Graduate Certificate in Energy Business Overview
Our online Graduate Certificate in Energy Business is a 12-credit program that will help you translate your knowledge of accounting, finance, management, marketing, and business law to the rapidly growing energy industry. Our flexible online format enables you to complete coursework anywhere, 24/7, on your own schedule. Each online course is taught by the same PhD business professionals who teach on campus.
With a UT Permian Basin Graduate Certificate in Energy Business, you’ll gain in-demand qualifications and knowledge unique to the energy industry. This certificate is ideal for professionals working in an energy-related field who want to advance their career or move into analyst or management roles.
Want to take your career even farther? UT Permian Basin’s Online Master of Science in Energy Business is another valuable option, and students can apply credits from their Graduate Certificate in Energy Business toward completion of the MS program. Learn more here.
Careers for Graduate Certificate in Energy Business Holders
An online certificate in energy business from UT Permian Basin can provide you with the expertise needed to thrive in many positions in the energy industry, such as:
Required 3 credit hours.
Required 6 credit hours.
Required 12 credit hours. To be provided by advisor. Internship cannot be used
Admission Requirements
Our online Graduate Certificate in Energy Business is a beneficial add-on to your UT Permian Basin MBA, provided you meet the admission standards below.
Regular Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
- GPA of 3.00 or better in the last 60 credit hours
Conditional Admission
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
- GPA between 2.99 and 2.5 in the last 60 credit hours of coursework leading to the baccalaureate degree
- 2 letters of recommendation or professional email references
Conditional Admission With Dean’s Approval
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
- GPA between 2.49 and 2.25 in the last 60 credit hours of coursework leading to the baccalaureate degree
- GMAT with minimum score of 500 (based on GPA)
- Essay expressing interest may be requested
- 2 letters of recommendation or professional email references
Students granted conditional status will be changed to regular status upon successful completion of a minimum of 6 semester credit hours of Graduate Certificate in Energy Business coursework with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Official Transcripts
Official copies of transcripts must come directly from the school in a sealed envelope and can be mailed to:
UT Permian Basin
Graduate Studies Office
4901 E. University Blvd.
Odessa, TX 79762
Official transcripts in electronic format can be sent to gradstudies@utpb.edu.
Supporting Documents
All supporting documents related to a graduate program, such as letters of recommendation, essays, statements of interest, resumes, professional work experience, and awards should be sent to the Graduate Studies Office:
UT Permian Basin
Graduate Studies
4901 E. University Blvd.
Odessa, TX 79762-0001
Electronic versions of supporting documents may be emailed to gradstudies@utpb.edu.
Application Fee
The application fee is $40.
If you have any questions regarding the admission requirements, please email mba@utpb.edu.
Chair of the Accounting, Finance, and Economics Department
Associate Professor of Finance
PhD, University of Texas at Arlington
MS, Texas Tech University
gormus_a@utpb.edu
Alper Gormus, PhD, is the chair of the accounting, finance, and economics department and an associate professor in finance. He is also a Jack D. Ladd Fellow and the coordinator of energy and finance programs. He has an MS in economics from Texas Tech University and a PhD in finance from The University of Texas at Arlington. Prior to his start at UTPB, he worked as faculty, teaching classes at The University of Texas at Arlington, Texas A&M University, and Texas Tech University. On the corporate side, Dr. Gormus has worked for several high-profile companies in various roles related to investments and financial analytics. His research interests include energy investments and international markets. His work has been published in several global academic journals including Energy Economics, Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Economic Letters, and Global Finance Journal. Dr. Gormus teaches Energy Investments, Investments, and Corporate Finance.
“I strongly believe student success must be the driving factor for all we do in academia. In terms of how I contribute, combining my industry experience with academics has always served me well in the classroom. While I have worked in numerous projects across many areas in finance and economics, a large portion of my research has been in energy investments. I was fortunate enough to publish my research in some of the top academic journals in the field and I try to bring that expertise into the classroom.”
Senior Lecturer
LLM, George Mason University
PhD, University of Texas at Dallas
MS, University of Texas at Dallas
JD, Oklahoma City University
macdonald_s@utpb.edu
Stuart MacDonald, PhD, JD, LLM, is a senior lecturer of management within the College of Business at The University of Texas Permian Basin. He graduated in 2000 with a PhD in political economy from The University of Texas at Dallas and joined UTPB in the fall of 2019. Prior to his start at UTPB, he worked at a law firm, served as chair for the Department of Economics, Finance, General Business and International Trade, and served as faculty at Midwestern State University and the University of Central Oklahoma. His research interests include the oil and gas industry, ethical behavior, and game theory, and his work has been published in Oil and Gas Quarterly, the Journal of Education and Business Leadership, and the Southwest Journal of Business and Economics. Dr. MacDonald will be teaching the following courses within the management undergraduate program: Energy Law and Environmental Law & Regulation in the Energy Industry.
“Many spectacular business failures such as Enron can be traced to leadership that was smart enough to manipulate the law but not wise enough to know when they shouldn’t. Guided by that, I endeavor to show my students that the law, more than a constraint, is actually a tool that can be used to gain and maintain a competitive advantage, as long as they have the wisdom to know how far is too far.”
We’re pleased to offer program admission on a rolling basis.
Rolling admission refers to our process of accepting and evaluating applications as we receive them and moving any applications that miss the deadline to the next semester. However, if you want to enroll in courses for a specific semester, you will need to make note of the application deadlines found below. If you don’t complete your application and submit the required materials by the deadline, your application will be rolled over to the next semester.