University of Regina to launch new Energy Systems Engineering Program in Fall 2023

Students can choose to study Petroleum Engineering, Sustainable Energy Engineering, or Energy Transportation and Storage

Starting in the fall of 2023, students will have the option of applying and enrolling into the newly created Energy Systems Engineering Program (ERSE) in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. This dynamic and innovative program gives students the choice of three different areas of study: Petroleum Engineering, Sustainable Energy Engineering, and Energy Transportation and Storage.

“The energy landscape in not only this province, but nationally and even globally, is rapidly changing and as a faculty we need to be proactive in our programming to ensure our students have the skills and training they need to be successful in this increasingly demanding field,” said Dr. Phillip Choi, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. “No university in Canada offers an energy-related curriculum as comprehensive as the Energy Systems Engineering program.”

The ERSE program will offer a Bachelor of Applied Science in Energy Systems Engineering degree in the student’s choice of program. Undergraduate admission to the current Petroleum Systems Engineering (PSE) program is suspended, but current PSE students will be able to continue in the program through to graduation. The PSE Program at the graduate level will remain available to Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. In the 2023 fall semester, admission to the Energy Systems Engineering program will be open to second-year undergraduate students.

“We are very excited and proud to take the lead in educating a new shape of engineers who will contribute to the energy industry’s seamless transition into a new era of renewable resources,” said Dr. Na (Jenna) Jia, Petroleum Systems Engineering program chair. “Our graduates will play a significant role in achieving netzero emissions while eliminating the energy gap in the path of reducing the traditional use of fossil fuels. The new program helps our students respond quickly and flexibly to the fluctuating energy industry with a comprehensive understanding of the energy resources that energy companies will demand.”

Students pursuing the Petroleum Engineering option will learn about the responsible extraction of underground oil and gas presently dominating the energy sector. Students in the Sustainable Energy Engineering option will be introduced to the technologies that support climate action through the development of renewable energy resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and nuclear energy. The Energy Transportation and Storage option will help students develop knowledge in energy distribution, conversion, as well as the storage systems essential for sustaining the increasing energy demands. All three options will produce careerready grads prepared to take on the transition into the future market of energy.

“I congratulate the U of R for this bold and forward-thinking decision – one which still acknowledges the importance of oil and gas in the energy mix of the future, but offers a transformative view of energy for students, one based on economic need and climate change mitigation that requires sustainable energy,” said Ranjith (Ran) Narayanasamy (MENG’05 and MBA’11), president and CEO of the Petroleum Technology Research Centre. “This program and its students will help shape the energy economy of Saskatchewan.”

The U of R is committed to climate action through education and research initiatives, as well as ecological and economic sustainability through responsible stewardship of the land and resources. Through the implementation of the Energy Systems Engineering Program, students are poised to become leaders in creating a better tomorrow for future generations.

For more information about the program, contact Na (Jenna) Jia, Energy Systems Engineering, Program Chair, at na.jia@uregina.ca or 306-337-3287. v