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Petroleum Engineering Overview - The Field - Preparation - Day In The Life - Earnings - Employment - Career Path Forecast - Professional Organizations 


Preparation
Petroleum engineers must have a bachelor's degree in engineering, preferably petroleum engineering. However, a bachelor's degree in mechanical, civil, or chemical engineering may meet employer requirements. Employers also value work experience, so college cooperative-education programs, in which students earn academic credit and job experience, are valuable as well.

Admission Requirements
Admissions requirements for undergraduate engineering schools include a solid background in mathematics (algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus) and science (biology, chemistry, and physics), and courses in English, social studies, humanities, and computer and information technology.

Co-ops
Internships and Coops provide students with a great opportunity to gain real-world experience while still in school. Many universities offer co-op and internship programs for students studying Petroleum Engineering.  This provides students with first hand experience in the industry and the opportunity to contribute to a real-world program or project. Click here for more information.

Courses of Study
Bachelor's degree programs in engineering typically are designed to last 4 years, but many students find that it takes between 4 and 5 years to complete their studies. In a typical 4-year college curriculum, the first 2 years are spent studying mathematics, basic sciences, introductory engineering, humanities, and social sciences. Petroleum engineering students may also take courses such as Reservoir Petrophysics, Petroleum Engineering Systems, and Physical Geology during these years. In the last 2 years, a petroleum engineering program might include courses in Drilling and Production Systems, Geostatistics, Well Performance, Reservoir Fluids, Petroleum Project Evaluation, Engineering Ethics, and Well Completion and Stimulation.

Some colleges and universities offer 5-year programs in chemical or mechanical engineering that lead to both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree. Some employers prefer applicants who have earned a graduate degree. A graduate degree also allows an engineer to work as an instructor at some universities or in research and development.

Accredited Programs
Those interested in a career in petroleum engineering should consider reviewing engineering programs that are accredited by ABET, Inc.


Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 


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