Graduate handbook information is updated and maintained by each program. Graduate handbooks are available within each program's office and online at https://utexas.box.com/v/UTAustinGraduateHandbooks. Please contact the program with concerns or questions.

Master of Science in Engineering

With the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee, the student elects one of the following degree 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, 18 semester hours of coursework must be completed in the Hildebrand 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, 24 semester hours of coursework must be completed in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering; six semester hours of supporting coursework 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 30 semester hours of coursework must be completed in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering; six to nine semester hours of supporting coursework must be completed outside the department.

All options must include at least 18 semester hours of engineering courses. The program of coursework must be approved by the graduate advisor and the graduate dean. More detailed information is available online.

Doctor of Philosophy

The PhD program in Petroleum Engineering offers two pathways to degree. The first is designed for students who have previously earned a Master’s or PhD degree from a US or Canadian institution of higher education. The second, known as the Direct PhD pathway, is designed for students who have not previously earned a Master’s or PhD degree from a US or Canadian institution of higher education.

With the first option, students must complete 24 semester hours of coursework plus 6 semester hours of the dissertation course, for a total of 30 semester hours. With the second option, Direct PhD pathway students must complete 18 semester hours of coursework, 6 credit hours of individual instruction coursework, and 6 credit hours of the dissertation course, for a total of 36 semester hours.

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

1. Students must choose and enroll in three signature courses preferably during the fall semester subject to class availability (see handbook for signature course list). Students must pass each of the three signature courses so the combined 3-class gpa is 3.3 or higher. Students must enroll in the courses before the 12th class day. No changes in registration can be made after the 12th class day.
2. Maintain a grade point average of at least 3.50 on all graduate coursework completed at The University of Texas at Austin.
3. Students must pass a PhD Qualifying Exam followed by a PhD Proposal Exam. The PhD Proposal Exam should be taken no later than 28 months after enrolling in the PhD program.
4. Students are admitted to PhD candidacy by the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin and ultimately are required to write and successfully defend their PhD dissertation before their dissertation committee. Detailed information about Advancing to Doctoral Candidacy is available on the Graduate School website.

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.