Solar & Renewable Energy Minor

UNLV offers an interdisciplinary minor in solar and renewable energy, providing students from a variety of backgrounds with the opportunity to explore this field. The minor degree program is available to all undergraduate students at UNLV through two tracks — one in engineering and science, and another in policy. In addition, various co-curricular activities are provided to further prepare students for careers in the solar and renewable energy fields.

Policy Track (21 credits) Minimum GPA: 2.0

Available to all baccalaureate majors, the Solar and Renewable Energy minor with a Policy Concentration is intended to provide students with, in its core required courses, knowledge of global environmental problems and different types of solar energy utilization and competence in sustainable building design. In the Solar Policy electives, students will develop competence in environmental history, policy, and science.

Solar Engineering & Sciences Track (21-23 credits) Minimum GPA: 2.0

Available primarily to baccalaureate science and engineering majors, the Solar and Renewable Energy minor-Engineering and Sciences Concentration, is intended to provide students with, in its core required courses, knowledge of global environmental problems and different types of solar energy utilization, competence in both solar thermal and photovolataic system design and sustainable building design. In the Solar Engineering and Sciences electives, students will develop technical depth in the scientific fundamentals and engineering design principles of renewable energy.

Please see the UNLV College of Engineering web page at www.unlv.edu/engineering for information about department programs, faculty and facilities. Degree worksheets are available at www.unlv.edu/degree/minor-solar-renewable-energy.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completing a minor, a graduate completing the policy track will be able to:

Identify terminology and types of solar energy utilization.
Acquire background knowledge of global environmental problems.
Identify ways of incorporating sustainability practices in building design and infrastructure.
Develop competence in decision making and communication.

Upon completing a minor, a graduate completing the science and engineering track will be able to:

Develop familiarity with terminology and types of solar energy utilization.
Acquire background knowledge of global environmental problems.
Develop competence in the design of solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.
Develop competence in some aspect of sustainable building design.
Develop technical depth in the scientific fundamentals or engineering design principles of renewable energy.

Advising

Please see advising information at the UNLV Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering Student Advising Center.

Accreditation

For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please head over to Academic Program Accreditations.

University Graduation Requirements

To obtain this minor, you must be a degree seeking undergraduate student pursuing an approved UNLV bachelor’s degree. Please see Graduation Policies for complete information.