trienens-institute.northwestern.edu 

The Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy (formerly ISEN) advances global energy and sustainability solutions through transformational research, interdisciplinary education, and public engagement.  The Trienens Institute is the enterprise-wide sustainability and energy Institute supporting on-campus research at the undergraduate, graduate, and faculty levels across physical and social sciences, engineering, law, policy, business, and communications. It also sponsors a variety of stakeholder engagement programs, both on and off campus, in collaboration with student groups, academic and governmental partners, and private industry.

The Institute offers curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including an undergraduate certificate in sustainability and energy. The Certificate provides a means for any Northwestern undergraduate student to pursue interdisciplinary instruction in the increasingly important areas of climate, sustainability, and energy during their undergraduate coursework, while signaling broad topic proficiency to potential future employers. See more at trienens-institute.northwestern.edu/sustainability-and-energy-certificate.

The Trienens Institute also offers a professional Master of Science in Energy and Sustainability (MSES), in collaboration with the McCormick School of Engineering. The Master's program prepares graduate students for public and private sector leadership careers in energy and sustainability. The one-year degree combines a comprehensive, interdisciplinary core curriculum spanning technology,  markets, and public policy with a student-selected elective specialization track, allowing content personalization while maintaining an overall cohort experience. MSES also provides critical professional training while limiting time out of the workforce, and facilitates student experience with industry partners and practitioners. At this time, there is no formal option for a combined BA/BS-MS; graduating students would need to apply directly to the program. See more at northwestern.edu/mses.

Finally, in partnership with Northwestern’s Study Abroad Office, Office of International Program Development, and Northwestern Engineering Office for Global Initiatives, the Trienens Institute offers non-credit summer programs in Germany (sustainability and energy), Israel (water resource management), Chile (energy storage and critical minerals), and Taiwan (innovation and hi-tech). See more at https://trienens-institute.northwestern.edu/study-abroad.

Certificate Requirements (7 units)

• 4 electives
  • Chosen from pre-approved curricula—including study abroad options—in the natural and social sciences, engineering, and other disciplines. An eligible electives list (along with registration forms and FAQs) is at https://trienens-institute.northwestern.edu/education/undergraduate-certificate/.
  • Can draw no more than 2 elective courses from a single department/program.
  • At least 3 must be 300 level or higher.
  • 3.0 GPA requirement.
• Up to 3 of the 7 total courses may be double-counted toward all other academic plans (major, minor, other certificates; including distribution requirements, unrestricted electives, etc).