George Behnam
Palestine

"Upon finishing the program, I was prepared to build a career based on the skills I had acquired, primarily focusing on the design and installation of small PV panel projects for residential and commercial use."

George Behnam is a civil engineer. He participated in the online MicroMasters Program Solar Energy Engineering and earned the Microcredentials for all the courses in the program. Read about his experience.

What was your motivation for enrolling in this course/program?
I have been interested in renewable energies for the past five years and was attracted to the solar energy field, especially photovoltaic energy. Unfortunately, I never had the time to expand my knowledge in this field. Luckily the past six months I had free time and wanted to achieve a master’s degree in solar engineering but could not find a suitable university that could fit my specific goal. I was looking for a short period intensive program because I only had 6 months free time and could do it only remotely. So here comes the Micromasters opportunity which I discovered during my research online, an opportunity that is really satisfying and I would recommend you to check it out.

The program that was offered by Delft University was very suitable in my case, since I wanted a remote, short, intensive and affordable master’s program. The four courses are well built and organized in a flexible manner that kept me motivated to keep going and achieve the satisfying results. The lectures, assignments and the challenging exams all combined together to bring a complete comprehensive ability for people from different scientific backgrounds – in my case I am a civil engineer. In addition, merging online simulations using the MATLAB application was very challenging and useful. In conclusion the program is highly recommended and a worthwhile investment but needs you to put in enough study time and concentration to pass the exams and gain the required certificates.

The course also offers an online book that I consider a completion tool for the course. I also want to highlight the quick responses that are received in the discussion forums that are really helpful.

How did/will this course impact your career or life?
The basic and the summarized information the program delivers to students played an important role in helping me to understand and comprehend all the aspects of the various topics in photovoltaics. Specifically it includes a lot of mathematical calculations and practical exercises.

Upon finishing the program, I was prepared to build a career based on the skills I had acquired, primarily focusing on the design and installation of small PV panel projects for residential and commercial use. For example I have just finished a training on a design program, and it was really easy to understand all the parameters, analysis, optimal design methods, and all of this thanks to the foundations I acquired in the Micromasters. I also believe the course is an opportunity to expand your knowledge and become specialized in specific fields or for continuing to a higher degree.

How was your experience of learning online?
The course is presented online very well, it offers convenient and flexible learning and at the same time, the deadlines help to motivate students. The lecturers were very professional and delivered the information in a clear manner with PowerPoint presentations.

What I liked most about the program is the final exam part of each course that is time limited and considered to be a hard/medium difficulty level which gives an advantage and opportunity for students to carefully revise all the course content and to make sure they understand all the subjects. In addition, I appreciate it that there is a resit exam which offers a second chance for students to pass.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking of taking a similar course?
Do not hesitate to take the course if you want to start a new career in this field, but make sure that you are in a mindset and willingness to invest time in learning and to take it seriously. I can assure all students that it will be a fun and challenging journey and you will be able to complete it successfully by making a considerable serious effort.