BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN ENERGY ENGINEERING
The Degree Program in Energy Engineering has been active since 2011/12 and was created from the synthesis of two existing Engineering programs: Electrical Engineering and Energy Engineering. Compared to similar initiatives undertaken at other universities, the decision made at the inception of the program, which continues to this day, was to combine expertise from disciplines historically connected to energy topics and to broaden perspectives towards civil applications of energy. Additionally, it includes related topics from the Information Engineering sectors.
Admission is open (with a self-assessment test) and the average number of enrolled students per year is about 120. Today, the Bachelor’s degree program has approximately 400 students and offers the support of 35 professors and 10 tutors. The average number of graduates with a Bachelor’s degree is about 55 students per year.
The topic of energy is always relevant, as it involves issues related to the availability and supply of resources, the generation and transformation of energy, as well as its transportation and distribution. The chain that leads from energy resources to end users is highly complex and constantly presents new pathways and problems to solve. The issue of energy is also closely linked to environmental sustainability, which involves both the problem of resources and the problem of emissions.
To best address these issues, in addition to a solid foundation in basic subjects, a strongly interdisciplinary education is necessary. This education should aim to provide scientific and technological knowledge in the following areas:
- Energy transformation processes;
- Energy generation devices;
- Plants and systems for energy management and distribution;
- Cogeneration of heat and power;
- Sustainable electric mobility;
- Energy storage;
- Smart Energy Systems.
An additional strength of the Degree Program is the strong interconnection between the teaching activities and the research activities conducted by the faculty within the DESTEC Department.
WHAT WE WILL STUDY
The main objective of the Degree Program in Energy Engineering is to provide an educational path focused on energy-related topics. The program is based on a methodological approach and an interdisciplinary vision, allowing for the adequate addressing of issues related to energy use and the specific scientific and technical implications of the “Energy” topic. Characteristic topics of the Degree Program include the utilization of energy resources, transformation processes and systems, power generation with both fossil fuels and renewable sources, the distribution and use of energy in various forms (e.g., electrical and thermal), and the rational and sustainable use of energy.
In the first year of the program, students primarily study basic scientific and technical subjects (mathematics, physics, chemistry, drawing, and technology).
In the second year, in addition to completing the study of basic subjects (particularly in the areas of mathematics and physics), students begin to explore core topics such as Technical Physics and Principles of Electrical Engineering. They also cover related subjects in industrial engineering, such as applied mechanics, structural mechanics, and control theory of systems.
In the third year, students delve deeper into the core disciplines of the Degree Program, both in the broad field of energy and in the main disciplinary areas characterizing Energy Engineering and Electrical Engineering.
The program is completed by two elective courses totaling 12 ECTS, which are dynamically offered by the Degree Program, and by the Final Examination worth 3 ECTS, allowing for independent in-depth study of energy-related topics.
In summary, the Bachelor’s degree in Energy Engineering, structured over 180 ECTS, provides the methodological foundation on which to build an educational path in the energy sector within the School of Engineering at the University of Pisa. This path can be completed with either the Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or the Master’s degree in Energy Engineering. Additionally, students who are interested in research can further their knowledge through the three-year PhD program in “Energy, Systems, Territory, and Construction Engineering.”
CAREER PROSPECTS
Job opportunities in the energy sector are continuously expanding for recent graduates who complete the full program. Just consider that, in 2019 alone, the sector employed approximately 11 million people (source: www.irena.org).
Typical fields include:
- Multinational corporations (Enel, Eni, etc.)
- Service companies and public administration (PA)
- Manufacturing industries and SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises)
- Large companies specializing in plant design and construction
- Professional studios, both industrial and civil
For those who continue with a Master’s degree, between 90% and 100% of graduates in Electrical Engineering and Energy Engineering find employment, with an average waiting time of about three months before entering the workforce.
