Atmosphere and Energy Program

2022-23 Program Requirements

Atmosphere and energy are strongly linked: fossil-fuel energy use contributes to air pollution, global warming, and weather modification; and changes in the atmosphere feedback to renewable energy resources, including wind, solar, hydroelectric, and wave resources.

Because atmospheric problems can be mitigated by increasing energy efficiency, developing new energy technologies, and shifting to less-polluting energy sources, and because it is important to study the climate, air pollution, and weather impacts of new energy technologies, the two areas, atmosphere and energy, are naturally coupled together.

The Atmosphere/Energy (A/E) undergraduate curriculum prepares undergraduates for an A/E master’s degree program, as well as careers in industry, research, consulting, government, non-governmental organizations, and academia. The A/E degree is NOT an ABET-accredited degree, as ABET accreditation is advantageous only for obtaining specific jobs that do not overlap with those that students obtaining the A/E degree would generally consider. The degree is accredited as part of Stanford’s accreditation through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

A/E students take classes in both Atmosphere and Energy, as well as classes that integrate the two. The curriculum is flexible in that students more interested in one field can take most of their Engineering Depth classes in the area of their choice. Similarly, students desiring to focus more on technology or on science can take the appropriate Depth classes to suit their interest.

Qualified students may also apply to engage in the A/E Honors program (see Honors page).

Exploring the Atmosphere/Energy Major

Try one of these recommended Introductory Seminars:

APPPHYS 79N Energy Options for the 21st Century, A, 3 units

EARTHSYS 41N The Global Warming Paradox, A, 3 units

ECON 17N Energy, the Environment, and the Economy, W, 3 units

MS&E 92Q International Environmental Policy, W, 3 units

Or one of these A/E courses that can also be used in some other School of Engineering majors:

CEE 63 Weather and Storms, A, 3 units

CEE 64 Air Pollution & Global Warming: History, Science & Solutions, W, 3 units

CEE 70 Environmental Science and Technology (same as ENGR 90), W, 3 units

ENGR 50E Introduction to Materials Science, Energy Emphasis, W, 4 units

In addition, the Math, Science, Technology in Society, and Engineering Fundamentals courses required by the A/E major will also count toward most of the other School of Engineering majors (see course lists below; other major programs and their specific requirements are listed elsewhere in this chapter).

For Excel or pdf program sheets and plans, see the Plans & Program Sheets page on this site.

A/E REQUIREMENTS

Explore Degrees lists all School of Engineering major program requirements, as well as other major and minor programs across the University.

A total of 96 units are required, distributed as follows:

45 Units of Mathematics and Science Combined

Mathematics (23 units minimum, including at least one class from each group):

Group A:

Course	Description	Units	Quarter
MATH 53	Ordinary Differential Equations with Linear Algebra	5	A,W,S,Sum
CME 102	Ordinary Differential Equations for Engineers	5	A,W,S,Sum

Group B:

Course	Description	Units	Quarter
CME 106	Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Engineers	4	W,Sum
STATS 60	Introduction to Statistical Methods: Pre-calculus	5	A,W,S,Sum
STATS 101	Data Science 101	5	S
STATS 110	Statistical Methods in Eng. and the Physical Sciences	5	A,S

Science (20 units minimum, including all of the following):

Course	Description	Units	Quarter
PHYSICS 41	Mechanics	4	A,W
PHYSICS 43	Electricity/Magnetism (S) –OR– PHYS 45 Light/Heat (A)	4	W,S
CHEM 31B or CHEM 31M	Chemical Principles II (or CHEM 31M [formerly 31X]) Chemical Principles From Molecules to Solids (formerly 31X)	5 5	W A
CEE 70*	Environmental Science and Technology (can count as science or Fundamental but not bot)	3	W

*Can count as science or as ENGR Fundamental, but not both

Technology in Society
One course required, see the Approved Courses TiS chart. Must be on the Approved List the year it is taken.

