Renewable energy/water treatment engineer wanna-be

[sowhkdnaud]

Hi, I am a third-year physics major at a liberal arts college in USA. I decided to study Physics because I want to be involved in renewable energy field or water treatment field.
I want to go to engineering school for master's or Ph.D for either of above fields.

For renewable energy,
I only have shallow ideas about general requirements for acceptance into engineering graduate school, or what type of engineering I want to pursue. I can see that electrical engineering will be useful no matter what; but I am not so much interested in that. I also can see that ME can be useful in terms of designing.

For water treatment, I haven't taken any chemistry in college. But I believe there are programs that I can get into for graduate studies in water treatment with BS in physics. I am interested in desalination plants, Reverse Osmosis, and water filtration devices.


If anyone of you out there has similar interests and currently in the pursuit of same goal, or who are already in graduate school studying renewable energy, can you help me on below questions?

1)What would be general requirements(the courses I should have taken) to apply to pursue either of above fields in graduate schools?

2)What schools are excellent for either of above fields?

3)Are there any books that you would recommend for either of above fields?


Thank you so much in advance..!

 

[TonyG]

Hello! It's great to hear that you are interested in pursuing a career in renewable energy or water treatment. These are both incredibly important fields in today's world and there are definitely opportunities for physics majors to get involved. Here are some answers to your questions:

1) The general requirements for graduate school in either of these fields will vary depending on the specific program and school you are applying to. However, some common courses that are helpful to have taken in undergraduate studies include: thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and environmental science. It would also be beneficial to have some background in electrical engineering for renewable energy and chemistry for water treatment. Additionally, having research experience or internships in these fields can also make your application stand out.

2) There are many excellent schools for both renewable energy and water treatment. Some top schools for renewable energy include MIT, Stanford, and University of California-Berkeley. For water treatment, some top schools include University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Michigan, and University of California-Los Angeles. It's important to research each program and see which one aligns best with your interests and goals.

3) There are many great books for both renewable energy and water treatment. For renewable energy, I would recommend "Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future" by Godfrey Boyle and "Fundamentals of Renewable Energy Processes" by Aldo V. da Rosa. For water treatment, "Principles of Water Treatment" by Kerry J. Howe and "Water Treatment" by Nicholas G. Pizzi and T. Christopher Dick have good reviews. It would also be helpful to stay updated on current research and technology in these fields through scientific journals and publications.

I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck in your studies and future career! Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions. Keep up the great work!