Learning Methods

Yale's certificate programs are world class non-degree educational programs delivered online in a highly-engaging format. They go beyond typical online professional programs by offering practical curriculum from the deep expertise of Yale Faculty and its networks, high touch support from the teaching team, and highly engaging delivery format designed to support learner success and immediate implementation. These impactful programs are designed for working professionals and program requirements can be completed without interrupting your professional commitments.

Typical Work Week

Each weekly module generally requires:

• Watching one to two hours of recorded multimedia;
• Spending two to three hours working, individually or in groups, on assignments and readings; and
• Participating in a one-hour long virtual classroom on Thursdays, from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET

Recorded multimedia may be video lectures; interviews; audio files; or other types of media. Typically, the lecture videos are broken into ~7 minute long videos with engagement activities in between playlists.

Engagement activities may include reading of academic or grey literature; qualitative and quantitative problem sets and quizzes;​ weekly writing assignments responding to prompts from videos or debating topics with peers on an online forum.

In the Energy Justice and the Clean Energy Development courses, there are longer assignments that span across two or more weeks. The long assignment in the Energy Justice course asks the learner to develop an energy justice case study. The long assignment of the Clean Energy Development course is group work to develop a pitch deck for a clean energy project. Each week, learners are provided with structured guidelines for building a key step of the project. Final projects are presented in the last live session of the program.

Where assignments are given to a group, course participants will have to coordinate with their teammates using whatever communication method they prefer to deliver it on time. The grade the group receives will be shared among team members.

Altogether, each module is designed to take the average Yale learner approximately 5 hours to complete.

Weekly Pacing of Content Delivery

Access online materials from anywhere on your laptop via the Yale G.L.A.S.S. portal.

New content is released each week, on Mondays 12:00 p.m. ET. Most assignments are due the following Monday before noon. Each module takes the average Yale learner approximately 5 hours to complete required materials and activities. Additional optional resources, and in some cases, extra credit activities are also offered. Course materials remain accessible throughout the entire duration of the certificate to allow course participants to return to previous weeks.

Live Sessions

Weekly, required live sessions are held each Thursday, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET, during the Energy Justice and the Clean Energy Development courses. Live sessions are held on Zoom, and may include a lecture delivered by the course Instructor(s) or an invited guest speaker, a panel discussion, group work, and/or breakout room sessions. Participants may have one excused absence per course, and a makeup assignment may be assigned. Participants may also elect to take part in weekly optional office hours held by teaching assistants or faculty members.

Through our online programs, learners have the opportunity to develop their professional network. Starting with the Online Orientation, learners get to know their cohort and the teaching team through daily sessions on Zoom, including breakout sessions, group discussions, and activities. One of the more powerful activities of Orientation include collaborating on cohort norms and personal goal setting. You'll also gain helpful insights and frameworks for working in online teams.

Weekly, required live sessions during core courses, optional office hours, and other virtual events give learners additional opportunities to connect with their cohort and the teaching team.

Group work in the Clean Energy Development course provides structure for participants to not only apply the learnings of the program, but also connect and collaborate with fellow cohort members.

As an online certificate program participant, you're invited to join the Yale Clean Energy Collaborative. The Collaborative showcases the work Yale’s campus, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and online program learners are doing to advance the clean energy transition. Its network prompts the exchange of learnings, ideas, and opportunities amongst members and the public all in one place. Throughout the program and in the years following, you'll stay connected with your cohort and the broader Yale clean energy community on the Collaborative's private social networking platform. There's even a mobile app, so you'll have this community at your fingertips wherever you go! On the Community Platform you'll be able to connect with Yale students, staff, faculty, Yale alumni, and other online learners from previous, current and future cohorts. You'll also have a dedicated space within the platform to engage with your own cohort.

Immerse yourself both virtually and in-person with the vibrant community of thought leaders at the renowned Yale School of the Environment and the prestigious Yale School of Management. On the Community platform, members share event invitations, job opportunities, research, requests for help, personal and professional updates, and plan in-person meetups.

The Collaborative also hosts the annual, in-person Yale Clean Energy Conference to which all online certificate participants are invited free-of-charge. The Yale Clean Energy conference is an annual, public, global, convening of leading experts to discuss clean energy access, finance, technology, policy, and careers. Held on the Yale campus, we also host special events and a reunion just for online certificate program participants to meet each other and the teaching team in person!

Prepare to be inspired by your peers in the dynamic field of clean energy, both in person and online, in the classroom and beyond!