business students meeting

Undergraduate Minor inEnergy Business and Finance

Program summary

Supplement your knowledge with a minor focusing on the specific financial, investment, and management concepts used by companies working with the environment and energy in both the public and private sectors.

Credits and costs

28-29 Credits$626/$671 per credit

Enhance Your Penn State Degree

Add a minor to get even more value out of your education.

Gain Specialized Knowledge

Earning a minor enables you to complement your major, pursue a personal interest, or explore a different field of study.

Recent market dynamics in the energy and resource industries are leading to new employment opportunities for graduates with a background in energy business and finance. To help you gain knowledge in this growing field, Penn State World Campus has partnered with the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences to offer an Undergraduate Minor in Energy Business and Finance (EBF).

The solutions to society's existing and emerging energy challenges require interdisciplinary approaches integrating economics and business with the technical knowledge of energy systems and implications for our environment. That's where energy business and finance experts come in. The Minor in Energy Business and Finance provides an introduction to the major energy commodity markets, basic energy sciences, and the tools for analyzing business decisions that companies in the energy sector make. It is designed to complement technical training for students interested in working in energy-related fields or for students who just want to learn more about global energy markets.

The knowledge and skills that you gain with an EBF minor can help prepare you to work in a variety of fields, including:

  • energy and resource industries
  • financial institutions
  • nonprofit groups
  • international organizations focused on energy and environmental issues

This minor is open to all interested undergraduate Penn State World Campus students who meet the prerequisites. Students of business or energy and sustainability policy may find this minor particularly useful.

Courses

The minor in energy business and finance is composed of 28–29 credits. Your required courses are in energy, business, and finance; energy and mineral engineering; and energy and geo-environmental engineering.

Your elective courses will be selected from a list of available courses in energy, business, and finance; energy and mineral engineering; energy and geo-environmental engineering; geography; geosciences; and meteorology.

A grade of "C" or better is required in all courses that you take to fulfill requirements for the minor.

Prescribed Courses (16 credits)

  • 3
    credits

    Resource use decisions and their effect on local, national, and global development.

  • 3
    credits

    The aim of this course is to introduce fundamental concepts of financial management and illustrate their global applications.

  • 3
    credits

    Methods of economic analysis and their use; price determination; theory of the firm; distribution.

  • 3
    credits

    The course covers engineering evaluation of geo-resources, present value and rate of return analysis, mineral property and reserve estimation, and cost estimation and engineering economy concepts applied to geo-resources including energy and minerals.

  • 4
    credits

    Descriptive Statistics, frequency distributions, probability and normal distributions, statistical inference, linear regression, and correlation.

    • Prerequisite

      Placement into MATH 21 or higher.

Additional Math Courses (select 3–4 credits)

  • 3
    credits

    Relations, functions, graphs; polynomial, rational functions, graphs; word problems; nonlinear inequalities; inverse functions; exponential, logarithmic functions; conic sections; simultaneous equations.

  • 4
    credits

    Introduces and develops the mathematical skills required for analyzing change, and the underlying mathematical behaviors that model real-life economics and financial applications. Develops student knowledge of calculus techniques, and how to use a calculus framework to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

    • Prerequisite

      MATH 022 or satisfactory performance on the mathematics placement examination

  • 4
    credits

    Introduces and develops the mathematical skills required for analyzing change and creating mathematical models that replicate real-life phenomena. Develops student knowledge of calculus techniques and how to use the calculus environment to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

    • Prerequisite

      MATH 22 and MATH 26 or MATH 26 and satisfactory performance on the mathematics placement examination or MATH 40 or MATH 41 or satisfactory performance on the mathematics placement examination.

Additional Energy Courses (select 3 credits)

  • 3
    credits

    Energy utilization and technological development, energy resources, conversion and consequences on the local and global environment, and future energy alternatives.

  • 3
    credits

    Exposure to energy efficiency in day-to-day life to save money and energy, and thereby protect the environment.

