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Energy Management Landman Program

Energy Management

Bachelor of Arts

Degree Type

Minor, Emphasis

Department

School of Business

Understanding the business practices and scientific principles of energy management will open doors to a variety of in-demand careers in energy production, oil and gas, energy trading and sustainability.

Program Overview

Energy Management program

Become a leader in the business of energy management.

If you want to help businesses become more energy efficient as a sustainability consultant, or represent oil and gas companies as a landman, you need an education in energy management. Accredited by the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL), the Energy Management program provides a comprehensive understanding about the business of energy and mineral exploration. Students also learn land and resource management principles from the perspective of business administration, economics, geology and environmental studies. The program includes a focus on the disciplines of renewable, oil and gas, and mineral management. It also covers Native American, federal, state and private real estate management; as well as surface, water and environmental land management.

As an Energy Management student, you gain automatic access to the Western Energy Management Student Association. Being a member of this organization allows you to meet potential employers at networking events and industry conferences. For hands-on experience, students have opportunities to travel abroad and install renewable forms of energy in locations lacking energy infrastructure. You also explore mines and oil and gas production sites on field trips throughout the year. Throughout your time in the program, we provide one-on-one mentoring and preparation for internships and job placements to ensure your success beyond Western.

Experience in the field

Energy Management students tour WPX Energy operations near Parachute.

Program Requirements

At Western, course rotations are crafted to encompass a variety of subject fields for a comprehensive education and versatile degree. For required courses and degree plans, visit the official University Catalog. Below is a general overview of courses at Western Colorado University related to this area of study.

Program Requirements

Admission to the program: All students wishing to major in the Energy Management (EM) emphasis in Business Administration must be formally admitted to the program. Students who have already completed a BA/BS in Business or Accounting will be considered to have completed most of the Energy Management Base Curriculum and Energy Management Nucleus upon admission to the program.

A minimum of 74 credits is required, including the 21-credit Energy Management Base Curriculum, the 21-credit Energy Management Nucleus, and the 31-credit Energy Management Emphasis and Capstone: 

Course List
Code Title Credits
Energy Management Base Curriculum
ACC 201Introduction to Financial Accounting3
ACC 202Introduction to Managerial Accounting3
BUAD 220Spreadsheets and Analysis3
ECON 201Macroeconomics (GT-SS1)3
ECON 202Microeconomics3
Select one of the following:3
ECON 216
Statistics for Business and Economics
MATH 213
Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1)
Select one of the following:3
MATH 141
Precalculus (GT-MA1)
MATH 151
Calculus I (GT-MA1)
Total Credits21
Course List
Code Title Credits
Energy Management Nucleus
BUAD 185Business Communication3
BUAD 210Legal Environment of Business3
BUAD 240Strategic Negotiations3
BUAD 270Principles of Marketing3
BUAD 302Energy Management Professional Development3
BUAD 360Managerial Finance3
Select at least one of the following:3
BUAD 333
Organizational Behavior
BUAD 350
Human Resource Management
Total Credits21

And the following emphasis courses:   

Course List
Code Title Credits
Energy Management Emphasis
BUAD 305Applied Energy Seminar3
BUAD 320Property and Contracts3
BUAD 323Evolution of the Energy Economy3
BUAD 420Energy Law and Regulation3
BUAD 421Energy Contracts3
BUAD 495Prospect Economics and Evaluation3
ECON 370Natural Resource Economics3
GEOL 103Earth and Energy Systems3
GEOL 105Physical Geology Laboratory (GT-SC1)1
Two of the following:6
BUAD 311
Business Analytics
BUAD 325
Management Information Systems
BUAD 342
Environmental Law
BUAD 363
Business and the Environment
BUAD 370
Exploration Production Processes
BUAD 410
Water Law
ENVS 301
Science of Sustainability and Resilience
ENVS 350
U.S. and Western Environmental Politics
ENVS 360
Global Environmental Policy
ENVS 373
The Water Planet
GEOG 340
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Total Credits31

Capstone Course Requirement

The following courses in the Business Administration Major fulfill the capstone course requirement: BUAD 495 Prospect Economics and Evaluation .

Graduation Requirements

Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 120 semester credits for graduation.  Of those 120 credits, 40 credits must be in upper-division courses (those marked 300 and above).  Fifteen of these 40 upper-division credits must be earned in courses that are part of the standard or comprehensive major program being pursued. 

