Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, B.S.

Program Description

The undergraduate curriculum in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering has been designed to equip the student with the fundamentals necessary to achieve lifelong professional growth. Graduates are prepared to enter both the private and public sectors as petroleum and natural gas engineers or to pursue further education at the graduate level.

The courses are structured to serve as a melting pot for theory, application to case studies, and engineering project design. This enables the student to appreciate and understand that a successful engineering design project requires a sound theoretical foundation, experimentation and engineering judgment. The thrust of the program structure emphasizes the fundamentals of mathematics and earth and engineering sciences and integrates them in application to traditional petroleum and natural gas engineering topics. Design projects are required throughout the curriculum. Execution of these projects requires an amalgamation of problem formulation strategies, testing of alternative design methodologies, feasibility studies, and economic and environmental considerations. Graduates of the program are expected to perform in various facets of the petroleum industry including drilling, production, evaluation, transportation, and storage. The petroleum and natural gas engineering faculty and staff are committed to an interactive teaching and learning environment to ensure that the student is an active participant in the learning process. General education opportunities are sufficiently broad and diverse in scope to enable the student to tailor the educational experience to particular interests, background, and expected role in society.

What is Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering?

Petroleum and natural gas engineers solve crucial problems related to one of the most important resources for society today: energy. It's a dynamic field that allows graduates to work in a range of environments, from the Marcellus Shale regions in the Northeast to offshore sites in the Gulf of Mexico. The work can involve getting your hands dirty in the field or working in an office, planning out how to overcome obstacles related to drilling, production, evaluation, transportation, and storage—the entire scope of the energy extraction industry. Petroleum and natural gas engineers have the important job of assessing, locating, and extracting fuel resources while adhering to environmental standards. Petroleum engineers are also well suited to solve complex problems in aquifer cleanup of inorganic and organic contaminants and in design of geothermal energy extraction.

You Might Like This Program If...

• You want to use science and engineering principles to address the technological challenges of the petroleum and natural gas industry.
• You like traveling both within the U.S. and internationally, and working outside including in unique settings such as offshore rigs.
• You enjoy combining disciplines such as geology, physics, and math to solve problems, and using technical skills both in the office and in the field.

Entrance to Major

This program currently has administrative enrollment controls. Administrative Enrollment Controls are initiated when limitations of space, faculty, or other resources in a major prevent accommodating all students who request them. Students must follow the administrative enrollment controls that are in effect for the semester that they enter the university.

First-Year Students Entering Summer 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019

In order to be eligible for entrance to this major, students must satisfy the following requirements:

• completed 40-59 credits at Penn State (actual credits taken at the University)
• completed with a grade of C or better: CHEM 110, CHEM 112 MATH 140, MATH 141, and PHYS 211
• earned a minimum of 2.70 cumulative GPA

Students Who Entered Prior to Summer 2018

Students who entered the University prior to the summer 2018 semester should view the administrative enrollment controls for the semester that they entered the university on the Academic Advising Portal.

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, a minimum of 129 credits is required:

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol  appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required.)

• Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Knowledge Domains

• Arts (GA): 6 credits
• Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 6 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 6 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 9 credits

Integrative Studies (may also complete a Knowledge Domain requirement)

• Inter-Domain or Approved Linked Courses: 6 credits

30 of these 45 credits are included in the Requirements for the Major.

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement    

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

• United States Cultures: 3 credits
• International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Requirements for the Major

This includes 30 credits of General Education courses: 3 credits of GH courses; 9 credits of GN courses; 6 credits of GQ courses; 3 credits of GS courses; 9 credits of GWS courses.

To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn a grade of C or better in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
CHEM 111	Experimental Chemistry I	1
ECON 102	Introductory Microeconomic Analysis and Policy	3
EMSC 100S	Earth and Mineral Sciences First-Year Seminar 1	3
MATH 220	Matrices	2
MATH 231	Calculus of Several Variables	2
MATH 251	Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations	4
PHYS 213	General Physics: Fluids and Thermal Physics	2
EMCH 210	Statics and Strength of Materials 2	5
EMCH 212	Dynamics	3
GEOSC 1	Physical Geology	3
EME 460	Geo-resource Evaluation and Investment Analysis	3
GEOSC 454	Geology of Oil and Gas	3
PNG 301	Introduction to Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering	3
PNG 490	Introduction to Petroleum Engineering Design	1
ENGL 202C	Effective Writing: Technical Writing	3
PNG 420	Applied Reservoir Analysis and Secondary Recovery	3
PNG 425	Principles of Well Testing and Evaluation	3
PNG 430	Reservoir Modeling	3
PNG 440	Formation Evaluation	3
PNG 480	Surface Production Engineering	3
PNG 482	Production Engineering Laboratory	1
PNG 491	Capstone Design in Drilling and Completions	1
PNG 492	Petroleum Engineering Capstone Design	1
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
CHEM 110	Chemical Principles I	3
CHEM 112	Chemical Principles II	3
MATH 140	Calculus With Analytic Geometry I	4
MATH 141	Calculus with Analytic Geometry II	4
PHYS 211	General Physics: Mechanics	4
PHYS 212	General Physics: Electricity and Magnetism	4
EME 301	Thermodynamics in Energy and Mineral Engineering	3
EME 303	Fluid Mechanics in Energy and Mineral Engineering	3
PNG 405	Rock and Fluid Properties	3
PNG 406	Rock and Fluid Laboratory	1
PNG 410	Applied Reservoir Engineering	3
PNG 450	Drilling Engineering	3
PNG 451	Drilling Laboratory	1
PNG 475	Production and Completions Engineering	3
Additional Courses
Select 9 credits: one course from categories A, B, and C:		9
A.
ENGL 15	Rhetoric and Composition
or ENGL 30	Honors Freshman Composition
B.
PHIL 103	Introduction to Ethics
PHIL 106	Business Ethics
PHIL 107	Philosophy of Technology
PHIL 233	Ethics and the Design of Technology
C.
CMPSC 201	Programming for Engineers with C++
or CMPSC 202
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Select 6 credits in consultation with adviser (students may apply 6 credits of ROTC)		6

