U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked Texas A&M's Petroleum Engineering Department as one of the top Undergraduate Engineering Programs with a PhD Program.

 

For further information contact:

Undergraduate Program
Department of Petroleum Engineering
Texas A & M University 3116 TAMU
College Station, Texas 77843-3116
Voice (979) 845-6955
Email: undergraduate_program@pe.tamu.edu

 

Administrative Policies

Program

Academics

Financial Info ( Scholarships )

Mission of the Program

...to create, preserve, integrate, transfer and apply petroleum engineering knowledge.

...to enhance the human capability of its practitioners.

 

Vision of the Program

That "I am an Aggie Petroleum Engineer" be the most respected, prestigious self-definition within the petroleum engineering profession.

 

Goals of the Program

The primary goals of the program are to produce 50 to 60 highly-qualified U.S. and international students each year, placing these students in entry-level industry positions or graduate programs, and to maintain an ABET-accredited program in petroleum engineering.

If we are to reach these goals, we believe we must give our students the best possible preparation to enter this industry. Our curriculum gives every student a solid foundation in petroleum engineering fundamentals, but we also insist on experience in the industry. As a result, our graduates will enter the industry ready to be productive contributors, but they also will understand the need to continue to learn and improve their skills throughout their careers.

 

Educational Objectives

The petroleum engineering program has three educational objectives:

  • Graduates will be competitive in the petroleum engineering job market or in continuing their education.
  • Graduates will be skilled practitioners of petroleum engineering as employees.
  • The program will be regarded as excellent.

More specifically, the following ambitions are critical to achieving our Mission, Vision, and Goals.

  • To provide students with a meaningful basis in industry fundamentals through courses beginning the freshman year with exposure to and exercises in computational basics important to the industry.
  • To simulate the processes employed by practicing petroleum engineers through courses including drilling, production, and reservoir engineering that lead to a capstone experience in the senior year.
  • To involve students in real-world petroleum engineering experiments through industry involvement in classroom activities, professional organization seminars, and student internships.
  • To enable students throughout the curriculum to use the sophisticated computer software of the modern petroleum engineering industry.
  • To encourage students to share their knowledge through a strong emphasis on written and oral communications skills.
  • To ensure that students recognize the need to assume professional and societal responsibilities in the global marketplace. Our courses address global and multicultural issues, providing students opportunities to understand models of social behavior and leadership different from those of their home economy.
  • To challenge students to sharpen their aesthetic senses and embrace their own social and personal development.

Assessment

We recognize that maintaining a top-notch engineering program means that we must use multiple methods of assessment to ensure that our students are learning what they will need to use in their careers. We evaluate all of the following:

  • Student performance on examinations, projects, and reports; student portfolios and transcripts.
  • Placement statistics for both internships and permanent positions.
  • Comments of graduating seniors during exit interviews.
  • Surveys of alumni who have graduated recently.
  • Student performance on national exams such as the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, which is a step toward earning the designation of Professional Engineer.
  • Records of student participation in the Student Chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the engineering honor society, Pi Epsilon Tau.
  • Feedback from our Industry Advisory Board.

Curriculum

The curriculum in petroleum engineering is intended to prepare students for the petroleum industry and other fields which involve fluid flow through subsurface formations and particularly for those professions which have to do with drilling, production, reservoir engineering and transportation of oil, gas, and other subsurface resources.

 

Four-year Degree Program

The four-year curriculum in petroleum engineering includes sufficient training in basic engineering sciences to prepare the graduate for the application of engineering principles to the petroleum industry. Courses in geology give an understanding of the geological structures and conditions favorable for petroleum deposits. To the basic subjects are added courses in petroleum engineering which illustrate the application of the engineering principles to the type of problems and solution methods used in the petroleum industry.

 

Senior Course Requirements

A minimum of six weeks of approved experience in oilfield operation is required for registration in senior petroleum engineering courses.

 

Accreditation

The bachelor of science program in petroleum engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET). In accordance with ABET procedures, the curriculum is always being evaluated and improved, using the assessments listed above, in order to ensure that the educational objectives are being met.