Specializing in Energy

Energy is integrated into the very fabric of our modern lives. Seriously, check the tags on any of your clothes. I bet that there is some sort of synthetic fabric which is derived from crude oil (acrylic, rayon, polyester, etc.). Besides synthetic fabric, petroleum derived products power our houses and the cars that we use to get back and forth from school, work and leisure activities. Oh, not to mention that the roads that we drive on are made of asphalt, which is also a petroleum product. Ok, I’m sure that you are catching my drift here.

Besides being essential to our lives, energy is also one of the fastest growing industries in America. The Freeman School is putting its students in the driver’s seat of the American energy renaissance by providing them with the know-how and skills that are essential to becoming a leader in the energy industry. Tulane MFINs are eligible to achieve an Energy Specialization which gives them a better understanding of the financial operations of energy firms. The specialization consists of three elective courses taken during the program. The classes cover a breadth of subjects related to the energy industry and class titles include: Energy Accounting, Energy Investment Banking, Energy Trading, Energy Modeling and Energy Portfolio Management. These courses not only deliver extensive knowledge for students who intend to pursue a career in the Oil and Gas sector, but also allow students to develop skills and knowledge that exist as part of the core curriculum. For instance, the skills I have learned in my Fixed Income and Derivatives class has helped me build a model that could accurately predict volatility curves and prices for natural gas and commodities derivatives in the Advanced Energy Trading course. You can see me feverishly scouring prices in the photo above as part of our trading simulation.

In addition to learning the language of the energy industry and where to look on an SEC filing for words such as: BOE, MCFE, PV-10 and proven reserves, the Energy Specialization grants you access to experienced professionals that have seen the industry evolve. I took Energy Trading and Fundamentals with John S. Foreman, who is the Oil and Gas Marketing Manager for PetroQuest Energy Inc. in Lafayette, Louisiana.  Prior to teaching our class every day, Professor Foreman would actually bring his company’s product to market and try to sell it at the highest possible price. I gained knowledge from Advanced Energy Trading with Parker P. Drew, a former Managing Director of Commodity Derivatives at J.P. Morgan and Seabron Adamson and who has also traded all types of products at a major commodities alternative investment fund.  This access to seasoned professionals gives aspiring analysts a chance to hear how they achieved professional success and apply it to their young careers. Furthermore, you will also have the opportunity to network with these professionals who can introduce you to potential employers or industry contacts.

The Freeman School’s Energy Specialization is ahead of the curve as America moves toward energy independence and potentially becoming the world’s top energy exporter. There is serious demand for the skills taught in the Energy Specialization.  Freeman students have a unique opportunity to obtain the experience necessary to become leading professionals in the Energy industry.

Tommy Milburn

Master of Finance Candidate, 2014