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Established in 1983 with grant assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Minority Economic Impact, the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program (CDEP) is designed to increase the number of minorities and women working in private and governmental sectors of the energy industry. For this purpose, the program focuses on the recruitment of academically talented minorities and females. This goal is accomplished through:

• Scholarships
• Student internships and co-op assignments
• Energy Career Day and job placement opportunities
• Industry and governmental agencies’ participation  
• Field trips
• Partnerships with other universities
• Energy-based curricula

To further the goals of the program in 1992, Fort Valley State University established energy related 3+2 dual degree STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) programs in Mathematics and Engineering or Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Health Physics with the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) and in Mathematics or Chemistry and Geosciences with the University of Oklahoma (OU). In 2000, Fort Valley State University also established a dual degree program in Mathematics and Engineering with Georgia Institute of Technology (GT); dual degree programs in Mathematics and Petroleum Engineering and in Mathematics or Chemistry and the Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin (UT) were established in 2004. In 2005, dual degree programs were established with Pennsylvania State University (PSU) in Mathematics and Petroleum Engineering and in Chemistry or Mathematics and the Geosciences. In 2010, dual degree programs were established with the University of Arkansas (UARK) Mathematics and Engineering and in Mathematics or Chemistry and the Geosciences.

The dual degree programs operate in the following format: Students enroll at FVSU for three years and major in Mathematics, then transfer to UNLV, GT, or UARK the last two years where they major in Engineering. Graduating students receive a B.S. degree in Mathematics from FVSU and a B.S. degree in an Engineering discipline from UNLV, GT or UARK. The Mathematics or Chemistry/Geosciences dual-degree program works similarly. Students enroll at FVSU for three years and major in Mathematics or Chemistry; then they transfer to PSU, UARK, UNLV or UT for years four and five and major in Geology or Geophysics. Graduating students receive a B.S. degree in Mathematics or Chemistry from FVSU and a B.S. degree in Geology or Geophysics from PSU, UARK, UNLV or UT. Because of these CDEP initiatives, Fort Valley State University has the distinction of being the only institution of higher education in the nation that has developed a dedicated pipeline for preparing minorities and women for STEM careers in the energy industry.

The Cooperative Development Energy Program Dual-Degree Scholarships

The Cooperative Development Energy Program of Fort Valley State University, in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology, Pennsylvania State University, University of Arkansas,  University of Nevada at Las Vegas, and the University of Texas-Austin, provides five-year full scholarships for students who qualify and pursue dual degrees in the following disciplines: Mathematics and Engineering (Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or Petroleum Engineering); or in Biology and Health Physics; or Chemistry and Health Physics; or Mathematics and Health Physics; or Chemistry and Geology; or Mathematics and Geophysics. Students must attend Fort Valley State University for the first three years and major in either Biology, Chemistry, or Mathematics. During years four and five, students must attend GT, PSU, UARK, UNLV, or UT to earn respective Bachelor degrees in Engineering, Geology, Geophysics, or Health Physics. Students also earn Bachelor degrees in either Biology, Chemistry, or Mathematics from Fort Valley State University. CDEP Scholarships are academically competitive. To meet minimum qualifications for a CDEP scholarship, each student must have a SAT score of 1170 or above for the combined sections in Critical Reading and Math (minimum of 570 in Math section) or 26 on the ACT with a high school GPA of “B” or above. Because certain stipulations must be met, scholarships are contractual. Students are also eligible to compete for high paying internships with partnering companies, governmental agencies, and universities.

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