The professional master’s program in Resource and Energy Demand Analysis (REDA) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison prepares students for careers with utilities, consulting firms, regulatory agencies, and other organizations involved in conserving energy and protecting natural resources. They learn economic theory, survey methodology, econometrics, and statistics—everything they’ll need to evaluate energy efficiency and resource conservation programs.
Justin Margolies came to the REDA program to gain a marketable set of analytic skills.
“I was working in commercial sales for a solar company and realized I was interacting with other professionals who had this technical training and quantitative skillset,” Margolies explains. “I felt that I needed this degree to build a foundational knowledge of how this industry works—all of the language and the concepts. I also needed to set myself apart with a quantitative skillset that’s going to let me go into positions beyond just a sales role.”
Ready for the future
REDA is the first program of its kind, allowing students to interact with industry professionals and earn a master’s degree in under a year. The growth in energy and resource conservation initiatives has created a need for people who understand economic modeling, big data, and cutting-edge analytics.
REDA student Kathleen Ward now feels ready for her future, whatever it might bring.
“Whether I continue in energy consulting or I decide I want to go into policy or further research, REDA will have helped me.”
For more information of the professional master’s degree in Resource and Energy Demand Analysis, watch the video above or see here.