Bachelor of Sustainable Energy Engineering

Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEEN) is the first engineering program in BU. It is a five-year Bachelor program that has been developed by the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Technology, and Engineering, in collaboration with the Shukri Ibrahim Dabdoub Faculty of Business Administration, and in partnership with the Salesian Don Bosco Foundation in Bethlehem. This program is significant as it allows students to earn a degree in Sustainable Energy Engineering, opening up career opportunities in the field of renewable energy engineering, a crucial direction at the global level.

The students of this program will benefit from the program’s multidiscipline design, with courses, faculty, and supervisors drawn from our electrical/mechanical engineering, Physics, Math, and chemistry disciplines. They will also gain knowledge about the importance of sustainable energy and its primary sources, along with a thorough understanding of sustainable energy systems, their components, and the interaction between these components. This includes acquired knowledge in sustainable energy resources, various storage technologies, energy transfer and distribution, and smart grids. Through their journey in our program, the students will gain the necessary knowledge and skills to work with local and global industry.

The facilities of the former Salesian Industrial School in Bethlehem will be utilized to implement this educational project. In addition, the collaboration with the Faculty of Business Administration will help in providing advisory support to graduates who have ideas to transform them into real sustainable businesses. This in itself is a value-added since more job opportunities will be created in the country in the field of renewable energy which is highly needed as a strategic sector in Palestine.

Accreditation:

The department programs are accredited by the National Authority for Accreditation and Quality in Higher Education Institutions (AQAC), Ministry of Education, Palestine. There is also a plan to get our programs accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), a non-profit and leading organization that accredits engineering programs in the US and worldwide.

Program Educational Objectives:

The engineering department has defined a set of program educational objectives that translate its mission into defined tasks. The department programs provide broad foundations to achieve the following objectives:

Graduates will have a successful career in Sustainable Energy Engineering.
Graduates will advance to leading positions in their profession.
Graduates may pursue their professional development through self-learning and advanced degrees.
Graduates are able to start their own businesses in the field of renewable energy.

Program Scope of Knowledge:

Upon successful completion of the program, the student will:

Have knowledge of the importance of sustainable energy and its main resources.
Possess a good understanding of sustainable energy systems, their components, and interactions between these components. This includes sustainable energy resources and efficiency, energy storage, transfer, and distribution, in addition to smart grids.
Have knowledge of regulations and controls, and both “stand-alone” systems and large integrated distribution systems.
Possess a good understanding of national and international regulations and framework conditions for sustainable energy systems. This also includes different price models and actions.
Have a good knowledge in energy investment and finance.
Have specialized practical knowledge in the field of sustainable energy systems been achieved through work on term projects, graduation project, and through internships.
Have clear understanding of how knowledge in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer, and Economics can be integrated for the benefit of sustainable energy field.
Understand professional and ethical responsibilities in the energy engineering field.
Understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global economic, environmental, and societal context.
Acquire emerging knowledge of contemporary issues, including business and economic issues relevant to the field of renewable energy.

Learning Outcomes:

Be able to design efficient designs of a sustainable energy systems/power plants.
Be able to analyze how changes in functionality in a component will affect the other components of a system.
Be able to use laboratories and emulators of sustainable energy systems to analyze relevant issues.
Be able to identify, define, present, and communicate issues within the subject area.
Be able to conduct an independent development project under supervision and in accordance with current ethical standards in sustainable energy systems.
Design and conduct experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data.
Design a system or a process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.
Function on multi-disciplinary teams.
Communicate effectively with specialized audience and inexpert audience.
Be able to draft a basic business plan for a business in the field of renewable energy.

Career Skills and Job Opportunities:

A graduate of this major is expected to gain the following skills:

Designing and testing machinery of sustainable energy systems.
Developing ways for improving existing processes.
Converting, transferring, and supplying useful renewable energy to meet the local electricity needs.
Researching and developing ways to generate new energy aiming at reducing emissions from fossil fuels and minimizing environmental pollution.
Carry out research to improve the efficiency of a sustainable energy system.

The graduates of this major can work in a variety of fields and roles, including:

Sustainable energy engineer in Energy Authority, Electricity Companies, and sustainable energy companies. This includes any stream of sustainable energy such as solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, etc.
Sustainable energy consultant.
Clean energy policy officer or research analyst in governmental or private sector establishments.
Sustainable energy project manager.
Electrical engineer.
Research assistant in academic institutions in the field of sustainable energy.
The graduate can also establish his or her own business in the field of sustainable energy.
The graduate could also do his graduate studies whether inside or outside Palestine.