Anastasia Scherbakova

Dr. Anastasia Shcherbakova

The Naveen Jindal School of Management at UT Dallas will begin offering a master's program in energy management that is designed to create economic leaders in the oil, gas, wind and renewable energy business.

Dr. Anastasia Shcherbakova will serve as the program director.

“The Jindal School has built a program focused on the finance and managerial aspects of the energy industry in order to give students the ability to evaluate economics of energy projects, to finance them, to create strong strategies for the industry,” Shcherbakova said.

According to Shcherbakova, geography presents both a clear advantage and compelling reason for offering the new degree.

“We’re a school in Texas, which is the heart of oil and gas. Wind energy, too, will be a focus because Texas has the highest wind capacity in the country. Conventional sources, renewable sources and the power industry are top areas for learning,” she said.

Offered by the Jindal School’s Finance and Managerial Economics area, the program’s core courses will cover energy economics, finance, law and technology.

“But electives will allow students to tailor the curriculum to their own needs in such fields as energy logistics or energy analytics,” Shcherbakova said.

The program has been shaped partly by advisory members from industry. Companies represented run the gamut — from Merit Energy to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

At UT Dallas, we are a conduit for information-sharing in disciplines. In this case, it’s the energy industry, and we conceive it as having fairly broad opportunities.

Dr. Robert Kieschnick,
coordinator of the Finance and Managerial Economics area

“As we go forward, we will continue to consult with advisory board members and adjust the curriculum to reflect the needs of the industry, which will help students remain competitive in the job market,” Shcherbakova said.

Bottom line, Shcherbakova expects the degree to translate into job opportunities.

“Graduates could potentially work in managerial roles within energy companies or at banks that trade energy commodities or in energy-consulting companies,” she said.

The degree also will be valuable for companies that are large energy consumers, Shcherbakova said.

“Think about the energy needed to power airplanes, warehouses and stores. These companies look for hedging and other price-risk management strategies,” she said.

Dr. Robert Kieschnick, coordinator of the Finance and Managerial Economics area, is enthusiastic about the program’s vision.

“This can evolve into something that serves several sectors and brings people together,” Kieschnick said. “At UT Dallas, we are a conduit for information-sharing in disciplines. In this case, it’s the energy industry, and we conceive it as having fairly broad opportunities.”

This story was reported and written by freelance contributor Eric Butterman.