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Water-Energy Nexus

Overview

According to a recent report from the US Department of Energy (DOE), better understanding of the relationship between water availability and energy production (water-energy nexus) and its susceptibility to climate change is a matter of national security. This report was issued after severe droughts affected more than 1/3 of the US and the loss of available water constrained the ability of many power plants to function.

It is hard to image not having access to clean water or power – growing population, urbanization, shrinking resources, and increasing standards of living are threatening these indispensable assets even within developed countries. While clean water is the most important factor, access to power is an imperative component of having a safe, productive, and comfortable society. The goal of this certificate program is to understand the critical interaction between water and energy along with related topics including biological and physical-chemical treatment processes, carbon and energy footprint analysis, and sustainable energy systems in order to guide future improvements and technical innovations to mitigate future issues with these critical resources.

Who Should Enroll

This program is designed for professionals already employed in the workforce and those new to the subject matter who wish to expand their career opportunities and grow professionally by increasing their knowledge of the water-energy nexus and preparing them to make a difference as the world struggles with these key issues.

Professionals in the field of water and wastewater engineering who are interested in the energy intensity, usage, efficiency, and waste of the water treatment processes would benefit from this program including:

  • Consultants who are or are planning to work on energy-related projects and want to deepen their knowledge of theoretical and practical aspects of energy efficiency and optimization in the water sector
  • Utility personnel interested in understanding and curbing energy waste in water treatment and in a deeper understanding of energy-related aspects of their current processes and operation
  • Researchers who want to extend their knowledge related to treatment energy consumption and power demand dynamics
  • Regulators who intend to expand their knowledge of energy intensity and power demand efficiency of their treatment processes

To accommodate the busy schedules of these professionals, some courses in this program will be taught in the evenings.

Career Insight

Occupational summary for natural sciences managers.

58,572
Jobs
(2018)
11.2%
Projected Growth
(2018-2028)
$89k-$160k
Annual Salary
(25th-75th Percentile)

Program Benefits

  • Gain insights into water and wastewater processes, industrial energy theory, energy tariff structures, and their practical implications on water and wastewater treatment operation and costs
  • Understanding the impacts of water and wastewater treatment processes on energy and economics
  • Understanding how process layout, plant operations, and process control can impact energy and treatment economics
  • Quantify the energy and carbon footprint of water and wastewater treatment processes

Required Courses

TitleWinterSpringSummerFall
ENGRCEE 265
ADV PHYS-CHEM TRMT (4.00 Units)
ENGRCEE 265
 to be scheduled to be scheduled   to be scheduled
ENGRMAE 218
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY (4.00 Units)
ENGRMAE 218
 to be scheduled to be scheduled   to be scheduled
ENGRCEE 264
C-FOOTPRNT ANALYSIS (4.00 Units)
ENGRCEE 264
 to be scheduled to be scheduled   to be scheduled
ENGRCEE X499
Applied Dynamic Modeling for Wastewater Treatment Plant Efficiency (3.00 Units)
ENGRCEE X499
   Online    

Course schedules are subject to change. Individual courses may be taken without enrolling in the full certificate.

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Certificate Eligibility and Requirements

Learn How To Earn Your Certificate A certificate is awarded upon completion of 4 required courses, 15 units (150 hours): Applied Dynamic Modeling for Wastewater Treatment Plant Efficiency, Carbon and Energy Footprint Analysis, Sustainable Energy Systems, and Physical-Chemical Treatment Processes with a grade of “B” or higher in each course. Students may enter the program at any time. However, some courses may require prerequisites. To become an official candidate in the program, students pursuing the certificate must submit a Declaration of Candidacy. Students are encouraged to declare candidacy as soon as possible, but no later than after the third course in the program. To receive the certificate after completing all program requirements, students must submit a Request for Certificate. All requirements must be completed within 5 years after the student enrolls in his/her first course. Students not pursuing a certificate are welcome to take as many individual courses as they wish, space providing.

How to Enroll

For the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters:
Students should obtain the Concurrent Enrollment Form and complete sections 1, 2, and 5. Once these sections have been completed, submit the form to the UCI Division of Continuing Education, Engineering and Sciences Department (attn.: Jennifer Mortensen) at the address below.

Postal Mail
Attn: Jennifer Mortensen
UCI Division of Continuing Education
P.O. Box 6050
Irvine, CA 92616-6050

Once your completed form is received, you will be contacted by a representative from UCI Division of Continuing Education for submission of supplementary documents if needed. Completed forms are not accepted via email, please submit via fax (949) 824-1220 or postal mail. Please submit original forms only (photocopies will not be accepted).

Fees/Expenses

  • Each course in the program costs $1,201.00
  • Declaration of Candidacy Fee $125
  • Below are possible additional costs not included in course fees
    • Parking
    • Textbooks

Dates & Deadlines

The following are the enrollment start dates for each quarter:

  • Spring 2019
    Schedule available starting February 18

Other quarter terms will be posted as they become available. Please note courses within the program are only offered in the Winter, Spring, and Fall quarters.

*Note to new students: Enrollment forms and supplementary documents will only be accepted during the enrollment periods for each quarter.

Advisory Committee

  • Sunny Jiang, Ph.D., Professor Civil and Environmental Engineering; Professor (Joint Appointment) Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UC Irvine School of Engineering
  • Lory Larson, Consulting Engineer, Southern California Edison
  • Jim Mihelcic, Ph.D., Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of South Florida College of Engineering Coenraad Pretorius, Senior Environmental Engineer at CDM Smith
  • Diego Rosso, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering; Associate Professor (Joint Appointment), Chemical Engineering and Materials Science; Director, Water-Energy Nexus Center, UC Irvine School of Engineering
  • Stephanie Shamblin Gray, Water Engineer at HDR Reza Sobhani , Ph.D., Consultant, Orange County Sanitation District
  • Mike Stenstrom, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, UCLA

English Proficiency Requirement
All certificate programs at UCI Division of Continuing Education (classroom and online formats) require professional-level English language proficiency in listening and note-taking, reading comprehension and vocabulary, written expression, and oral presentation.