Program Requirements

The METS degree is a non-thesis master's degree. For general university requirements, please see Non-Thesis Master's Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Students pursuing the METS degree must complete:

  • A minimum of 11 courses to satisfy degree requirements.
  • A minimum of 31 credit hours of graduate-level study (coursework at the 500-level or above).
  • A minimum of 24 graduate credit hours must be taken at Rice University.
  • A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken in standard or traditional courses (with a course type of lecture, seminar, laboratory, lecture/laboratory).
  • A minimum residency enrollment of one fall or spring semester of part-time graduate study at Rice University.
  • A maximum of 2 courses (6 graduate semester credit hours) from transfer credit.
  • The requirements for one area of specialization The METS degree program offers two areas of specialization:
    • Engineering, or
    • Geosciences
  • A minimum overall GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework.
  • A minimum program GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework that satisfies requirements for the non-thesis master’s degree.

The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor, or where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the department or program's Official Certifier. Additionally, these must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Core Requirements (Credit Hours)

Course(s) Description Hours
BIOS 580 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND REPORTING 3
CHBE 552 TRANSITIONING TO LOW CARBON ENERGIES: ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS 3
CHBE 680 / EEPS 680 ENERGY TRANSITION SEMINAR 1
CHBE 549 / EEPS 549 ECONOMICS AND POLICIES OF ENERGY TRANSITION 3
EEPS 582 GEOSCIENCES FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION 3

Area of Specialization (Credit Hours)

Description Hours
Select 1 of the following Areas of Specialization
  • Geosciences
  • Engineering
15

Capstone Requirement (Credit Hours)

Course(s) Description Hours
CEVE 507 ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 3

Total Credit Hours (31)

Selected Courses for the Geosciences Area of Specialization

Students must complete a minimum of 5 courses (minimum of 15 credit hours) to satisfy the requirements for the METS degree program's Geosciences area of specialization.

Course(s) Description
EEPS 579 APPLIED SUBSURFACE SYSTEMS: ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY
EEPS 585 COMPUTATIONAL AND DATA SCIENCE IN THE ENERGY INDUSTRY
EEPS 586 DATA SCIENCE METHODS AND DATA MANAGEMENT
EEPS 593 INTRODUCTION TO GEOTHERMAL ENERGY SYSTEMS
EEPS 637 EARTH'S NATURAL RESOURCES FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION
EEPS 648 EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS
EEPS 638 NATURE-BASED CARBON SEQUESTRATION

Selected Courses for the Engineering Area of Specialization

Students must complete a minimum of 5 courses (minimum of 15 credit hours) to satisfy the requirements for the METS degree program's Engineering area of specialization.

Course(s) Description
CHBE 506 DECISION TOOLS FOR CHEMICAL ENGINEERS
CHBE 510 FUNDAMENTALS AND APPLICATIONS IN ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY CONVERSION
CHBE 515 SEPARATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR CHEMICAL AND BIOMOLECULAR PROCESSES
CHBE 521 ANALYSIS OF ENERGY SYSTEMS
CHBE 517 MATERIALS IN ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY
CHBE 568 INDUSTRIAL CHEMICAL PROCESSES
EEPS 585 COMPUTATIONAL AND DATA SCIENCE IN THE ENERGY INDUSTRY

For additional information on the program's courses, please visit Rice University's course catalog.