Petroleum Engineering Major

Majors & Minors
Petroleum Engineering

Petroleum Engineering

"The Department of Petroleum Engineering provides students with certifications that are needed to begin immediately working in the industry, exposing students to a variety of software applications that are used industry-wide, hands-on laboratories, and regular tours to rigs and other oil and gas-related facilities. I'm leaving the program with the skills and knowledge I need to have a successful career in oil and gas.”

Meet James Downing, petroleum engineering major

You should major in petroleum engineering if:

You want a degree with one of the highest starting salaries in the industry.
You want to help solve the world’s energy challenges.
You want opportunities to work in multi-billion-dollar deepwater drilling projects.
You want to travel to other countries as part of project teams.

Power the world with your degree in petroleum engineering.

UL Lafayette petroleum engineering majors get hands-on training in drilling, well control, reservoir engineering, petroleum production, geology, natural gas, and petrophysical analysis. With these skills, you’ll make valuable contributions to the global petroleum industry.

Related Programs

Petroleum Engineering at UL Lafayette

What's Petroleum Engineering Like?

Lab work & research
Group work & collaboration
Writing & communication
Internships
Field trips, on-site tours & rig tours

#13

CEOWorld Magazine named our petroleum engineering program #13 in the world and #7 in the USA in 2017..

Life as a Petroleum Engineering Major

UL Lafayette petroleum engineering students

Hands-On Research Experience

We encourage students at all levels to participate in research through the College of Engineering and outside organizations. Through internal and external support, we offer students a chance to participate in �޻��ֱ��-based research with global impact.

Organizations

Get to know your engineering colleagues and prepare for your career as an engineer through organizations like , ,

Specialty Minors

The College of Engineering offers five specialty minors only available to engineering students. These minors help you expand and specialize in your engineering expertise. Our specialty minors include bioprocess engineering, environmental engineering, materials engineering, technology commercialization, and a Pre-MBA.

explore specialty minors

Frank & Jessie Mosing Endowed Engineering Student Career Development Program

Get career development services, like resume writing advice, interviewing tips, internship and co-op opportunities, and job placement help specifically for engineering students through our Frank & Jessie Mosing Endowed Engineering Student Career Development Program.

Concentrations in Petroleum Engineering

Engineering students observing presentation on oil.

Smart Oil Field

Declare your concentration in smart oil field to gain technical background and skills in coding, statistics, machine learning, and specialized software to provide training in automation, predictive capabilities, safety, environmental sustainability, and economic feasibility of oil and gas exploration operations.

Petroleum Engineering According to Students

Freshman Year Sophomore Year Junior Year Senior Year

PETE 101: Introduction to Petroleum Engineering

with Tamla Springer

PETE 101 was one of the best classes for me. The class was specifically related to oil and gas techniques, and we learned about topics such as petroleum origin, drilling, well completion, formation evaluation, reservoir performance, production, refining and health, safety, and environment (HSE) issues.”

Alfredo Baluta, Petroleum Engineering major

PETE 212: Drilling Fluids Laboratory

with Randy Andres

I loved my drilling engineering labs, especially drilling fluids. We went on facility tours at least twice a month to get a hands-on, visual learning experience aside from the ones learned in the lab. This learning experience allowed me to network with people in the industry, attend presentations given by professionals on related topics, and to get out of my comfort zone and ask questions and give input.”

Radiat Ibrahim, Petroleum Engineering major

PETE 431: Production Engineering

with Tamla Springer

There is so much involved in producing natural gas and oil. I learned techniques used to optimize production in a safe way for the environment, and the field development project enabled me to think outside the box and develop a field plan using real-life scenarios and values.”

Radiat Ibrahim, Petroleum Engineering major

PETE 401 & 402: Senior Design Project I & II

with Chinedum Ezeakacha & Tamla Springer

These courses allowed students to work in teams and solve complex real-world problems with little guidance. It provided a great opportunity to showcase the knowledge and skills my team and I had learned during our tenure at UL Lafayette.”

James Downing, Petroleum Engineering major

Careers in Petroluem Engineering

Tariq S. Alsiyabi

"The theoretical-based courses combined with the hands-on experience gained through working in labs — equipped with the latest technology — have notably strengthened my skills and supported me in the job market with rich knowledge and technical competency.”

Petroleum Engineering ‘16

Wellsite Well Engineer with Petroleum Development Oman

Jobs in Petroleum Engineering

Completions Engineer
Drilling Engineer
Natural Gas Engineer
Oil Drilling Engineer
Oil Exploration Engineer
Oil Well Engineer
Production Engineer
Reservoir Engineer
Petroleum Engineer

Program Requirements

Admissions Requirements

To major in petroleum engineering, you must meet the University's admissions requirements.
See the full admission requirements.

Graduation Requirements

Petroleum engineering majors are required to maintain a grade of "C" or better in all major and general engineering courses and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better to graduate.

See all course requirements in the University’s catalog:

The College of Engineering offers specialty minors for petroleum engineering majors including:

Each minor requires you to complete a minimum of 18 hours in the specialized area while completing your degree within one of our current engineering and technology programs.

The UL Lafayette petroleum engineering program prepares students to practice in a field with professional licensure or certification available. However, specific licensure and certification requirements can and often do vary by state.

Resources

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