Students are expected to review all graduation requirements, which can be found in the Western Undergraduate Catalog: Graduation Requirements

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredits
ENG 102 Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) 3
Gen Ed General Education (Area I) 3
GEOL 103 Earth and Energy Systems 3
GEOL 105 Physical Geology Laboratory (GT-SC1) 1
HWTR 100 First Year Seminar 1
MATH 141
or MATH 151
Precalculus (GT-MA1)
or Calculus I (GT-MA1)
4
 Credits15
Spring
ACC 201 Introduction to Financial Accounting 3
ECON 201 Macroeconomics (GT-SS1) 3
ENG 103 Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) 3
Gen Ed Natural Sciences w/lab 4
Gen Ed Area III 3
 Credits16
Year Two
Fall
ACC 202 Introduction to Managerial Accounting 3
BUAD 210 Legal Environment of Business 3
BUAD 302 Energy Management Professional Development 3
BUAD 305 Applied Energy Seminar 3
Gen Ed Area I 3
 Credits15
Spring
BUAD 220 Spreadsheets and Analysis 3
BUAD 270 Principles of Marketing 3
ECON 202 Microeconomics 3
ECON 216
or MATH 213
Statistics for Business and Economics
or Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1)
3
Gen Ed Area I 3
 Credits15
Year Three
Fall
BUAD 185 Business Communication 3
BUAD 320 Property and Contracts 3
BUAD 323 Evolution of the Energy Economy 3
Elective Elective or minor course 3
Gen Ed General Education (Area III) 3
 Credits15
Spring
BUAD 240 Strategic Negotiations 3
BUAD 421 Energy Contracts 3
Gen Ed General Education (Area III) 3
Elective Elective or minor course 3
EM Elective EM Elective course 3
 Credits15
Summer
BUAD 499 Internship in Business Administration (optional, but strongly recommended) 3
 Credits3
Year Four
Fall
BUAD 360 Managerial Finance 3
Elective Elective course 9
EM Elective EM Elective course 3
 Credits15
Spring
BUAD 333
or BUAD 350
Organizational Behavior
or Human Resource Management
3
BUAD 420 Energy Law and Regulation 3
BUAD 495 Prospect Economics and Evaluation 3
Elective Elective 6
 Credits15
 Total Credits124


 

Spotlight

Energy Management

Austin Ekeler

Alumni

“Cannot say enough about my time at Western. Mountaineer for life.”

Energy Management

Steven D’Epagnier

Student

“I was getting recruited by multiple schools to play football, and my big thing was I wanted to get a job when I graduated. I didn’t want to go just to play football. ... [Energy Management] is a great program that will get you a job when you graduate. That for me was the really exciting part.”

Energy Management

Ilona Hoang

Student

“This program grows future leaders. All of the skills we learn here, such as project management, communication, business negotiations, problem solving and critical thinking, are going to be transferable into any field.”

Energy Management

Evan Leathers

Student

“I found that a landman wears a variety of hats, whether he’s working in a corporate office, a courthouse or in the field working with land owners. Being a landman means that you’re doing something different every day.”

Energy Management

Cole Chapman

Student

“Last summer I was able to have an internship in downtown Denver with an energy company. That gave me a really good perspective on the industry, what they’re doing, how they’re doing it and where we can make some beneficial changes.”

Careers

Take the first steps toward your dream career.

Career preparation is the primary focus of every academic program at Western. Our professors and Office of Career Services will help you identify your strengths, hone your skills, define your goals, and prepare for a fulfilling role in hundreds of professional fields after graduation.

Ready to apply or learn more about Western today?

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Find Your Career

The data is automatically collected by Lightcast, a firm that sources job market data. The statistics illustrate general trends in U.S. careers, but do not precisely represent every job and salary.

Scholarships

Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.

Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.

Find your scholarships!

Eligibility

  • Full-time students who have been accepted into the Energy Management program
  • Must have a minimum GPA of 3.0
  • Financial need will be considered

Description

This scholarship is provided by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc.

Award depends on funds available.

Selected by: Chair(s) of the Energy Management program.

Application:

Contact Veronica Wilde, External Communications for Energy Management for scholarship applications and deadline information

970.901.2685 | Hurst Hall 106

Eligibility

  • Full-time students that have been accepted to the Engery Management Program
  • Demonstrate financial need

Description

This scholarship is provided by Various Energy Management associated companies.

Award depends on funds available

Selected by: Energy Management Leadership

Application

Contact Veronica Wilde, External Communications for Energy Management for scholarship applications and deadline information

970.901.2685 | Hurst Hall 106

Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.

Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.

Find your scholarships!

Alumni Association Future Alumni Scholarship

The Alumni Association Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $1,000 and is applicable for the student’s junior or senior year at Western.

Any child or grandchild of an alumni is eligible to receive the Future Alumni Scholarship.

  • This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $1,000.
  • Only one Future Alumni Scholarship will be awarded per academic year.
  • GPA must be 3.2 or above (college).

Due date has been extended to April 1 for 2023. An Alumni selection committee, appointed by the Alumni Advisory Council, will review applicants and select awardee by June 1.

Apply

Alumni Legacy Scholarship

The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western (incoming freshman or new transfer students are eligible).

Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:

  • This is a one-time scholarship of $1,000.
  • Nominee must be an incoming first-year student or new transfer.
  • The cost of orientation is reduced by half (a $45 value).
  • The admission application fee is waived (a $30 value).
  • GPA must be 2.5 or above (high school or college of transfer).

The applicant must fill out the application form found below. Application forms are accepted year-round. If the applicant meets the GPA guidelines, the scholarship will be awarded.

