Natural Resources and Energy Policy
Graduate program at Colorado School of Mines
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Select a program type below to learn more. What’s the difference? Read more about program types.
Natural Resources and Energy Policy Master’s Non-Thesis
The Master’s Non-thesis (MS-NT) degree in Natural Resources and Energy Policy (NREP) requires 30 credit hours of coursework: 15 credit hours in the core, and 15 hours of electives. As a full-time student, it generally takes 1.5 years (three semesters) to complete the program.
The NREP degree prepares students from multiple disciplinary backgrounds (in the social sciences and engineering) to be leaders in policy and problem-solving in the interconnected domains of environment, resources, and energy. The core curriculum engages a range of NREP topics while offering foundational training in environment-society and resource relations, social and political change, public engagement, and policy dynamics. A variety of skills courses allow students to build further expertise in policy-relevant analytical skills to suit their desired career paths. Electives center around themes of interest to NREP students that are also strengths of Mines faculty, including the energy transition and climate change, water management, environmental futures, international development, and more. Students engage in research- and writing-intensive assignments with a strong focus on verbal and written communication skills
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation (2 letters)
- Letters are not required for current Mines students
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Statement of Purpose
- Transcripts
- International students please review the English proficiency requirements
Natural Resources and Energy Policy Certificate
Designed to be completed in a single semester, or over two semesters for part-time students, the Certificate in Natural Resources and Energy Policy (NREP) is a 9-credit program affiliated with the MS in NREP.
To earn the certificate, students must take two of the five required courses for the Master’s program plus an elective to be approved by the NREP Director.
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Statement of Purpose
- Suggested if GPA is less than 3.0/4.0
- Transcripts
- International students please review the English proficiency requirements
Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences Department
One of the world’s top engineering and applied science universities is now offering a social science-based graduate degree program focused on preparing leaders from all disciplinary and industry backgrounds for careers with industry, local and national government agencies and non-governmental organizations.
The Natural Resources and Energy Policy (NREP) program, part of the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Department, applies a multidisciplinary social science lens to natural resources and energy issues, with a strong emphasis on original research, critical thinking and oral communication. With students coming from a variety of academic backgrounds, as well as educational and professional experiences, this program provides unique opportunities and situations to help you meet your individual academic and professional goals.
The NREP program is geared toward full-time students and working professionals who want to break into the energy or natural resources (especially water) sectors, advance in their careers to ultimately shape the energy and water development, its governance and the energy transition.
A Top Tier University
NREP students come from a variety of academic disciplines
Courses offered in small seminar settings for optimal learning
Top 30 best colleges in America for engineering
Credits and Deadlines
View the academic catalog to see the courses and credit requirements for this program.
Master's Thesis & Doctorate (PhD) Program Deadlines
Select a Term:
Spring Deadlines | Fall Deadlines
Spring Deadlines
Fall Deadlines
| Degree Program | Priority | International* | Domestic* | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Energy Systems | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Applied Chemistry | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Applied Mathematics & Statistics | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Applied Physics | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Chemical Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Chemistry | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Civil & Environmental Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Computer Science | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Earth Resources Development Engineering | January 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Electrical Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Engineering & Technology Management | January 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Environmental Engineering Science | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Geochemistry | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Geological Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Geology | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Geophysical Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Geophysics | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Humanitarian Engineering & Science | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Hydrology | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Materials Science | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Mechanical Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Metallurgical and Materials Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Mineral & Energy Economics | January 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Mining Engineering | January 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Nuclear Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Operations Research with Engineering | January 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Petroleum Engineering | March 1 | March 1 | ||
| Physics | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Quantitative Biosciences & Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Quantum Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Robotics | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Space Resources | March 1 (International on-campus) | July 1 (Domestic on-campus) | August 1 | |
| Underground Construction & Tunnel Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 |
Residential (on-campus) Master's Non-Thesis & Graduate Certificates Deadlines
| Spring Deadlines | Fall Deadlines | |
|---|---|---|
| International Students* | October 1 | March 1 |
| Domestic U.S. Students | December 15 | August 1 |
| International students are not eligible to apply for residential certificate programs. We encourage you to check out our online certificate options | ||
Online Master's Non-Thesis & Graduate Certificates Deadlines
| The following deadlines apply to online master's non-thesis and graduate certificate programs for domestic U.S. and International students. | |
| Spring I & II (January 6 start) | January 2 |
| Spring III*** (March 11 start) | February 18 |
| Fall I & II (August 19 start) | August 1 |
| Fall III*** (October 22 start) | October 1 |
| **The Fall III deadline is only available for the following programs: Additive Manufacturing; Business Analytics; Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage; Chemical Engineering Processes in Energy Transitions; Data Science: Computer Science; Data Science: Earth Resources; Electrical Engineering (Professional Master and Certificate Only); Engineering and Technology Management; GIS & Geoinformatics; Mechanical Engineering; Underground Construction and Tunnel Engineering | |
| ***The Spring III deadline is only available for the following programs: Additive Manufacturing; Business Analytics; Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage; Electrical Engineering (Professional Master and Certificate Only); Engineering and Technology Management; GIS & Geoinformatics; Mechanical Engineering; Product Management (Offered for only session III in spring); Underground Construction and Tunnel Engineering | |
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Department Head
Sandy Woodson
Sandy Woodson has taught ethics, environmental ethics and writing at the Colorado School of Mines since 1999, and serves as the Department Head for Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences. She is Director of the Ethics Across Campus Program, and she coaches the Mines Ethics Bowl Team. She earned an MA in Environmental Ethics from Colorado State University, where her research focused on Hindu metaphysics as a grounding for environmental ethics. She also earned an MFA in Creative Writing—Nonfiction—from the University of Montana. Her research interests include ethics pedagogy and curricular design, and her very favorite thing is coaching the Mines Ethics Bowl Team
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Contact Us
(303) 273-3247
grad-admissions@mines.edu
Career Connections
At Mines, your career goals are the focus. You will connect with world-class faculty and industry experts in your field, all while enhancing your knowledge through hands-on learning and research.
Natural Resources and Energy Policy careers
- Environmental groups such as Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Defense Fund
- Government agencies like Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Nonprofit groups such as Center for Clean Air Policy
- World Resources Institute and Center for Climate Strategies
- Private sector
- Environmental Engineer with Newmont’s Legacy Group
Visit the Mines Career Center website for additional career resources and information.
Where to find our alumni
- Asia Pacific Research Center
- BP
- Kimmeridge Energy
- National Nuclear Security Administration
- Shell International Exploration and Production
- World Bank
- Denver Water
- Newmont Mining
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