Writing in the Major (WIM): One 3-5 unit course required. Choose either:

Choose a TiS course that also fulfills WIM:
BIOE 131	Ethics in Bioengineering	S	3
COMM 120W	Digital Media in Society	S	4-5
OR a Skills Course:
CEE 102W/ENGR 102W	Technical and Professional Communication	S	3
CEE 100	Managing Sustainable Building Projects	A	4
EARTHSYS 191	Concepts in Environmental Communication	A	3

Engineering Fundamentals and Depth Units:

Engineering Fundamentals (two courses minimum, pick two out of the following):

Course	Description	Units	Quarter
ENGR 50E	Introduction to Material Science: Energy Emphasis	4	Sum
ENGR 10	Intro to Engineering Analysis	4	A,Sum
CS 106A or 106B	Programming Methodology or Abstractions	5	A,W,S,Sum
ENGR 21	Engineering of Systems	3	S
ENGR 60	Engineering Economics and Sustainability	3	A,S,Sum

Engineering Depth (42 units minimum)

Of the 42 units required below, 30 units minimum must be School of Engineering coursework

1) Required Courses (6-8 units):

Course

Description

Units

Quarter

CEE 63 or

CEE 64 or

CEE 172

Weather and Storms (req’d)* or

Air Pollution & Global Warming: History, Science & Solutions

Air Quality Management

CEE 107A or

CEE 107S

Understanding Energy or

Understanding Energy: Essentials

3-5

A,S

Sum

2) Skills Courses	(elective; 0-5 units may count towards 42 units)
Course	Title	Units	Qtr
CEE /ENGR 102W	Technical and Professional Communication (WIM)	3	S
CEE 100	Managing Sustainable Building Projects (WIM)	4	A
EARTHSYS 191	Concepts in Environmental Communication	3	A
EARTHSYS 194A	Environmental Justice Colloquium	1	A

3) Elective Courses (At least 29-36 units from the following, with at least 4 courses of 3 or more units from each group):

Group A: Atmosphere

Course	Title	Qtr	Units
AA 100	Introduction to Aeronautics and Astronautics	W	3
ANTHRO 103*	The Archaeology of Climate	S	3
CEE 63	Weather and Storms (if not counted unter ENGR depth)	A	3
CEE 101B or ME 70	Mechanics of Fluids or Introductory Fluids Engineering	A W,S	4 3
CEE 161I	Atmosphere, Ocean, & Climate Dynamics: Atmospheric Circulation	S	3
CEE 162I	Atmosphere, Ocean, & Climate Dynamics: Ocean Circulation	W	3
CEE 172	Air Quality Management (if not counted under Req'd depth)	S	3
CEE 178	Introduction to Human Exposure Analysis	Not offered 20-21	3
EARTH 2*	Climate and Society	W	3
EARTHSYS 111*	Biology and Global Change	W	4
EARTHSYS 123A*	Biosphere-Atmosphere Interaction	W	4
EARTHSYS 144*	Fundamentals of Geographic Information Science (GIS)	A	3-4
ESS 102**	Scientific Basis of Climate Change	S	3
ESS 171**	Climate Models and Data	W	3
HUMBIO 116**	Climate Perspectives: Climate Science, Impacts, Policy, Negot.	A	3
ME 133	Intermediate Fluid Mechanics	S	4
PHYSICS 199*	The Physics of Energy and Climate Change	S	3

* Courses outside the School of Engineering do not count toward the 30-unit engineering minimum in Fundamentals and Depth categories but can count toward the 42-unit Depth total.

