<p>I am looking for information about the various Petroleum Engineering schools. First off, are there any that are much better than others, or better for specific areas of PetE? I am currently doing the engineering basics at a local communtity college, and plan on transfering in the next year or so, are there schools that are more friendly to transfer students? Secondly, are there any programs that would be better or more friendly to a non traditional student? I am doing this as a new/second career after many years in the excavating business, so I have a lot of real world experience in running crews, heavy equipment and trucks, as well as estimating and job costing. Any schools or towns that are more family friendly, I am married and have school age kids I that I would be moving with me since there are no programs close to me(Michigan). I have been back to school for a year and a half now(had to redo some math etc to get back in the groove after many years) and have some previous college credits as well(construction management). Plan is to get all math/physics/basics finished at home then move for the last 2 years. I have a 3.55 cumulative college GPA with 60+ credits, assuming that should allow transfer about anywhere? Any feedback from someone in the industry or currently enrolled would be much appreciated! Thanks</p>
<p>Good question! Well, it depends on what you want! It is better to transfer to a school with strong ties to the industry, and location plays a huge part in this. Hence colleges in TX would suffice. Also, it doesn’t really matter that much if you are a top/dedicated student. Therefore, any Pet. Engr. college will work! I recently transferred to NMT mostly because of the cost and I was blessed with lots of scholarship there. I had a pretty good G.P.A before I transferred and I also did pretty good my first semester at NMT (I landed an internship early on). This was through hard work/dedication/brains. I would advice you to take a closer look at most of the programs out there, and find the most suitable one.</p>
<p>My main interest is in drilling/extraction and geology. Not too much interest in the chemistry side of petro. Also I have experience in pipeline construction so that is also a possibility. I guess it boils down to where you have the best chance of being recruited and which ones are best for what I want to do. Also have to weigh the cost vs what each school can offer, some are quite a bit more expensive and I am paying out of pocket. Is the extra cost offset by a better education or better placement? I am also curious about the programs closer to me, (PSU, Marietta, WV) you dont hear much about them does anyone have any input there? Out west I am thinking CSM, Montana Tech, UT or A&M. Wyoming would be ok but I dont hear much about their program either. If anyone can provide any info on these schools or PetE in general please do.</p>
<p>ttt…
no one else has any input or comment?</p>
<p>I am petroleum major at a big university with a relativity small petroleum program (<100 people total). I was hesitant at first about the reputability of my school’s program because there was not much information out there about it but decided to enroll due to the low cost of being in-state. After attending university engineering career fair later in the semester, I saw that many big companies such as Exxon, Halliburton, Chesapeake, Schlumberger, and many others recruit petroleum majors from my school. In fact, the last graduating class had 100% placement rate. I guess the moral of the story is that regardless of what school you choose to attend, you should have good job prospects granted you maintain satisfactory standing. There are schools that emphasize in reservoir, drilling, or production. You will want to find which school emphasize in drilling. As far as transferring and non-traditional status, I would think that most knock out the basic math and science classes the first two years, so you should be good. You can PM for more information.</p>