Program Overview
The University of Kansas' Petroleum Engineering program emphasizes reservoir engineering, preparing graduates for careers in the oil and gas industry. The curriculum integrates fundamental concepts with courses on fluid flow, drilling, and production equipment, providing a comprehensive understanding of petroleum engineering principles. Graduates are highly sought after by industry and have excellent starting salaries and opportunities for career advancement.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
Petroleum engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the drilling, recovery, production, and distribution of petroleum and natural gas. This field encompasses knowledge of fluid and rock properties in surface and subsurface environments, as well as methods for economically extracting oil and gas from petroleum reservoirs. The University of Kansas (KU) program emphasizes reservoir engineering, focusing on developing methods to enhance production from oil and gas reservoirs. Reservoir engineers utilize advanced mathematical techniques and computer technology to optimize production. They aim to extract oil and gas from reservoirs that were previously considered uneconomical. The curriculum integrates fundamental concepts describing fluid and rock properties with courses covering fluid flow in reservoirs, drilling, and production equipment. This approach provides a comprehensive understanding of how basic principles are applied to solve technical challenges. The program's objective is to prepare graduates for professional careers in industry, government, or further education in petroleum engineering and related disciplines.
Outline:
Program Content and Structure:
The curriculum is structured to develop a strong foundation in fundamental concepts related to fluid and rock properties in surface and subsurface environments. It then integrates this knowledge with courses on fluid flow in reservoirs, drilling, and production equipment.
Course Schedule:
A detailed course schedule with recommended enrollments for each semester is provided. The program takes four years to complete and requires a total of 128 credit hours.
Modules:
Petroleum Engineering Courses:
- C&PE 127: Introduction to Petroleum Engineering Profession (1 credit hour)
- C&PE 211: Material and Energy Balances (3 credit hours)
- C&PE 325: Numerical Methods and Statistics for Engineers (3 credit hours)
- C&PE 327: Reservoir Engineering (3 credit hours)
- C&PE 511: Momentum Transfer (3 credit hours)
- C&PE 519: Drilling Fluids Laboratory (1 credit hour)
- C&PE 527: Reservoir Engineering II (3 credit hours)
- C&PE 528: Well Logging (3 credit hours)
- C&PE 640: Natural Gas Engineering (3 credit hours)
- C&PE 617: Drilling and Well Completion (3 credit hours)
- C&PE 618: Improved Oil Recovery (3 credit hours)
- C&PE 619: Petroleum Engineering Laboratory (3 credit hours)
- C&PE 624: Process Safety and Sustainability (3 credit hours)
- C&PE 625: Unconventional Reservoirs (3 credit hours)
- C&PE 641: Introduction to AI and Machine Learning for Subsurface Energy Engineering (3 credit hours)
- C&PE 642: New Energy Ventures (3 credit hours)
- C&PE 627: Petroleum Production (3 credit hours)
- C&PE 628: Petroleum Engineering Design (Capstone) (3 credit hours)
Basic Sciences:
- CHEM 130: General Chemistry I (5 credit hours) or CHEM 170: Chemistry for the Chemical Sciences I (5 credit hours)
- CHEM 135: General Chemistry II (5 credit hours) or CHEM 175: Chemistry for the Chemical Sciences II (5 credit hours)
- EPHX 210: General Physics I for Engineers (Core 34: Natural and Physical Sciences (SGE)) (4 credit hours) or PHSX 211: General Physics I (4 credit hours)
- PHSX 216: General Physics I Laboratory (Core 34: Natural and Physical Sciences (SGE)) (1 credit hour)
- PHSX 212: General Physics II (3 credit hours)
- PHSX 236: General Physics II Laboratory (1 credit hour)
Engineering & Advanced Science Courses:
- ME 211: Statics and Introduction to Mechanics (3 credit hours)
- GEOL 101 & GEOL 103: The Way The Earth Works and Geology Fundamentals Laboratory (5 credit hours)
- GEOL 332: Sedimentology for Petroleum Engineers (4 credit hours)
- GEOL 535: Petroleum and Subsurface Geology (4 credit hours)
Mathematics Courses:
- MATH 125: Calculus I (Core 34: Math and Statistics (SGE)) (4 credit hours) or MATH 145: Calculus I, Honors (4 credit hours)
- MATH 126: Calculus II (4 credit hours) or MATH 146: Calculus II, Honors (4 credit hours)
- MATH 127: Calculus III (4 credit hours) or MATH 147: Calculus III, Honors (4 credit hours)
- MATH 290: Elementary Linear Algebra (2 credit hours) or MATH 291: Elementary Linear Algebra, Honors (2 credit hours)
- MATH 220: Applied Differential Equations (3 credit hours) or MATH 221: Applied Differential Equations, Honors (3 credit hours)
Assessment:
Assessment Methods:
- Grades in coursework
- Performance in laboratories
- Capstone design project
Criteria:
- Demonstrated understanding of fundamental concepts
- Ability to apply knowledge to solve technical problems
- Effective communication skills
- Teamwork and collaboration
Teaching:
Teaching Methods:
- Lectures
- Recitations
- Laboratories
- Project-based learning
Faculty:
- Experienced professors with industry expertise
- Dedicated to student success
Unique Approaches:
- Integration of theory and practice through real-world case studies
- Emphasis on computational skills and software applications
Careers:
Potential Career Paths:
- Reservoir engineer
- Drilling engineer
- Production engineer
- Well logging engineer
- Exploration geologist
- Geophysicist
- Petroleum consultant
Opportunities:
- Employment with major oil companies
- Independent oil exploration and production companies
- Service companies
- Government agencies
- Research institutions
Outcomes:
- Graduates are highly sought after by industry
- Excellent starting salaries
- Opportunities for career advancement
Other:
Departmental Honors:
Students can apply for Departmental Honors in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. The criteria for Departmental Honors include a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in all KU courses and in engineering courses, and a significant achievement or experience. Examples of qualifying achievements include completing an honors research project, a senior thesis, co-authoring a publication, presenting at a national conference, or receiving an award for scholarly work.
Note:
This program is approved by the Kansas Board of Regents to require specific Core 34: Systemwide General Education courses. If a student did not take these courses, they must be taken in addition to other degree requirements.