Group B: Energy

CEE 107D	Scaling Integrative Design for Radical Energy Efficiency	S	2-3
CEE 107H	Applied Hope: Whole-Systems Thinking on Energy Solutions	A	2
CEE 107R	Extreme Energy Efficiency	W	3
CEE 130B	Quest for an Inclusive Clean Energy Economy	W	3
CEE 130R	Racial Equity in Energy	A	2-3
CEE 156	Building Systems	W	4
CEE 173S	Electricity Economics	W	3
CEE 176A	Energy Efficient Buildings	W	3
CEE 176B	100% Clean, Renewable Energy and Storage for Everything	S	3-4
CEE 177L	Smart Cities and Communities	Sum	3
EARTHSYS 101*	Energy and the Environment	W	3
EARTHSYS 102*	Fundamentals of Renewable Power	S	3
EE 116	Semiconductor Devices for Energy and Electronics	S	3
EE 153	Power Electronics	A	4
EE 157	Electric Motors for Renewable Energy, Robotics, and Electric Vehicles	S	3
ENERGY 104*	Sustainable Energy for 9 Billion	S	3
ENERGY 153*	Carbon Capture and Sequestration	A	4
ENERGY 191*	Optimization of Energy Systems	S	4
ENGR 50E	Introduction to Materials Science, Energy Emphasis (if not counted as an ENGR Fundamental)	Sum 20-21	4
MATSCI 144	Thermodynamic Evaluation of Green Energy Technologies	S	4
MATSCI 156	Solar Cells, Fuel Cells, & Batteries: Materials for the Energy Solution	W	4
OSPSANTG 29*	Sustainable Cities: Comparative Transportation Systems in Latin America	Sum	4-5
OSPSANTG 75*	Chilean Energy and Climate Policiest	Sum	4-5
CEE 263G	Energy Policy in California and the West	S	1

* Courses outside the School of Engineering do not count toward the 40-unit engineering minimum in Fundamentals and Depth categories but can count toward the 42-unit Depth total.

A/E 4-Year Plans and Program Sheets can be found under the Plans and Program Sheets tab; any plan from a year you are enrolled at Stanford as an undergraduate is allowed.

Suggested Course Concentrations and Sequences

Subject to the requirements outlined above, students have flexibility in selecting their depth electives and other courses to best suit their interests. If you would like to see two suggested programs outlined, one with an emphasis on energy studies and the other on atmospheric studies, go to the 4-Year Plans page and open the A/E plans. Either approach provides the necessary preparation for the master’s degree program in Atmosphere/Energy.

Instructions For Declaring Major in Engineering: Atmosphere/Energy (ENGR-BS)

Enter your major declaration for Atmosphere/Energy in Axess. Select ENGR-BS as your major and Atmosphere/Energy as your subplan.
Download your unofficial Stanford transcript from Axess.
Download and complete the Excel major Program Sheet
1. To open a new program sheet, start by chossing the academic year for the major you wish to use (Example: 19-20 or 20-21; must be from a year you are matriculated at SU)
2. When you've finished filling out the worksheet, click Save at the bottom of the page; you will be able to easily access and update the ePS whenever you wish. Print a copy.
Be sure and list all courses already taken and those you plan to take -- you will have the opportunity to revise this later, so please fill in as many courses as you can.
Contact Jill Filice to have an advisor assigned to you (you may request a specific advisor if you wish). Meet with the advisor and have him/her review and sign your program sheet.
Scan your transcript and completed program sheet to Jill Filice or bring to the CEE Student Services office, Room 316 of the Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment & Energy (Y2E2) Building. She can then approve your major declaration in Axess.
You are encouraged to meet with your advisor at least once a quarter to review your academic progress. Changes to your program sheet can be made by printing out a revised sheet, obtaining your A/E undergraduate adviser’s signature, and returning the approved sheet to the CEE Student Services Office. NOTE – It is very important to hand in to student services your up-to-date program sheet immediately after the add/drop deadline of the quarter you plan to graduate.

Other information:

Procedures for requesting transfer credits and program deviations are described in detail in at the beginning of Chapter 5: "Policies and Procedures." The relevant forms may be downloaded from the Petitions page. If you are requesting transfer credits or program deviations, you should bring your completed petition form with your transcript to the CEE Student Services office. Attach your program sheet on file in CEE.
Check with the CEE Student Services Office to make sure that you are on the CEE undergraduate student email list for important announcements about department events and activities.

You must use a program sheet from a year you have been enrolled at Stanford.