PETEN-MS - Petroleum Engineering (MS)

The objective is to prepare the student for professional work in the energy industry, or for doctoral studies, through completion of fundamental courses in the major field and in related sciences as well as independent research.

Students entering the graduate program are expected to have an undergraduate-level engineering or physical science background. Competence in computer programming in a high-level language (course Programming Abstractions or the equivalent) and knowledge of engineering and geological fundamentals (course Fundamentals of Petroleum Engineering, course Well Log Analysis I, and course Sediments: The Book of Earth's History) are prerequisites for taking most graduate courses.

Coterminal M.S. Program in Petroleum Engineering

The coterminal B.S./M.S. program offers an opportunity for Stanford University students to pursue a graduate experience while completing the B.S. degree in any relevant major. Petroleum Engineering graduate students generally come from backgrounds such as chemical, civil, or mechanical engineering; geology or other earth sciences; or physics or chemistry.

The two types of M.S. degrees, the course work only degree and the research degree, as well as the courses required to meet degree requirements, are described above in the M.S. section. Both degrees require 45 units and may take from one to two years to complete depending on circumstances unique to each student.

Requirements to enter the program are: three letters of recommendation from faculty members or job supervisors, a statement of purpose, scores from the GRE general test, and a copy of Stanford University transcripts. While the department does not require any specific GPA or GRE score, potential applicants are expected to compete favorably with graduate student applicants.

University Coterminal Requirements

Coterminal master’s degree candidates are expected to complete all master’s degree requirements as described in this bulletin. University requirements for the coterminal master’s degree are described in the Coterminal Master's Degrees section. University requirements for the master’s degree are described in the Graduate Degrees section of this bulletin.

After accepting admission to this coterminal master’s degree program, students may request transfer of courses from the undergraduate to the graduate career to satisfy requirements for the master’s degree. Transfer of courses to the graduate career requires review and approval of both the undergraduate and graduate programs on a case by case basis.

In this master’s program, courses taken during or after the first quarter of the sophomore year are eligible for consideration for transfer to the graduate career; the timing of the first graduate quarter is not a factor. No courses taken prior to the first quarter of the sophomore year may be used to meet master’s degree requirements.

Course transfers are not possible after the bachelor’s degree has been conferred.

The University requires that the graduate advisor be assigned in the student’s first graduate quarter even though the undergraduate career may still be open. The University also requires that the Master’s Degree Program Proposal be completed by the student and approved by the department by the end of the student’s first graduate quarter.

A Petroleum Engineering master's degree can be used as a terminal degree for obtaining a professional job in the engineering or energy industries, or in any related industry where application of physical principles or computer simulation skills are required. It can also be a stepping stone to a Ph.D. degree that usually leads to a professional research job or an academic position.

Students should apply to the program any time after they have completed 120 undergraduate units. Contact the Department of Energy Resources Engineering to obtain additional information. Students should have a background at least through course Ordinary Differential Equations with Linear Algebra and course Programming Methodology and course Programming Abstractions before beginning graduate work in this program.

Refer to University policy on Transfer Work.

The objective is to prepare students to be technical leaders in the energy industry, academia and research organizations through completion of independent research as well as fundamental courses in the major field and in related sciences. Students are expected to:

1. apply skills developed in fundamental courses to engineering problems.

2. research, analyze, and synthesize solutions to an original and contemporary energy problem.

3. work independently and as part of a team to develop and improve engineering solutions.

4. apply written, visual, and oral presentation skills to communicate scientific knowledge.

5. M.S. students are expected to develop in-depth technical understanding of energy problems at an advanced level.

6. Ph.D. students are expected to complete a scientific investigation that is significant, challenging and original.