Louisiana State University

Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering
CEBA Bldg., Rm 3527
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Phone: (225) 578-6058
Facsimile: (225) 578-6039

Department email: fthurbe@lsu.edu
Department website: www.pete.lsu.edu

Dean: Pius J. Egbelu, Dean of Engineering/Turner Professor
Chair: Zaki A. Bassiouni, Chair/Rea Professor & Chevron Professor

Contact Information

Petroleum Engineering Degree Information

Program Link www.pete.lsu.edu

Accreditation

The petroleum engineering curriculum is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

Curriculum Description

Undergraduate:

The program educational objectives are:

• Develop engineers who have critical thinking skills to identify opportunities, solve problems, and make decisions in the presence of uncertainty and economic considerations.
• Produce engineers who are effective communicators with the ability to convey and acquire technical ideas, information, and recommendations to and from peers, employers, and the public.
• Produce engineers who can use and apply basic, petroleum and design principles, have been exposed to current and emerging technologies, and have the ability to pursue life long learning.
• Produce engineers who are exposed to professional ethics and who have a commitment to public welfare and the environment.

Although the petroleum engineering curriculum is designed primarily for careers in the drilling and production aspects of the petroleum industry, it is suitable for careers in related areas such as ground water hydrology, geothermal energy, solution mining, and underground storage or disposal of fluids.

Professional courses in drilling and production, well design, reservoir engineering, petrophysics, well logging, and phase behavior of hydrocarbons systems follow basic course work in mathematics, chemistry, physics, geology, and engineering sciences. Additionally, the faculty gives specific attention to the economic evaluation of drilling and production operations.

The department is active in obtaining summer employment in the petroleum industry for its students. The department also strongly recommends that its students join and participate, as student members, in the Society of Petroleum Engineers and take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination during their senior year, as preparation for licensure as a professional engineer.

The nationally ranked Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering at LSU has alumni throughout the world working for major companies, small independent companies, government agencies, and as independent consultants.

For students who want to become applied petroleum engineers, LSU’s Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering is the place to study.

Masters and Doctorate:

Masters of Science

The master’s degree is available with either a thesis or nonthesis option. The thesis option requires completion of 24 hour of approved course work (at least nine hours must be in courses at the 7000 level) and submission of an acceptable thesis. At least six hours of thesis credit are required. The nonthesis option requires completion of 36 hours of approved course work, including at least 18 hours in courses numbered 7000 or above. Students pursuing the nonthesis option should be aware that they would have less chance than students pursuing the thesis option of receiving financial support form the department.

The number of semesters required to obtain the master’s degree depends upon the student’s previous academic training.

Doctor of Philosophy

The Ph.D. program is open to students holding a M.S. in petroleum engineering. However, special programs involving additional course work can be developed for those with M.S. degrees in related braches of engineering.

To become a doctoral candidate, a student must pass a qualifying examination, meet the residence requirements, and complete a minimum of either 54 semester hours of approved course work beyond the B.S. or 30 semester hours beyond the M.S.

The Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering does not require a minor for doctoral students. The department does recognize the value of taking courses outside the curriculum to augment a student’s research and/or to expand a student’s knowledge in other areas. Therefore, a doctoral student in petroleum engineering must meet at least one of the following requirements:

• Acquire an approved minor or take nine or 12 semester hours of courses outside of the department. Courses must be selected by both the student and his/her major professor and approved by the department’s graduate faculty. The courses must represent a logical and cohesive package that satisfies one or both of the previously mentioned goals.
• The Ph.D. is conferred after a candidate has successfully completed the dissertation and passed the general and final examinations.

Program Admission Requirements

Undergraduate:

LSU welcomes applications from all interested students without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, marital status, or veteran’s status. You are encouraged to submit your application as early as possible to receive first consideration. Application deadline dates are April 15 for the fall semester, December 1 for the spring semester, and April 15 for the summer term. The undergraduate admissions staff is committed to making a fair and timely decision on your application.

Applicants must be eligible to enroll in university-level courses in mathematics. Students are encouraged to take four years of mathematics to ensure college readiness. Other considerations will be grades in required math courses, choice of degree program, and SAT/ACT scores. Eligibility for university-level mathematics is usually indicated by four years of college-preparatory math, or at least 430 SAT (18 ACT) on the mathematics component of the examination.

Students who meet one of the following criteria will be automatically admitted:

• A high school grade-point average (gpa) of 3.5, SAT 1260 (ACT 28), and a rigorous college preparatory curriculum in an accredited or state-approved high school,
  OR
• 17.5 specified high school units, as listed below, and either 1. A high school academic gpa/SAT combination of greater than or equal to 2.8/950 (ACT 20). LSU has determined that the following combinations of gpa/SAT will be accepted as equivalent: 2.6/1030 (ACT 22), 2.7/990 (ACT 21), and 2.9/910 (ACT 19); or 2. Graduate in the top 15% of high school graduating class and have an SAT 870 (ACT 18),
  OR
• 16 of 17.5 specified units, as listed below, and either 1. A high school academic gpa/SAT combination of greater than or equal to 2.8/1030 (ACT 22), 3.0/990 (ACT 21), or 3.3/950 (ACT 20); or 2. Graduate in the top 10% of high school graduating class and have an SAT 910 (ACT 19).

Masters and Doctorate:

To gain unconditional admission to the program applicants must meet the Graduate School’s minimum requirements and be accepted by the department. All prospective students should study the admissions requirements of the Graduate School, as detailed in the current Graduate Bulletin (gradlsu.gs.lsu.edu/info.htm).

To Be considered for admission, students from the United States must have

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from an international institution. Admission to the graduate program in petroleum engineering is not limited to those who hold a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering. Students whose degrees are in science or another engineering discipline will be considered; however, additional background courses will be required.
• A minimum grade-point average of at least 3.00 (“A” = 4.00) on all undergraduate work and a 3.00 gpa or better on any graduate work already completed.
• Acceptable Graduate Records Examination (GRE) scores (in some cases, a high GRE may be used to compensate for a low gpa).
• Acceptance by the graduate faculty in the department.

To be considered for admission, international students must have

• A complete and accurate chronological outline of all previous college level education.
• Authorized school or university records—transcripts, mark sheets, certificates of degrees—showing all courses taken and all grades received, with certified translators if the records are in a language other than English.
• A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, with a grade point average equivalent of a “B” or better (“A” = 4.00) on all previous undergraduate work from an accredited college or university.
• Certification of the availability of sufficient funds to meet all costs while studying at LSU (if an assistantship with a stipend of at least $8,000 for nine months is not offered) before the letter of admission and I-20 Form will be mailed.
• GRE General Test scores.
• A score of 550 or higher on the paper version or 213 or higher on the computer version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), except for applicants from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, certain Caribbean islands, Belize, and the United Kingdom. International students with degrees from accredited institutions in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, certain Caribbean islands, or the United Kingdom are also exempt from taking the TOEFL.

An international applicant who has completed undergraduate requirements at an accredited U.S. institution will be evaluated according to standards for U.S. citizens.

Faculty Information

Cumulative Degrees Awarded

Curriculum Analysis