West Virginia University

Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering
P.O. Box 6070
Morgantown, WV 26506-6070
Phone: (304) 293-7682
Facsimile: (304) 293-5708

Department email: sameri@wvu.edu
Department website: http://www.pnge.cemr.wvu.edu/

Dean: Eugene Cilento, Engineering and Mineral Resources
Chair: Samuel Ameri, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering

Contact Information

Petroleum Engineering Degree Information

Accreditation

Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering is accredited by ABET.

Curriculum Description

Undergraduate:

The BS in petroleum and natural gas engineering program includes all to the mathematics, science, engineering and humanities courses required by ABET accredited engineering curricula. The petroleum and natural gas engineering courses available as required or elective courses cover the full range of drilling, production, formation evaluation, and reservoir engineering subject areas. A total of 131 hours are required for the BS petroleum engineering degree.

The petroleum and natural gas engineering undergraduate program educational objectives are to:

• The graduates will be successful in their professional careers as petroleum engineers in the energy industry, government agencies, and/or post-graduate education
• The graduates will be successful in effectively formulating, communicating, and implementing solutions to engineering problems in a variety of professional environments
• The graduates will be successful in demonstrating their obligations to the profession, to their employer, and to society.

Masters and Doctorate:

Candidates for the MS petroleum engineering program are required to have essentially the education background of a BS in petroleum engineering. If they do not have this degree, they must make up the deficiencies. Two degree programs are available: 1) 30 hours including 6 hours for research thesis, and 2) 33 hours including 3 hours for a comprehensive problem solution.

Each student will develop a program with a major in petroleum engineering, designed to meet her/his needs and objectives in consultation with an advisor and the advisory and examining committee (AEC). A minimum of 54 hours of course work and 30 hours of independent research above and beyond a bachelor’s degree, or 30 hours of course work and 24 hours of independent research beyond a M.S. degree are required. The student must take and pass a written qualifying examination no later than one semester after completion of the required courses. In order to be admitted to candidacy, the student must pass the candidacy exam, which is designed to evaluate the student’s overall ability to engage in high-level research. At the completion of the dissertation research, the candidate must prepare a dissertation and defend it

Program Admission Requirements

Undergraduate:

Admission is based on a combination of high school grade point average (unweighted
4.0 scale) and standardized test scores or Math Placement exam scores. For more information, please consult the website at http://www.pnge.cemr.wvu.edu/ or email Samuel Ameri at sameri@wvu.edu.

Masters and Doctorate:

An applicant with a baccalaureate degree, or its equivalent, from a program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), Computer Science Accreditation Board (CSAB), or an internationally recognized program in engineering or computer science will be admitted on the same basis as engineering or computer science graduates of WVU. Lacking these qualifications, an applicant must first fulfill any special requirements of the department in which the student is seeking an advanced degree. Admission as a graduate student is required of all applicants for admission to a program of study and research leading to the Ph.D. degree. Applicants for admission must hold or expect to receive a bachelor’s degree in engineering or computer science from an accredited or an internationally recognized program in engineering or computer science. Although a bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement, a master’s degree in engineering or computer science is recommended for applicants. An applicant who holds a B.S. or M.S. in one of the physical sciences or mathematics may be considered for admission. Admission to graduate study does not necessarily assure entrance into a CEMR doctoral program.

In addition to the University and CEMR Ph.D. requirements, as specified in CEMR Ph.D. Program Guidelines, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering (PNGE) Ph.D. applicants must meet the following requirements: B.S. or M.S. degree in petroleum engineering from an ABET accredited or an internationally recognized petroleum engineering program or equivalent; with a grade point average (GPA) equal to or greater than 3.00 and 3.20, respectively. An applicant who holds a B.S. or M.S. in other engineering areas or physical sciences may be considered for admission on a provisional basis with initial determination of deficiency courses for each individual. The conversion to regular status will be contingent on successful completion of deficiency courses. At least 75 percentile rating is required for Graduate Record Examination (GRE) quantitative analysis. This requirement will be waived for the applicants who hold M.S.PNGE from WVU with GPA of 3.5. A TOEFL test score of 213 (equivalent to 550 old score) or better is required for international applicants whose native language is not English. At least three recommendation letters, one of which must be from the applicant’s previous thesis advisor or an academic equivalent

Faculty Information

Cumulative Degrees Awarded

Curriculum Analysis