<p>Hi, Im a student at the University of Alaska Anchorage currently working on my engineering degree. I originally had planned to get a bachelors in Petroleum engineering from UAF. I have a year left till I finish my math and engineering Pre requisites before I have to choose from either Mechanical or Petroleum. I am interested in oil exploration and the extraction of oil and the great salary interests me to a Petro degree, but my concern is couldn't I just get an ME degree with a few upper level petroleum classes under my belt and work as Petroleum engineer that way?</p>
<p>I am just worried if possibly I dont like the actual job of a petroleum engineer and want to change careers in a few years and do something else, with an ME I heard there are many options. If I go through with a Pete degree I dont know if i have much options other than the oil field. </p>
<p>Id like to know really how competitive is the oil field? to get a job with BP, Chevron, or EXXon for example seems very difficult from what many people are saying. Is working for a big company possible only for those who graduate with a 3.7 GPA ?? </p>
<p>I also hear from many people that some petroleum engineers start 80-100k starting. Now realistically is this true or is this type of salary once again for those who are the best of the best in their graduating class?</p>
<p>Id preferably like to work in the Pacific Northwest since family is there but i doubt there is anything related to a petroleum job in Washington. Id love to work in Houston as well if possible but dont know how a Petroleum engineering degree from UAF would look compared to the big schools down in the states offering the same degree.</p>
<p>So i basically am confused on which degree is the best to choose from because school is very expensive and want to make the best of it. I have a year left before I decide, I am not interested in working offshore either but I know that is just one part of many to petroleum engineering.</p>
<p>thanks for all the help and if anything isnt clear please let me know.</p>
<p>I’d study ME if you’re unsure. It can be used to get into a lot of fields, Petroleum included. </p>
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<p>Getting a job with the supermajors is typically difficult. They look for a 3.5+ with lots of leadership and engineering experiences. Internships are particularly important.</p>
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<p>The starting salaries for PetE are around 80-100k with a bachelors. This is true for anyone that can get a job with a good oil company.</p>
<p>i have another year left of some 300 course level engineering classes like thermodynamics and fluids after that year passes I know ill have a much better idea</p>
<p>major in mechanical engineering and do a minor or take couple classes in drilling and productions. But most importantly, try to get a field internship before you graduate.</p>
<p>You do not by any means need a 3.5+ to get on with a supermajor. Keep your marks above 3.0 and get multiple internships starting your freshman summer (not sure how difficult that is in the states). Companies also want to see that you have other interests and can juggle multiple commitments so play sports/work part time/join clubs etc. Does your school have an SPE chapter? If so make sure you’re in it and ideally get on the exec team. These things will help you get an interview but after that it’s up to you to sell yourself. Especially in engineering, if you can rock an interview you can really set yourself apart from the pack. The top oil companies don’t want book worms with 3.8 GPAs. It blows my mind how little emphasis students put on interviewing well when it’s such a huge part of getting the job. </p>
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<p>I doubt you will, or at least you shouldn’t based on those classes. Just go with what you think you want to do and when you get a decent internship you’ll get some context and have a much better idea.</p>
<p>Actually now that I think about it maybe you do need a 3.5+ in the states because of competition. Here in Canada the market is a lot better for PetrE grads so I guess the companies aren’t forced to set such a high GPA cut-off. Which is fortunate for them because you a losing a lot of good candidates by setting a 3.5 GPA cut-off in engineering.</p>
<p>uhhhh no actually you’ll want at least a 3.5 for canadian supermajor jobs. There are very few “good candidates” with GPAs below 3.5. I go to the U of A. I’ve seen job postings for BP on CAPS explicitly requiring 3.5+ GPA for both internships and FT positions. For the other supermajors, they don’t necessarily state that, but you probably won’t get a job with them with below a 3.5.</p>
<p>I have a 2nd round interview with a supermajor next week. 3.8 GPA. They don’t look for book worms, they want it all. They can afford to be picky. It isn’t just PetEs competing for those jobs. MecEs and ChemEs as well.</p>
<p>I personally know multiple people working with a supermajor that had a 3.1-3.2ish GPA in school. You do not need an extremely impressive GPA to get an interview. If your marks are the only worthwhile thing on your resume then maybe yeah they’ll need to be impressive. Companies like high marks because it shows you were able to manage a tough work-load and succeed. It’s not like they say "oh guy X got an A in transport phenomena while guy Y got a B-, therefore we want guy X because he’d be better at the job. Hell no. If your marks are above a 3.0 and you can show that you have juggled and succeeded with other significant commitments while in school then you’re just as well off as the kid with a 3.8 that won’t be able to talk about anything but school in his interview. Conoco has a 2.8 cut-off. Trust me, I’ve gotten jobs over heroes like yourself with a 3.8+ GPA, GPA is not everything. Especially in the oil business.</p>
<p>great information thanks for all the feedback from everybody ! really gives me hope because im clearly not a 3.8 student lol</p>
<p>realistically I think ill be able to pull out a 3.2 gpa at the end of everything I just dont know how difficult 400 level engineering classes are compared to my 200 level classes currently. I have a good gpa right now but i see it dropping very slowly as I progress in my degree.</p>