    • GN

      The credits earned in this course may be applied toward the Natural Sciences (GN) requirement.

  • 3
    credits

    Survey of the commercial development of the world petroleum industry from various international, historical, business, and cultural perspectives.

Supporting Courses and Related Areas (select 6 credits)

  • 3
    credits

    Energy is in transition, with increased international energy demand and increasing environmental pressures. Energy transitions, approaches, and outcomes are addressed.

  • 3
    credits

    Industry perspective on the resources, technologies, engineering approaches, and externalities involved in satisfying worldwide energy demand profitably and sustainably.

  • 3
    credits

    The human use of resources and ecosystems and social causes and consequences of environmental degradation in different parts of the world; development of environmental policy and management strategies.

    • Prerequisite

      GEOG 010 or GEOG 020 or GEOG 030 or GEOG 040 or GEOG 130 or permission of the program

  • 3
    credits

    Designed for students to understand the natural processes of aquatic ecosystems, management of water resources, and threats to sustaining water quantity and quality, for all types of freshwater surface, groundwater, rivers, lakes, wetlands.

  • 3
    credits

    Analysis, formulation, implementation, and impacts of energy-related policies, regulations, and initiatives.

Course Availability

If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.

Costs and Financial Aid

Undergraduate Tuition

Undergraduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which you register and the number of total credits you have accrued at or transferred to Penn State.

Tuition is due shortly after each semester begins and rates are assessed every semester of enrollment.

2023–24 Academic Year Rates

Tuition rates for the fall 2023, spring 2024, and summer 2024 semesters.

How many credits do you plan to take per semester?If you have 59 or fewer creditsIf you have 60 or more credits
11 or fewer$626 per credit$671 per credit
12–19$7,602 per semester$8,206 per semester

Undergraduate students taking more than 19 credits will be charged the flat tuition rate plus the regular per credit hour rate for each credit above 19. 

2024–25 Academic Year Rates

Tuition rates for the fall 2024, spring 2025, and summer 2025 semesters.

How many credits do you plan to take per semester?If you have 59 or fewer creditsIf you have 60 or more credits
11 or fewer$632 per credit$678 per credit
12–19$7,678 per semester$8,288 per semester

Undergraduate students taking more than 19 credits will be charged the flat tuition rate plus the regular per credit hour rate for each credit above 19. 

Financial Aid and Military Benefits

Some students may qualify for financial aid. Take the time to research financial aid, scholarships, and payment options as you prepare to apply. Military service members, veterans, and their spouses or dependents should explore these potential military education benefits and financial aid opportunities, as well.

How to Apply

Admissions Help

Please work with your adviser if you have questions about adding a minor. You can find your adviser's contact information in your student portal or by calling advising at 814-863-3283.

Admission Requirements 

To be eligible for admittance into the energy business and finance minor, you must:

  • be a current Penn State undergraduate student in your fifth semester and be in a bachelor's degree major
  • maintain a grade of C or better in all courses for the minor
  • the minor code and major code cannot match 

Adding a Minor

If you have achieved fifth-semester standing (60 credits completed), you can apply for admission to the minor. To begin, please follow these steps:

  1. Talk with your academic adviser about incorporating the minor into your major and to develop a semester-by-semester plan for meeting requirements.
  2. You can apply for the minor by adding it in LionPATH. You should do this as early as possible, but you can apply up to the late drop deadline of your graduating semester.
  3. You will receive a confirmation email once you declare the minor in LionPATH.

Technical Requirements 

Review the technical requirements for this program.

Contact Us

To learn more about the Minor in Energy Business and Finance, offered in partnership with the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, please contact:

Susan Spaugh
Program Assistant
2217 Earth & Engineering Sciences Building
University Park PA 16802
Email: [email protected] 
Phone (toll-free): 877-713-7778
Phone: 814-863-2502
Fax: 814-863-1564