Integrated B.S. in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering (PNGE) and M.S. in Energy and Mineral Engineering (EME)

The integrated undergraduate-graduate (IUG) program between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering undergraduate program and the Energy and Mineral Engineering graduate program enables academically superior and research-focused PNGE undergraduate students to also obtain an M.S. degree in Energy and Mineral Engineering in five years of study. Students should refer to the Energy and Mineral Engineering graduate program in the Graduate Program Bulletin for the IUG admission and degree requirements. (http://bulletins.psu.edu/bulletins/whitebook/graduate_degree_programs.cfm?letter=E&program=grad_eme.htm)

Course Substitutions for the Integrated B.S. in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering (PNGE) and M.S. in Energy and Mineral Engineering (EME)

As many as twelve of the credits required for the master's degree may be applied to both the B.S. and M.S. degrees. A minimum of six credits counted for both the B.S. and M.S. degrees must be at the 500-level. Thesis and culminating/capstone experience credits may not be double counted. The undergraduate degree program officer will determine the specific undergraduate required courses for which the 500-level courses may be used to substitute to meet institutional and accreditation requirements.

Program Educational Objectives

1. Our graduates will integrate key science and engineering principles to address the technological challenges of the petroleum and natural gas industry.
2. Our graduates will practice in a broad range of petroleum engineering fields working on teams that create innovative solutions to the most pressing problems of the petroleum and natural gas industry by implementing the ideals of ethical behavior, professionalism, and environmental sensitivity and social awareness.
3. Our graduates will be recognized as critical and independent thinkers and will assume positions of leadership in defining the social, intellectual, business and technical dimensions of the professional organizations they belong to.
4. Our graduates will continue their lifelong learning process and participate in graduate education to remain as effective professionals in the workplace of the future.

Student Outcomes

Graduates of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering program will acquire:

• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
• An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
• An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
• An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
• An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
• An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
• An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university’s academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee’s unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information need to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Yilin John Wang
Program Chair for Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering
202 Hosler Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-8474
yjw2@psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

University Park Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

* Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡ Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

# Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

† Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy University Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

GWS, GQ, GHW, GN, GA, GH, and GS are abbreviations used to identify General Education program courses. General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ) and Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS, and Integrative Studies). Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of ‘C’ or better. 

Integrative Studies courses are required for the General Education program. N is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate an Inter-Domain course and Z is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate a Linked course.

All incoming Schreyer Honors College first-year students at University Park will take ENGL/CAS 137 in the fall semester and ENGL/CAS 138 in the spring semester. These courses carry the GWS designation and replace both ENGL 30 and CAS 100. Each course is 3 credits.

Advising Notes:

Only students who are enrolled in EMSC or DUS are eligible to apply to PNGE.

Courses required for the major may be offered fall semester only, spring semester only, or both fall and spring semesters.  Consult with your adviser and department to discuss your academic progress and course sequencing.  

The PNGE program strongly recommends that students have summer internships, as many companies will only consider hiring PNGE graduates who have had at least one internship.

Commonwealth Campuses

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

* Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡ Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

# Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

† Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy University Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

GWS, GQ, GHW, GN, GA, GH, and GS are abbreviations used to identify General Education program courses. General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ) and Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS, and Integrative Studies). Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of ‘C’ or better. 

Integrative Studies courses are required for the General Education program. N is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate an Inter-Domain course and Z is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate a Linked course.

All incoming Schreyer Honors College first-year students at University Park will take ENGL/CAS 137 in the fall semester and ENGL/CAS 138 in the spring semester. These courses carry the GWS designation and replace both ENGL 30 and CAS 100. Each course is 3 credits.

Advising Notes:

Only students who are enrolled in EMSC or DUS are eligible to apply to PNGE.

Courses required for the major may be offered fall semester only, spring semester only, or both fall and spring semesters.  Consult with your adviser and department to discuss your academic progress and course sequencing.  

The PNGE program strongly recommends that students have summer internships, as many companies will only consider hiring PNGE graduates who have had at least one internship.

Career Paths

Graduates of this program find rewarding careers across the globe as engineers for governmental and regulatory bodies, oil and gas producing companies, and other independent and service companies in the energy sector.

Careers

Our graduates may be candidates for careers in a wide range of industries in both the private and public sector including major oil and gas production companies, large and small independents and service companies and government agencies.

MORE INFORMATION

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

Graduates may be well suited to pursue graduate-level studies. Further study toward an M.S. or Ph.D. can lead to research, university, or management positions.

MORE INFORMATION

Professional Resources

• Society of Petroleum Engineers Penn State Student Chapter
• American Association of Drilling Engineers Penn State Student Chapter
• Positive Energy
• International Society of Explosives Engineers Penn State Student Chapter

Accreditation

The baccalaureate program in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc., www.abet.org.

Contact

University Park

JOHN AND WILLIE LEONE FAMILY DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND MINERAL ENGINEERING
113 Hosler Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-3437
eme@ems.psu.edu

http://www.eme.psu.edu