Getting a Petroleum Engineering Bachelor Degree Online

A petroleum engineering degree prepares students for engineering careers in the petroleum industry. Petroleum engineers perform the following work duties -

• They carry out safe, efficient and environmentally aware oil and gas exploration. They oversee the location, extraction, processing and refining of crude petroleum and natural gas.
• They oversee oil transportation and storage.
• They are involved in the designing and upgrading of oil and gas facilities.
• They are involved in the development of prospecting equipment.
• They are in charge of maintaining environmental safety systems.
• They offer consultation services to oil companies.

Students interested in this profession must have a background in math, chemistry, physics, economics, languages, communication and/or writing. A high school or polytechnic diploma/matriculation certificate, and an IELTS and/or TOEFL certificate are necessary. It will help if students have some practical working experience in the petroleum industry.

To get started, students should -

• Research colleges offering an online bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering.
• Make sure the program has accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
• Note the eligibility and admission criteria.
• Note the courses offered.
• Complete and send the admission application before the deadline.

Once admitted, students should be prepared for a rigorous study schedule. While the courses are mostly conducted online, some off-line project work may be required.

The coursework may cover some of the following topics -

• Basic Thermodynamics
• Mechanics of Materials
• Reaction kinetics
• Introduction to Petroleum Engineering
• Natural Gas Engineering
• Petroleum Production
• Well Drilling
• Reservoir Fluid Flow
• Reservoir Analysis

SAIT Polytechnic: Bachelor of Applied Technology Petroleum Engineering

This is a two years applied degree that requires students to complete a minimum of 27 coursework credits and 30 credits of supervised work practicum. Students can take up to seven years to complete the program. Admission requirements are a two-year SAIT diploma in technology or engineering, or a graduate degree in math, physics, chemistry, geology or geophysics or engineering. Certification of English language proficiency is required.

To apply, students must complete and send the application form, including with it their educational transcripts, copy of diploma/degree, TOEFL/IELTS/CLBA/CAEL certification and an initial fee of $200. Tuition fees for Petroleum Engineering Technology are $5,193 for a one year course and $4,606 for the two year program. International students pay around $5,750 - $6,500 for all programs and $4,600 for English Language Foundations. All fees are in Canadian dollars. Fees are liable to change, so it's best to check them out at the college website at the time of making your application.

According to the SAIT Polytechnic website, this online degree provides the requisite training, but does not yet offer the professional registration as a petroleum engineer.

Students interested in going for an online Master's Degree afterwards can check out colleges offering petroleum engineering degrees at the Society of Petroleum Engineers website.

University of New South Wales: School of Petroleum Engineering

This school offers a Graduate Certificate in Petroleum Engineering. Requirements for this are a high school diploma or its equivalent and at least five years work experience in the petroleum industry in exploration, reservoir engineering, drilling and production. It also offers a Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Engineering. Requirements are a Bachelor in Science in physics, chemistry, mathematics or geology, and two years work experience in exploration, reservoir engineering, drilling and production in the petroleum industry.

There are two academic sessions of around 12 weeks each, and the tuition fee is $535 per credit (Australian dollars). To apply for admission, students must download, fill out and email the application form, including a resume, educational transcripts, an application fee of A$100 and a completed examiner nomination form. International students whose first language is not English will be required to include TOEFL or IELTS certification with their application.

• Studying for their degree online will give students solid computer skills. Computer knowledge is crucial in this industry as much analytical, research and production work is done using computers.
• Given the rigorous course work, it helps to save time in commuting.
• Independent study can make students more self-reliant and confident.
• A bachelor's degree in this field will help students gain an entry into the petroleum industry.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor predicts that a demand for petroleum engineers is likely to increase as, with fuel demands going up, petroleum companies seek better methods to extract oil from existing sources and look for newer oil field locations. Discovery of large-scale alternative fuels in the distant future may alter this scenario to some extent. For now, petroleum engineers enjoy a high earning potential, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor giving $103,360 as a median annual salary for these professionals.

Read about getting an Online Engineering Degree in India for Less Than $200 here on Bright Hub.

• SAIT Polytechnic: http://sait.ca/pages/cometosait/academic/degree/aapt.shtml
• University of New South Wales: http://www.petrol.unsw.edu.au/online/admin.html
• Society of Petroleum Engineers website: http://www.spe.org/spe-app/jsp/siteFunctionality/petSchools.jsp