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Pacific Northwest College of Art

Utilities Management Certificate Program

Take on advanced leadership roles in the electric and natural gas utilities industry. Our program has helped hundreds of professionals guide their organizations through changes in the industry.

Program Snapshot

Degree Type

Executive Development Program

Campus

Portland Center

A student using a table near a backpack in a room of other students

Earn a Utility Management Certificate

Energy utilities must continue to deliver services at affordable rates while also handling increased electricity rates and reducing emissions of greenhouse gasses. Our 10-day training program helps bolster leadership and problem-solving abilities to help your organization tackle complex problems.

Why pursue a utilities management certificate at Willamette?

  • Learn to manage constant change. Utility companies have to manage a variety of interests at once. Learn how to handle changing and competing needs.
  • Strong curriculum taught by experts. Our instructors know the industry and will cover a variety of topics that are essential to the energy industry.
  • Connect with peers. Collaborate with other professionals in the industry. Work together to discuss problems and grow your skills.

Request Information

Curriculum

In addition to classroom instruction, discussions, and exercises, students will work together in small teams throughout the program. Each team will assess a key planning topic and deliver a final presentation that simulates interaction with decision makers. Our curriculum will address multiple topics such as, but not limited to:

  • Navigating the energy transition
  • Effective presentations to decision-makers and stakeholders
  • Resource adequacy and energy markets
  • Electric utilities industry strategy: thinking, planning, and implementing
  • Utility oversight, governance, and decision-making
  • Utility rate development and implementation
  • Electric utility finances
  • Negotiations and stakeholder engagement
  • Mock utility Commission/Board hearing on policy implementation
  • Leadership and change-management
  • Final project presentation

Our Certificate Stands Out

Program Outcomes

Our program achieves three outcomes:

  • Develop a well-rounded knowledge of electric utilities system functions, operations, and processes
  • Promote a shared understanding of the electric industry and important issues
  • Provide insights and skills that enable participants to effectively manage ongoing changes
Three students looking up in a brick classroom

Meet Our Utility Management Instructors

Classes will be conducted by top-level instructors who are subject matter experts with experience in their fields. From industry-leading practitioners to professional trainers, each instructor has recognized expertise in their given topic. Guest speakers will also engage with the class on topics of interest.

Program Details

Since 2005, the Utilities Management Certificate Program has helped hundreds of professionals in the energy utilities industry develop knowledge, skills, and insights they can apply in leadership roles at their organizations. The program has been crafted to help prepare current and future leaders to guide their organizations through the challenges of the energy transition. The 10-day intensive program is built on 3 essential objectives:

  1. Interactive training in specific skills
  2. Knowledge-building on key utility industry topics
  3. Opportunities to apply new learnings in individual and team exercises

  • Grading

    Students will be expected to attend all scheduled classes of the program. In addition to graded assignments, a final team project and course evaluations will all contribute to the pass/fail grading system. Students who successfully complete the entirety of the program courses will receive a Utility Management Certificate completion.

  • Dates

    The UMC program is a hybrid program that offers a mix of both in-person and virtual classes. The schedule for the in-person classes at the Ecotrust Building in Portland, OR, has been optimized to accommodate travel. There are no classes held on Monday mornings (11:30 am start), and there is early dismissal (3:00 pm end) on Fridays. For 2025, the dates are as follows:

    • Week 1 (in person): Sep. 15-19
    • Week 2 (remote): Sep. 25 & 26 (half days)
    • Week 3 (remote): Oct. 1 & Oct. 2 (half days)
    • Week 4 (in person): Oct. 6-10

  • Tuition

    Tuition for the 2025 program is $6,275 per person. There is a discount available for organizations sending several employees. The tuition includes registration fees, course materials, meals (breakfast and lunch), and daily snacks.

Apply

To apply, complete the online registration form. Once our program manager has approved your application, we will generate a payment invoice. Your seat is not confirmed until payment is received. Please contact us if you need payment arrangements.

The 2025 registration link is coming soon. Please email utility-mgmt@willamette.edu to inquire about registration details.

Students in class listening to professor.

FAQs

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