GMAT Status |
---|---|
5 + | Automatically waived |
0 - 5 | Can apply for a GEM waiver |
Already earned a graduate degree | Automatically waived |
GMAT Waiver Process
Applicants with 0-5 years of experience in the energy industry can petition the admissions committee requesting a waiver from the GMAT requirement. Email the documents below to gem@ucdenver.edu. The admissions committee will inform you within one week of receiving all documents the decision on the GMAT waiver.
- One-page letter petitioning the admissions committee to waive the GMAT test. Within the letter, include how undergraduate and work experience in the energy industry has positioned you to be successful in the GEM program.
- Resume
- Copy of either an unofficial or official transcript from a degree-granting institution
How Decisions are Made
Ideal candidates for the GEM program have at least five years of professional experience, demonstrating positions of increasing responsibility. Most students are currently working within the energy industry; however, the program does accept non-energy professionals looking to transition their career.
International Students
International graduate applicants must have their academic credentials evaluated by either Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or World Education Services (WES). If you have already had an international credential evaluation from another company, please contact CU Denver International Admissions at intldocuments@ucdenver.edu to determine whether it meets our requirements.
To meet the English Language Proficiency (ELP) criteria, you must either showcase your proficiency through past education in English instruction or an English Language Proficiency test. If you are a citizen of a country whose official language is English, you do not have to prove proficiency. See below for a listing of accepted countries.
To claim proficiency, you must complete one of the following criteria. Please note that test scores are valid for two years.
- Submit a TOEFL score that meets the minimum requirements of 83 (IBT) or 560 (PBT).
The minimum IBT sub-scores for each section are:- Reading: 18
- Listening: 17
- Speaking: 20
- Writing: 17
- Submit an IELTS score of at least 6.5 The minimum IELTS sub scores for the reading, listening, speaking, and writing sections are 5.5.
- Submit a copy of completion from the CU Denver ESL Academy.
- Be a citizen of a country whose official language is English. International applicants holding a citizenship from the following countries do not need to prove their English language proficiency for admission to CU Denver: Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Granada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, The Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom.
- International applicants may meet the English language proficiency requirement through any of the options below for previous coursework completed. Options for previous coursework completed which will satisfy admissions ELP requirements:
- Earn an associate or bachelor's degree in the US
- Earn a post-secondary credential (comparable to a US associate or bachelor's degree) in any of the exempt countries listed above
- Earn a post-secondary credential (comparable to a US associate or bachelor's degree) at an exempt-country-accredited school located in a non-exempt country
- Earned 12 or more credit hours in a master or doctoral degree program in the United States, an exempt country, or at an exempt-country-accredited school in a non-exempt country AND earned an overall college-level GPA of 3.0 or higher.
To be eligible for scholarships you must apply by the priority deadlines. Plan to submit materials early to expedite processing. Deadlines apply to all required documents. Please note that if you apply by the final deadlines many classes may be full.
We have four application deadlines depending on your start date.
January start: December 15
April start: March 15
July start: June 15
October start: September 15
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