Apply

Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship

The Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western. This scholarship is not available to midyear transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.

Are you an alumni or employee of Western and know a prospective (or incoming) student who would be a great fit at Western? A recommendation from alumni and employees can support any new student and provide them a $500 scholarship their first year. (Western employees may not recommend a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits).

  • Any Western alumni/employee may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship (distributed $250 per semester).
  • The scholarship is good for the first year only and is non-renewable.
  • The recommended student must be a full-time undergraduate student, attending Western for the first time.

The applicant must fill out the application form found here. The nominating alumni/employee must fill out the application form and submit the required documents by June 1. The recommended student must meet university admissions acceptance standards and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The Presidential Promise is guaranteed to students who have received a scholarship through the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) and/or GearUp—and are eligible for a Pell Grant.

For students who meet these criteria, Western will cover the cost of tuition and fees through the combination of federal, state and institutional aid. For more information on the Presidential Promise, visit our scholarships page.

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) tuition represents a substantial savings relative to normal, out-of-state tuition. Students eligible for the WUE or CP program will be charged 150% of Western’s total in-state tuition. For 2018-19, total in-state tuition was $8,934. WUE/CP tuition was $13,401. The WUE/CP discount is valued at $4,695.

For more information about the WUE and CP geography-based programs, visit Western’s Tuition Discount Programs Page.

Immediately upon acceptance at Western, every student is considered for a merit scholarship worth between $2,500-$4,500 per year for in-state students and $8,000-$10,000 for out-of-state students. The amount is based on the student’s GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Visit our Net Price Calculator at western.edu/cost to determine whether you qualify for a merit scholarship.

For more information about merit scholarships at Western, visit our scholarships page.

Get Involved

Energy Management

Make your education a life changing experience.

A college education is so much more than just taking classes. Expand your community and network, while gaining hands-on experience in your field.

  • Program Specific Career Fairs: Throughout the academic year, companies in the Energy Industry are brought to campus to interview and network with students.
  • Networking Events: students get the opportunity to participate in program funded trips to Houston and Denver to interact with industry professionals.
  • Internships: Students have found internships with more than 50 companies across the United States with hourly wages averaging $25 or more

Career opportunities

Representatives of Conoco Phillips visit Western to network and recruit Energy Management students.

News & Research

A man installs a lightbulb in a classroom ceiling

Energy Management Students Help Light Up The World

Read More about Energy Management Students Help Light Up The World
Western Earns Accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission

Western Earns Accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission

Read More about Western Earns Accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission
Western campus view from the sky

Western Student Wins Outstanding Graduate Award

Read More about Western Student Wins Outstanding Graduate Award
colleges for business degrees

Colleges for Business Degrees: Benefits of a BA from Western

Read More about Colleges for Business Degrees: Benefits of a BA from Western
best college business major

Best Colleges for Business Majors: Opportunities for Business Majors

Read More about Best Colleges for Business Majors: Opportunities for Business Majors
students in front of business building

Western Student Wins AAPL’s Outstanding Graduate Award

Read More about Western Student Wins AAPL’s Outstanding Graduate Award
Western and Mines Form Partnership to Launch Master’s Success

Western and Mines Form Partnership to Launch Master’s Success

Read More about Western and Mines Form Partnership to Launch Master’s Success
energy excellence scholarship

Western Students Awarded Scholarships for Energy Excellence

Read More about Western Students Awarded Scholarships for Energy Excellence

Additional Resources

Energy Management Advisory Board

A Few Words From our Advisory Board Inspiring, challenging, rewarding, fulfilling, dynamic and exciting. Such words capture the essence of one of the most successful programs at Western – the Energy …

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Energy Management Minor

The Energy Management Minor is a great fit for any student interested in Business courses focused on energy development, natural resources, and land management. Adding a minor in Energy Management …

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Internships & Employment

Internships & Employment Energy Management graduates have been employed by more than 50 companies throughout the U.S. We would like to acknowledge the companies who have hired Western’s …

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Program Benefactors

Program Benefactors Special thanks to the generous donors who continually give to Western’s Energy Management program. Anadarko Petroleum BJ Beal Bonanza Creek Oil Cabot Oil & Gas Carrizo …

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What is Energy Management?

What is Energy Management? Our employed Energy Management graduates work in a variety of areas within the energy industry, ranging anywhere from oil and gas, to renewable energy. What do landmen do? …

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PDC Energy Weekend

Taking place from March 31-April 2, 2023, PDC Energy Weekend is an activity-filled weekend on campus for high school seniors intended to provide a taste of Western’s Energy Management program.

Learn More

Energy Management Golf Tournament

The Western Energy Management Golf Tournament Fundraiser commemorates decades of concerted efforts towards promoting energy education and facilitating career opportunities in the energy sector.

Learn More

Department Information

School of Business

Associate Dean

Paula Mann, CPA

Associate Dean of the School of Business, Assistant Professor of Accounting

Contact Information

970.943.2231

Campus Location

Western Colorado University
Borick Business Building 223
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231

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