petroleum engineers in front of oil rig

Petroleum Engineering (B.S.)

Tap into a field growing twice as fast as the national average.

UND's Petroleum Engineering program is the only one in North Dakota and was designed with industry input. The hands-on learning offered at UND will give you the technical skills to recover oil and gas, and the insight you'll need to address future industry challenges.

Program Snapshot
Program type:
Major
Format:
On-campus or online
Est. time to complete:
4 years (6+ online)
Credit hours:
129

Why Study Petroleum Engineering at UND?

North Dakota is the nation's second-largest leading producer of oil, a status driven by advances in recovering resources from the enormous Williston Basin. We're committed to educating the next generation of petroleum engineers. Our graduates will fulfill today's demand for domestic oil and lead the way to discovering safe, reliable and affordable ways to use oil resources.

You'll receive a thorough grounding in chemistry, engineering, geology and physics while also learning about ethics, safety, communications and other skills necessary to pursuing an entry-level job in the field. In addition, you'll get a firm understanding of the issues affecting the industry, including science and technology; economics and business; policy and regulation; and society and behavior.

2 + 2 Partnership Program

In partnership with Williston State College, the Petroleum Engineering program at UND allows students who have earned their associate in science degree from Williston State College the opportunity to receive a bachelors degree in petroleum engineering from UND in approximately 2 years. Learn more about the 2+2 Petroleum Engineering program.

Top Online Engineering College in the Nation

UND is increasingly regarded as one of the top academic and research institutions in the nation for petroleum engineering. We consistently rank among the best for educational quality, affordability, and career outcomes.

#3 - Best Online Colleges Offering Bachelor's in Engineering Degrees in 2019

#5 - Most Affordable Petroleum Engineering Degrees in 2019

#5 - 15 BEST ONLINE ENGINEERING DEGREE BACHELOR'S PROGRAMS FOR 2020

ABET Accredited Petroleum Engineering Program

Study petroleum engineering at an accredited university. The UND petroleum engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Leaders that Do

The Petroleum Engineering program provides hands-on learning experience in a variety of disciplines.

Petroleum Engineering at UND

  • Access the only core and sample library in North Dakota, which contains samples from three-quarters of the state's oil and coal reservoirs.

  • Tour oil fields around the world without leaving campus in the newly opened Hess Virtual Reality Lab.

  • Take a seat at the Drilling Systems Control Simulator and learn how to manage day-to-day operations at oil and gas wells, or crisis situations, in complete safety.

  • Get a career-ready education thanks to UND's relationships with industry partners such as the American Petroleum Institute, North Dakota Petroleum Council and our own Industry Advisory Council.

  • Gain real-world experience while you're still a student through summer internships.

  • Host to the world’s largest – and only - oil drilling simulator.

Jobs in Petroleum Engineering

 
128K

Median salary in 2016 for a petroleum engineer in the U.S.*

15%

Expected growth in demand for petroleum engineers by 2026 - much faster than the average for all careers*

*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Petroleum engineers are in great demand: More than 90 percent of our graduates find jobs. Employers of petroleum engineers are involved in the following fields:

  • Petroleum exploration
  • Geologic formation characterization
  • Drilling and fracturing
  • Computer simulation
  • Equipment and process design to optimize recovery
  • Monitoring of production and processing

In addition, petroleum engineers are involved in refining, petro-chemical production and transportation of products, as well as geosciences, environmental efforts and international business

When You Major in Petroleum Engineering

A Petroleum Engineering degree gives you the strategic skills you need, including:

  • Oil and Gas
  • Production Engineering
  • Resevoir Engineering
  • Strategic Planning

UND Petroleum Engineering Major Alumni

Petroleum Engineering alumni have gone on to a variety of successful careers with:

  • Center for Energy and Environment
  • Keane Group Holdings, LLC
  • Continential Resources, Inc.
  • Eog Resources, Inc.
  • FedEx Corporation

Petroleum Engineering Courses You Could Take

PTRE 411. Drilling Engineering. 3 Credits.

Concepts, processes, equipment, and engineering principals used to drill oil and gas wells and near-surface wells common in geotechnical, environmental, and water well applications. Prerequisites: GEOE 210 or GEOL 101, PTRE 201; all prerequisites must be completed with a "C" or higher. F.

PTRE 405. Petroleum Eng. Economy and Law. 3 Credits.

Presenting the principles of asset management with emphasize on applications to the upstream oil and gas activities and discussing the legal aspects of petroleum exploration and production in the US and internationally. F.

PTRE 401. Well Logging. 3 Credits.

This course covers topics on methods of how to measure and interpret the physical and chemical properties of formation through the well logging tools. Prerequisites: PTRE 301; all prerequisites must be completed with a "C" or higher. F.

PTRE 471. Numerical Reservoir Simulation. 3 Credits.

Use of mathematics and computer programs to solve reservoir flow problems. This course will discuss: Fundamental reservoir calculations, multiphase flow concepts, fluid displacement, fluid flow equations and discretization concepts, as well as history matching and reservoir performance forecast. Prerequisites: PTRE 431 and MATH 266; all prerequisites must be completed with a C or higher. F.

PTRE 445. Well Testing. 3 Credits.

Well test analysis using type curve techniques, Material balance for oil and gas reservoirs, Water influx calculations, Immiscible displacement and fractional flow calculations, Well test analysis to estimate reservoir properties, Pseudo functions, Enhanced oil recovery. Prerequisites: PTRE 431 and MATH 266 with a grade of C or higher. S.

PTRE 475. Well Completions. 3 Credits.

Introduction to well problems including causes and remediation; near wellbore formation damage mechanism, control and prevention; sand and water production mechanisms; control and management; scale deposition removal and prevention; corrosion control and prevention; principles and practices of well workover and intervention operations; an overview of production logging tools and their various applications including production log interpretation, familiarization with new technology and reservoir stimulation by fracturing with emphasis on design and estimation; stimulation to improve productivity. Prerequisite: PTRE 421 with a grade of "C" or higher. S.

 
Explore More Options 

Looking to add a double major, pursue graduate work or connect with the petroleum engineering department?

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