Energy and Society
Interdisciplinary Studies
Why Minor in Energy and Society at Allegheny College
As an Energy and Society student, you’ll engage with political, economic, cultural, and scientific aspects of energy at local to global scales. You’ll learn essential technical, communication, and project management skills that are transferable to any future career. We prepare you to join all aspects of the energy economy!
Unusual Combinations
Students often combine Energy and Society with:
Division
- Interdisciplinary Studies
Program Type
- Minor
Number of Credits
20 for minorPowerful Partnerships
I chose to minor in Energy and Society because it allowed me to perform geothermal exploration research in the classroom and during a summer internship with the Department of Energy.
Your Four-Year Journey
Year 1: Understanding
You might take ENERG 105 (Introduction to Energy & Society) or ENERG 115 (The Science of Energy) in your first year. These are the two introductory-level required foundation courses. Students sometimes come to our minor after taking ESS 110 (Introduction to Environmental Science and Sustainability) or after they take other introductory-level courses across campus that cover energy topics.
Year 2: New Approaches
Some of our students begin their foundation courses in their sophomore year, which is no problem. Ideally, by the end of the sophomore year, you’ll have two of your foundation courses and decided your area of focus (policy, economics, or culture/communication/ethics) for the minor. A wide range of majors — from Physics to Business to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies — link their interests to this minor.
Year 3: Delving Deeper
In your third year, you’ll continue with electives in your focus area and ENERG 385 (Introduction to Sustainable Energy). You might also take ENERG 485 this year, which is the capstone course for the major. This course involves an applied group project and helps students bring together everything they’ve learned. In 2020, the class helped plan for LED street light upgrades for the City of Meadville.
Featured Courses
Year 4: The Comp
In your final year, you’ll finish up any electives and/or take ENERG 485. Some of our minors choose to incorporate aspects of energy into their Senior Comp for the major. We also encourage students to pursue credit-bearing internships with local partners — these experiences can be substituted for an elective course to count toward your minor. Internships often help our graduates get their first job in the energy field, which is experiencing huge job growth.
Research and Internships
We’ll help set the stage for your success through hands-on opportunities. You’ll put the knowledge you gain into joining all aspects of the energy economy.
Our energy and society students expand their skills through internships, research with faculty, community engagement, study away, and more.
Our faculty actively engage students as research collaborators and mentor students in their research activities.
Allegheny offers sponsored study-away programs in more than 15 countries across the world.
Faculty and Staff
Professor
Ph.D., M.A., University of New Hampshire; B.A. University of Northern Colorado
Email: tbensel@allegheny.edu
Phone: 814-332-2309
Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of California; M.S., University of California; B.A., Wesleyan University
Email: icarbone@allegheny.edu
Phone: 814-332-2380
Featured News
Academic Excellence: Paving the Way for Bright Futures
When talking with alumni about their Allegheny experience, whether they graduated in 1974 or 2024, one thing always stands out – the connection our alumni have with faculty. Our College has a rich legacy of faculty who go above and beyond in their interactions with students, serving as teachers, mentors, facilitators, career connectors, and more.
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Address:
520 North Main Street
Meadville, PA 16335
Contact:
814-332-4351
info@allegheny.edu
admissions@allegheny.edu
