Graduate diploma in green energy for engineering students

The University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering is launching a graduate diploma in green energy to provide professional development for working engineers through real-time online learning.

WATERLOO, ONT.

The University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering is launching a graduate diploma in green energy to provide professional development for working engineers through real-time online learning.

The Green Energy Graduate Diploma is the first of its kind to be offered in Canada. Waterloo’s extensive network of private sector partners, utilities, government and the non-profit sector, collaborated on the development of the program in partnership with the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy.

“The energy issues facing our society are pressing, and the Green Energy Graduate Diploma equips industry leaders with the necessary background to tackle these issues in cost-effective ways,” said professor Jan Huissoon, chair of the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at Waterloo in a press statement.

Diploma courses will enhance technical knowledge and training in green energy systems such as bioenergy, fuel cells, air pollution and greenhouse gas management, solar and wind energy, and building energy performance. A Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related area of study is required.

“We face a global challenge in finding new ways to meet energy needs while protecting the planet. Tackling this grand challenge requires engineering and scientific advancement, but also core industry engagement and programs that directly involve working engineers in areas such as bioenergy and smart grids,” said professor Jatin Nathwani, Ontario Research Chair in Public Policy for Sustainable Energy Management at Waterloo.

The Green Energy Graduate Diploma will be delivered from a state-of-the-art interactive instruction facility called Live-Link. This remote learning environment, enabled through the use of smart boards and multi-point interactive video conferencing, provides an immersive, real-time experience where working students participate with the professor and classmates as if they were in the same location. Applications are currently being accepted for fall 2014. Inquiries regarding the program can be sent to greendiploma@uwaterloo.ca