MS in Energy Business Program Overview
Training the Future Leaders of Energy
If you want to prosper in the energy business, an online Master of Science in Energy Business from UT Permian Basin will put you on the right path. Our AACSB-accredited College of Business has designed a program specifically for energy industry professionals like you who want to earn a business-oriented master’s degree while developing skills unique to an innovative and dynamic field. In line with current and future demands of the energy industry, our program provides a robust foundation in financial principles through courses focused on energy finance, financial management, financial derivatives, and corporate finance and strategy. Our specialized curriculum illuminates key energy business concepts and empowers you with the analytical skills you’ll need to thrive and compete for management roles within the industry. There are very few online university programs like this offered in the United States!
Spotlight on the Energy Business
Our online MS in energy business program explores the complex connections between energy and law, finance, accounting, investments, and other core aspects of business. Our program’s six core energy courses empower you with business expertise that all of today’s energy industry leaders must have. Join us for an in-depth exploration of these and other timely topics:
- Business and regulatory challenges
- Alternative energy sources
- Volatility of energy commodities markets
- Global supply and demand
- Protecting technological advantage
- Risk management
- Advanced energy accounting
Advantages of Our Online Program
An affordable, comprehensive program spanning all aspects of the energy business, our 30-credit MS in energy business comes right from the heart of the energy industry directly to you. Each online course is taught by the same PhD business professionals who teach on campus. Our program is delivered in an asynchronous, 100% online format that enables you to complete coursework any time of day from just about anywhere in the world. No campus visits are required. If professional and personal responsibilities keep you busy, you’ll find the convenience of our program irreplaceable.
Career Benefits of Our Master’s Degree
Equipped with an MS in energy business, you’ll be poised for greater compensation potential and prized leadership positions. According to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report, master’s degree holders earn nearly 20% more than those who hold a bachelor’s degree alone. Further, the BLS states that those who have attained higher levels of education also enjoy higher rates of employment. No matter what your ambitions in the energy industry are, this degree can help you achieve them!
3 credit hours required.
6 credit hours required. If ACCT6301 and/or FINA 6320 are waived, student can choose from the remaining courses.
6 credit hours required.
18 credit hours required.
Admission Requirements
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
- Official transcripts certifying a bachelor’s degree awarded by 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
- Allowed to take up to 12 credit hours as advised and must earn a B or better
- If student earns below a B, GMAT is required for readmission
- No elective course may be taken by a student in conditional status
Conditional Admission With Dean’s Approval
- Official transcripts certifying a bachelor’s degree awarded by 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
- Allowed to take up to 12 credit hours and must earn a B or better
- No elective course may be taken by a student in conditional status
Students granted conditional status will be changed to regular status upon successful completion of a minimum of 12 semester credit hours of MS in energy business coursework with a grade of B or better in each course taken.
Official Transcripts
Copies of official 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.
Chair of the Accounting, Finance, and Economics Department
Associate Professor of Finance
PhD, The 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, The University of Texas at Dallas
MS, The 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.”
Associate Dean
Associate Professor of Accounting
UT Permian Basin College of Business
counts_r@utpb.edu
Roy Wayne Counts, PhD, is an associate professor of accountancy and associate dean within the College of Business at The University of Texas Permian Basin. Graduating from Texas Tech University with his PhD in 2005, he joined UTPB from 2004-2010 and rejoined in Spring 2015. Prior to this, Dr. Counts served as faculty and taught at Oklahoma City University and Youngstown State University between 2010 and 2015. His research interests focus around income wages, social security, and factors affecting finance. His work has been published in the Journal of the Academy of Business and Economics, International Journal of Business Research, and the Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance. Dr. Counts currently teaches the following courses within the accounting undergraduate program and the MPA program: Intermediate Accounting I, Federal Income Tax, and Energy Accounting.
“My interest in financial planning is what inspired me to specialize in tax accounting. Helping students to see how they can provide value-added services to clients is very rewarding. My passion is helping students get prepared for taking and passing the CPA exam.”
Senior Lecturer
BS, McNeese State University
JD, South Texas College of Law Houston
harrell_k@utpb.edu
Katharine Cruse Harrell is pleased to apply her professional knowledge and experience in the oil and gas industry as a faculty member of The University of Texas Permian Basin’s College of Business, where she is a senior lecturer teaching both business law and energy land management. She earned her BS in accounting from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 2004 and went on to attend law school at South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas. After law school, Ms. Harrell entered the oil and gas industry in Houston as both a landman and a title examination attorney performing title opinions for clients in the Haynesville Shale and the Permian Basin. In 2012, Ms. Harrell followed the industry to West Texas, where she now calls the Permian Basin home. Ms. Harrell has been a member of the Texas Bar since 2007 and is a member of both the American Association of Professional Landmen and the Permian Basin Landmen’s Association.
Assistant Professor of Marketing
PhD, University of Arkansas
MA, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications MA, Inner Mongolia Normal University
zhang_j@utpb.edu
Jingbo Zhang, PhD, is an assistant professor of marketing at The University of Texas Permian Basin. She started in the role of adjunct at the College of Business in 2020 after being an instructor of marketing at the University of Arkansas. She has published research in the Journal of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunication and she has presented articles at the Society for Marketing Advances Conferences and the Annual International Society of Franchising Conference in Vienna, Austria. Dr. Zhang has attended the Annual International Society of Franchising Conference, the Annual Southeast Marketing Symposium, the Annual Mittelstaedt Doctoral Symposium, and the Society for Marketing Advances. Her professional memberships include the American Marketing Association and the Society for Marketing Advances. She is an editor for SAGE Open Publications.
“My enthusiasm is to create a great geographical market coverage indicator to guide retailing stores to locate/relocate a store and provide practical strategies about how to improve the market performance of an individual store. Sharing my research ideas and experiences with my students to help them prepare for future careers always makes me excited!”
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.