OU's energy management program has grown from three students in 1997 to nearly 100 in 2001.

Students who graduate from the program have completed two to three internships and have starting salaries ranging from $50,000 to $65,000, said Ted Jacobs, energy management director.

Energy management senior Michelle Terry, who will graduate in May 2002, will complete a fourth internship this summer at Marathon Oil Co.

She will earn about $12,000 for the three months she works.

"I owe a lot of my success to Ted Jacobs," Terry said.

"Without him recruiting the companies to come to the OU campus to interview energy management students, finding jobs and internships would be a lot more difficult."

Fabian Bachtiar, energy management senior, will graduate in May.

He has already accepted a job in Dallas working for Aurora Natural Gas.

He will earn $49,000 in his first year, plus bonuses.

Bachtiar, who has interned for Devon Energy and Arco, said he hopes to be making between $80,000 and $100,000 within three years.

Students in the energy management program take a mix of finance, geosciences and law classes. Graduates will be prepared to enter the industry in the area of production and exploration or energy trading, Jacobs said.

Jacobs said this kind of graduate does not exist any other place in the world.

"It is the energy management program that is bringing such companies as Duke Energy and Enron to OU to specifically recruit this graduate and while they're here, they look at our other graduates," Jacobs said.

Duke Energy became aware of the program last year after energy management senior Jeremy McKee interned for the company. Duke has offered McKee a full-time position.

One opportunity provided to the energy management students is that they get to take second- and third-year law school classes for undergraduate prices, McKee said. He also said they go to free seminars and network with top executives.

"This program has put me 10 steps ahead of other college graduates," McKee said.

"The energy management program offers opportunities not available to other students and that is reflected in our starting salaries."
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