University of Southern California
Petroleum Engineering Department
925 Bloom Walk – HED 316
Los Angeles, CA 90089-1211
Phone: (213) 740-0322
Facsimile: (213) 740-0324
Department email: peteng@usc.edu
Department website: http://www.usc.edu/dept/che/
Dean: C. L. Max Nikias, Ph.D
Director: Iraj Ershaghi, Ph.D.
Contact Information
| Office | Name/Title | Contact Information |
|---|---|---|
| Director | Iraj Ershaghi | (213) 740-0321 ershaghi@usc.edu |
| Petroleum Engineering Program | Maria Valenzuela | (213) 740-0322 peteng@usc.edu |
Petroleum Engineering Degree Information
| Degree | Petroleum Hours | Total Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum Engineering Emphasis | 16 | 132 |
| Master of Science | 27 | |
| Engineer | 60 | |
| Doctor of Philosophy | 60 |
Accreditation
Accredited as an option in Chemical and Mechanical Engineering.
Curriculum Description
Undergraduate:
In petroleum engineering is offered only as an option in chemical or mechanical engineering. The option courses include drilling and production, transport in porous media, formation evaluation, reservoir engineering, and economic evaluation.
Masters and Doctorate:
Both thesis and non-thesis options course work includes a group of required core courses in advanced reservoir engineering including simulation drilling and formation evaluation. Other elective courses offered to provide areas of specialization.
Doctorate Degree requires 60 semester units beyond BS and must have strong independent research component as reflected in completion of approved thesis
Program Admission Requirements
Undergraduate:
Evidence of intellectual promise from high school academic record and SAT or ACT tests. 14 units in academic subjects: normally including 3 units English; 3 to 4 units of mathematics, preferably through math analysis; 2 units social studies; 1 unit chemistry; and preferably 1 unit physics.
Masters and Doctorate:
BS in petroleum engineering (or other engineering or science with assigned deficiencies) with academic record indicating ability to perform satisfactorily at graduate level. Minimum scores on Graduate Record Examination including advanced examination.
Doctorate is the same as MS except higher undergraduate GPA requirements and GRE scores. Must show aptitude for original scholarly research as indicated by required Ph.D. screening examination
Faculty Information
| Name | Position | Major Field of Interest | Contact Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iraj Ershaghi, Ph.D. | Professor/Director | Well/Testing/Fractured Reservoirs/Reservoir Characterization/Geostatiscal Methods | ershaghi@usc.edu (213) 740-0322 |
| George V. Chilingar, Ph.D | Professor/Lecturer | Carbonate Oil Reservoirs/ Clay/ Mineralogy/ Drilling Fluids/ EOR/ Formation Damage | gchiling@usc.edu (213) 740-4383 |
| Allan Spivak, Ph.D. | Associate Professor | Reservoir Simulation | peteng@usc.edu (213) 740-0322 |
| Yanis C. Yortos, Ph.D. | Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs/Professor | Transport Processes in Porous Media/Thermal Oil Recovery | yortsos@usc.edu (213) 740-0317 |
| Elmer L. Dougherty,Ph.D. | Professor Emeritus | Energy Modeling/Petroleum Economics/Reservoir Simulation | peteng@usc.edu (213) 740-0322 |
| Lyman L. Handy,Ph.D. | Professor Emeritus | Thermal Oil Recovery/Fluid Flow Through Porous Media | peteng@usc.edu (213) 740-0322 |
| Robert Ehrlich, Ph.D. | Professor/Lecturer | EOR | peteng@usc.edu (213) 740-0322 |
| Eric Upchurch,M.S. | Lecturer | Drilling | peteng@usc.edu (213) 740-0322 |
| Victor Ziegler,Ph.D. | Lecturer | Petroleum Reservoir Engineering | peteng@usc.edu (213) 740-0322 |
| Jalal Torabzadeh, Ph.D. | Lecturer | Completion / Stimulation Formation Damage | peteng@usc.edu (213) 740-0322 |
Cumulative Degrees Awarded
| Bachelor Degrees: | 843 |
| Master’s Degrees: | 568 |
| Doctorate Degrees: | 81 |
Curriculum Analysis
| Subject | Course Type | Hours Required |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Calculus | 12 |
| Differential Equations | 4 | |
| Physics | Mechanics/wave & sound | 4 |
| Thermodynamics, Electricity & Magnetism | 4 | |
| Chemistry | General Chemistry | 8 |
| Physical Chemistry | 4 | |
| Adv. Physical Chem. Or Adv. Organic | 4 | |
| Organic Chemistry | 4 | |
| Analytical Chemistry | 4 | |
| General Engineering | Engineering Thermodynamics | 4 |
| Engineering Economy | 3 | |
| Chemical Engineering Materials | 3 | |
| Process Dynamics/Control | 4 | |
| Unit Operations | 4 | |
| Chemical Engineering Lab | 4 | |
| Chemical Process and Plant Design | 3 | |
| Probability and Statistics | 3 | |
| Process Separation | 4 | |
| HSS | Humanities and Social Sciences | 24 |
| Petroleum Engineering | Reservoir | 3 |
| Molecular Transport Process | 4 | |
| Intro to Transport in Porous Media | 3 | |
| Formation Evaluation | 3 | |
| Economics | 3 | |
| Drilling | 3 | |
| Communications | Expository Writing | 4 |
| Computer Programming | 4 | |
| Chem. Process Design | 3 | |
| Advance Writing | 3 | |
| Computer Aided Plant Design | 3 |
