A Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree is a research degree obtained after you demonstrate a significant, valuable and recognized contribution in a specific area of petroleum engineering.
This degree is designed for professionals aiming to become leaders and innovators in the energy sector. Graduates will gain access to a prestigious network and the skills needed to tackle complex industry challenges and drive sustainable energy solutions.
Normally our students enter the Ph.D. program after obtaining their Master of Science (M.S.) degree (thesis option). All students enrolled in our Ph.D. program must pass a Department Qualifying Exam and a Preliminary Examination (see Graduate Catalog). The exam results let us know their suitability for conducting research and continuing their education in our program.
Requirements
Course Requirements
Include a minimum of 64 credit hours beyond the master's in your degree plan. This is a mix of classes and research hours.
Minimum course requirement for the Doctoral degree is 8 courses (24 credit hours) with at least 6 of those courses being in PETE. (Excludes PETE 685 hours).
Must include courses from outside the department in the degree plan (minimum 2 courses, maximum 4). These courses must be related to your research area.
Must register for 2 occurrences of PETE 681 seminar (zero credit). These are to be taken during the first and second semester of registration.
Must take PETE 615 Student Paper Contest (zero credit), participate once during PhD program and list the course on the degree plan.
Must take PETE 691 (research hours) to complete the required credit hours. Minimum of 1 hour is required.
Select the chairman of your committee before the start of the second semester. Agree on at least 4 committee members, with a minimum of 1 from outside the department. The committee must include 2 petroleum engineering faculty, including the chair.
File a degree plan before the beginning of your third semester and after passing the Qualifying Exam.
Your graduate committee is in charge of the courses that will be on your degree plan. In general, you should take 1/3 coursework and 2/3 research/seminar courses.
Schedule your preliminary examination via ARCS once you have completed 24 hours of formal coursework and by the end of the second year (no later than the beginning of the third year).
Submit your dissertation proposal via ARCS at the time of the preliminary examination.
You must have an average GPR of 3.0 for all courses on your degree plan and overall before you schedule the final exam.
Schedule your final examination (final defense) via ARCS at least two weeks prior to the exam date and send a copy of your dissertation to your committee.
Complete all your degree requirements within 10 years.
