Educational Programs

An Energy Specialization has been developed for students in the Bachelor of Science in Management (BSM), Masters in Finance (MFIN), and Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs. Students in other disciplines may also select an Energy Specialization if they complete the necessary requirements.

Energy Specialization for BSM:

With the approval of the Energy Institute Faculty Committee and the BSM Curriculum Committee, a student in the Bachelor of Science in Management program may receive an Energy Specialization by completing at least nine semester credit hours of energy-related coursework. In addition to satisfying the course requirements, each student who receives the Energy Specialization must be approved by faculty affiliated with the Tulane Energy Institute. The Tulane Energy Institute Faculty Committee must review and approve any waivers or deviations from these requirements.

ENRG 410 Energy Markets, Economics, and Policy (formerly FINE 422 and FINE 220)
Students can complete the BSM Energy Specialization by completing two of the following four courses:
ENRG 420 Energy Fundamentals and Trading (formerly FINE 423)
FINE 414 Risk Management
FINE 416 Equity Analysis/Burkenroad Reports
FINE 416 may be used in the Energy Specialization: however, the student is also required to serve as a financial analyst for an energy company in the Burkenroad Reports portfolioof companies. Burkenroad Reports cover approximately 25 small- to mid-cap energy companies.
FINE 461 Darwin Fenner Student Managed Investment Program
FINE 461 may be used in the Energy Specialization; however, the student must focus on the energy sector. Participation in this course is by invitation only by the finance faculty and is based on academic performance.

Energy Specialization for Graduate Students:

ENRG 710 Energy Markets, Institutions, and Policy (3 credit hours)

Elective courses may include:

ENRG 720 Energy Fundamentals and Trading  (3 credit hours)
ENRG 730 Advanced Energy Trading and Finance (3 credit hours)
ENRG 740 Intro to Electricity Markets (1.5 credit hours)
FINE 743 Equity Analysis/Burkenroad Reports (2 credit hours) *
FINE 761 Darwin Fenner Student-Managed Fund (3 credit hours) +

* Must be assigned an energy company.
+ By invitation only.  Must be assigned to the energy sector.

Students should submit any requests for waivers or deviations from these requirements in writing, addressed to "Energy Institute Faculty," c/o Fran Wild at the Tulane Energy Institute, Mezzanine Level, Goldring/Woldenberg Hall II.

Energy Seminar and Speaker Series

Elective Courses

Trading Center and Energy Trading Courses

Burkenroad Reports Program (focus on energy companies)

Darwin Fenner Student-Managed Investment Fund Program (focus on energy sector)

Graduate and Undergraduate Fellows, Scholars, and Teaching and Research Assistants Program

Energy Industry Internship and Jobs Program

Energy Seminar and Speaker Series

The required energy seminar and speaker series covers a range of energy-related topics including major challenges and policy issues facing the industry, history and structure of the industry, company profiles and strategies, energy economics, energy law, energy markets, energy technology, and the environment and sustainable development.An executive speaker series is an integral component of the course. A student must complete a major special energy -related project and techincal report.The course is designed to satisfy the requirements of the honors thesis and the capstone course of the BSM program.top

Students may choose elective courses in Energy Trading, Energy Risk Management, Crude Oil Hedging, and Energy Options. In addition, students may elect to participate in the Burkenroad Reports or Darwin Fenner Student-Managed Investment Fund. Students are encouraged to participate in a number of other elective courses, including Real Options and Advanced Valuation, Corporate Risk Management, International Finance, Valuation and Financing Enterprises, Strategic Analysis in Finance, Corporate Governance and Restructuring, Project Management, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Management of Technology, and Global Strategy.top

The A.B. Freeman Trading Center is a $3 million dollar facility that acts as a hands-on laboratory for the teaching of energy, risk management, equities, and options.  The Trading Center replicates a real-world trading experience and functions as a classroom and a laboratory. The center facilitates experiential learning programs such as the Energy Trading, Burkenroad Reports, the Darwin Fenner Student Managed Fund, and features state-of-the-art hardware and software equipped with industry-leading simulation, trading and financial software from Thomson Reuters, Trading Technologies, Advantage Futures, and Oracle. top

Burkenroad Reports Program consists of more than 140 MBA and undergraduate business students that are divided into teams of three to four students each. Each team is assigned coverage of one public company. These students meet with top management, visit company sites, develop financial models, and publish extensive investment research reports on the companies they follow. In addition to conversations with management, analysts often utilize various publicly available sources of information in creating these reports, including: financial documents, internet, trade associations, competitors, customers and suppliers. Students receive extensive training in the field of equity analysis. In addition to readings, class material and company site visits each student participates in a full-day analyst workshop in the fall. Here alumni from the program return from Wall Street to lecture current students on "real life" applications and suggestions for securing positions in finance. A student using the Burkenroad Reports as part of the Energy Specialization is required to serve as a financial analyst for an energy company in the Burkenroad Reports portfolio of companies. The Burkenroad Reports program covers approximately twenty five small to mid-cap energy companies, the reports are distributed to more than 16,000 investors and analysts on Wall Street.top

This course combines academic study with actual investing. As part of the course, students manage a portfolio of stocks called the Darwin Fenner Student Managed Fund. State-of-the-art academic research papers and classic writings that significantly have influenced equity investing are studied. Through reading and discussing these papers, students develop a critical thinking process and proprietary investment models. Working in groups of three, students analyze all S&P 500 stocks in their assigned sector and give a buy or do not buy recommendation for each. Teams also evaluate the current portfolio holdings in their sector and make a sell or hold recommendation for each stock. The historical performance of the Darwin Fenner Student Managed Fund is evaluated against standard metrics used for portfolio managers. A student using the Darwin Fenner course as part of the Energy Specialization is required to focus on the energy sector. Enrollment is by invitation only.top

A small number of graduate and undergraduate students are chosen each year to be associated with and work in the Energy Institute as fellows, scholars, and teaching and research assistants. These students are expected to participate in the Energy Specialization and associated seminar and speaker series.top

The Institute's approach to education emphasizes a strong foundation in the core disciplines combined with professional development and experiential learning through research and teaching assistantships, hands-on trading courses, the Burkenroad Reports, Darwin Fenner Student-Managed Investment Fund, seminar and speaker series, and internships. The Institute partners with the Career Management Center to assist students in identifying potential internships and jobs with companies in the energy industry. One of the key roles of sponsoring companies is to assist by providing internships and jobs for qualified students.top