Degree Requirements

Master of Science in Engineering

With the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee, the student elects one of three options:

1. Thesis option. Thirty semester hours (including six hours in the thesis course) are required to complete the program. In addition to the thesis, eighteen semester hours of work must be completed in the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering; six semester hours of supporting work must be completed outside the department.
2. Report option. Thirty-three semester hours (including three hours in the report course) are required to complete the program. In addition to the report, twenty-four semester hours of work must be completed in the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering; six semester hours of supporting work must be completed outside the department.
   For students who plan to continue their studies and enter the doctoral degree program, the report may be a PhD proposal.
3. Option without thesis or report. Thirty-six semester hours are required to complete the program. Twenty-seven to thirty semester hours of work must be completed in the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering; six to nine semester hours of supporting work must be completed outside the department.

All options must include at least eighteen semester hours of engineering courses. The program of coursework must be approved by the graduate adviser and the graduate dean. More detailed information is available online.

Doctor of Philosophy

To qualify as a doctoral candidate, the student must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Perform satisfactorily on the qualifying procedures conducted by the Graduate Studies Committee.
2. Maintain a grade point average of at least 3.50 on all graduate coursework at The University of Texas at Austin.

Doctoral candidates should refer to our departmental web pages for various PhD background requirements.

In general, two to four years beyond the master’s degree are required to complete the Doctor of Philosophy degree program. More detailed information is available online.