How to do Petroleum Engineering @ Georgia Tech?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Georgia Institute of Technology
1

<p>How can I get into petroleum engineering from Georgia Tech? I know it's not offered at Tech, but I will be starting in the fall as a Mechanical Engineering major. Going to a school w/ PetE was not an option (explained at the bottom if you are wondering...).</p>

<p>I really like geology and engineering and the idea of combining the two in such a lucrative industry really excites me! I job shadowed a petroleum engineer (Dad's friend's son, recent grad from Texas A&M) and decided I really like what he does and want to follow in his path! </p>

<p>What can I do at Tech to make myself as qualified as possible for the same job as a PetE grad from Texas A&M? Are there classes I can take typical of a PetE curriculum I can take as electives? I don't just wanna work in the oil industry, I wanna work as a Petroleum Engineer! </p>

<p>Why I chose Tech: I am in-state, am a huge fan of Tech, and have several family members and family friends who went to Tech (including both of my parents)! Going to a school that offers PetE was not really an option because they're all OOS and I it makes more sense to go to Tech with HOPE than to pay OOS! That's on top of the fact that I've been planning to go to Tech since I was a baby :)</p>

2

<p>You could eventually go into the Academic Common Market for Petroleum Engineering. According to their website, three universities offer a bachelor’s degree in PetE: LSU, University of Louisiana Lafayette, and West Virginia University. Through Common Market, I believe you get in-state tuition to any participating majors and institutions.</p>

3

<p>Those schools are such a hit on academics, though. Would it make more sense to go to GT for 4 years for a BS (in Chemical or Mechanical) then to TAMU or another PetE school for 1 year for an MEng? It’s an extra year, but the BS will be free (with HOPE) and you’ll have top ranked bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the end.</p>

4

<p>I didn’t know I could get an MS in only 1 year, but if that’s the case it sounds like a good option. I’m checking out some programs now. Thank you! Anyone else have any input on this?</p>

5

<p>Coursework-only master’s degrees (like M.Eng degrees) only take 1 year. MS degrees that require a dissertation take 2 years. TAMU’s M.Eng in PetE is 36 credit hours. As long as the classes are offered, three semesters (Fall, Spring, Summer = 1 year) is all you would really need.</p>

6

<p>I have a B.SC In Mechanical and will be completing my Masters in PE this summer. It takes about 2 years to complete with or without a thesis. You have to take some pre-reqs - trust me, u’ll need them. I doubt anyone can finish in one year with a different undergrad degree.</p>

7

<p>Plenty of GT people get chemical engineering degree before going to work for ExxonMobil, BP, etc.</p>

8

<p>

</p>

<p>Petroleum Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering are all quite different. If you’re a ChemE or a MechE and get a job with Exxon, it’s probably not going to be a job as a PetE just like an Electrical Engineer who got a job at Boeing wouldn’t be designing Airplanes.</p>

<p>If you look at the curriculum of a PetE degree you’ll find that it’s very specific and much of it is not offered at Georgia Tech. If you look at the prereqs for a PetE MS program, you’ll find that many of them are not covered by ChemE or PetE.</p>

<p>OP sounds like he/she wants to dig for oil, not work in any capacity for BP/Exxon.</p>

<p>tl;dr: If you specifically want to work as a Petroleum Engineer, go somewhere else.</p>

9

<p>You can work as a PetE with a MechE/ChemE major. You might be slotted in for a process or facilities job first, but if you do well and manage to get connections (especially in a supermajor), they tend to shift new grads for different jobs. Few civil engineers know this, but their skill set is quite important in drilling and reservoir engineering. </p>

<p>You have some options in order of importance

  1. Apply for summer jobs. Frankly speaking, everyone has the same skill set after 2nd year engineering no matter what major, so if you land a PetE related job, you’re in business.
  2. Take geology or geophysics electives. Take engineering courses with the topics: multiphase flow, wettability, capillary pressures, reservoir simulation, geomechanics
  3. Take MS in PetE. This is probably the most direct path that will land you a PetE job (assuming you don’t do a PetE Bachelor’s), but you never know what will happen in 4 years.</p>