Petroleum Engineering (PhD)
Department website: http://www.pge.utexas.edu/
This program is designed to educate engineers to develop technology and solve problems related to earth energy resources. Student research has traditionally focused on oil and gas, but sustainability topics are growing in importance in the curriculum and as research endeavors. Once students have chosen a degree option, they may choose to work closely with a faculty member conducting research in their area of interest. The program offers a doctoral degree based on a combination of coursework and research, and a master’s degree based on either a thesis or a report, or on coursework alone.
Graduate Handbook
Graduate handbook information is updated and maintained by each program. Graduate handbooks are available within each program's office and online. Please contact the program with concerns or questions.
Admission
All prospective degree candidates must have a background satisfactory for study of advanced petroleum and geosystems engineering as determined by the Graduate Studies Committee. For students without this background, such as those without degrees in engineering or in the petroleum-related fields, the Graduate Studies Committee will recommend a program of coursework designed to prepare the student for graduate study. Complete requirements for admission are available online.
Total Hours Required: 30
Traditional Pathway: 30
Direct PhD Pathway: 36
Requirements
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 36 semester hours of coursework, and at least 6 credit hours of the dissertation course, for a total of 42 semester hours.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major | ||
| PGE 699W | Dissertation | 6 |
| Choose a sequence below: | 24-30 | |
| Sequence 1: | ||
Hours chosen from: 24 hours of coursework | ||
| Sequence 2: | ||
Hours chosen from: 36 hours of coursework | ||
| Graduate Engineering Requirements | ||
| Graduate University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 30-36 | |
To qualify as a doctoral candidate, the student must fulfill the following requirements:
- 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.
- Maintain a grade point average of at least 3.50 on all graduate coursework completed at The University of Texas at Austin.
- 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.
- Students are admitted to PhD candidacy by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at 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 Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website.
Additional Requirements and Policy
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.