Berkeley MBA students are prepared to drive innovation in the energy and cleantech spaces.
Foundational courses in operations, strategy, marketing, and data analysis provide a solid base to launch a next career move. Add to that the opportunity to enrich industry knowledge with electives such Energy & Environmental Markets and Energy & Infrastructure Project Finance.
Students also benefit from the Berkeley Energy Resources Collaborative and the Energy Institute at Haas, two organizations integrating the business and science of energy.
Sample Coursework for a Career in Energy
Experiential Learning in Energy
As your schedule and course availability allow, you may want to participate in Cleantech to Market (C2M). You will be part of an interdisciplinary team of graduate students from across UC Berkeley. Teams work with scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to complete projects intended to accelerate the commercialization of new solar, biofuel, battery, and smart grid/energy management technologies.
See the full list of Berkeley MBA experiential learning opportunities.
Energy Faculty Spotlight
Professor Severin Borenstein chairs the Petroleum Market Advisory Committee for the California Energy Commission and is the E.T. Grether Chair in Business Administration and Public Policy at Berkeley Haas. He teaches Energy & Environmental Markets. His research includes energy policy and climate change, airline competition, and oil and gasoline market pricing and competition.
Professor Catherine Wolfram is the former faculty director of the Energy Institute at Haas. She teaches Design and Evaluation of Development Technology. Her research and publications have studied the economics of energy markets and the electricity industry around the world, analyzing the effects of environmental regulation, including climate change mitigation policies, on the energy sector.
Associate Professor Reed Walker co-directs the Climate and Environment Initiative in the UC Berkeley Opportunity Lab. He teaches Data & Decisions. His research interests encompass environmental, public, and labor economics.
Beverly Alexander is the founding director of the Cleantech to Market program. She is a former senior VP at Pacific Gas & Electric Company, where she led the largest energy efficiency, solar, and demand response programs in the U.S. A consultant on clean energy solutions, she also advises the Berkeley Energy & Resources Collaborative.
Research Centers and Institutes in Energy
Energy Institute at Haas
The Energy Institute at Haas brings together research and curricula related to the energy business, policy, and technology commercialization, with the goal of bridging the gap between the frontiers of economic and scientific energy research and the marketplace. The EI@Haas blog explores topics ranging from cap-and-trade and innovation to energy poverty.
Energy Co-Curriculars
The Berkeley Energy & Resources Collaborative (BERC) is a multidisciplinary network that connects UC Berkeley students from various schools, programs, and labs. BERC’s workshops address such topics as the future of transportation, women in green industries, and designing for sustainability. Other BERC activities include the Energy Summit, Cleanweb Hackathon, and Innovation Expo.
BERC Innovative Solutions (BIS) is a consulting program led by students in many of UC Berkeley’s top graduate departments. BIS provides experiential learning on projects addressing strategic energy and resource opportunities and challenges, including sustainable investing. Clients have included Bloom Energy, Calpine, and Siemens.
Support for a Career in Energy
Berkeley MBA students leverage their BERC experience and network, the Berkeley Haas Alumni Network, and partnership with the Career Management Group’s energy relationship manager to fuel their futures in the energy sector.