| The award | How you will study | Study duration | Course start | Domestic course fees | International course fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSc | Full-time | 1 year | September | GBP 12680 | GBP 27600 |
| MSc | Distance | 2 - 7 years | September, January | GBP 12680 | GBP 27600 |
The MSc in Petroleum Engineering is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills to tackle the oil and gas industry's most challenging problems. Upon graduating students will be able to understand, frame and solve the most complex of upstream problems in today's petroleum industry.
These courses provide specialist education tailored to the requirements of the upstream petroleum industry. The relevance of this education, combined with careful selection of candidates, has encouraged oil and oilfield service companies to target Heriot-Watt for recruitment of graduates since 1976.
The Petroleum Engineering degree is delivered by the Institute of Petroleum Engineering, a world-leading Institute committed to delivering research and training programmes that meet the needs of the international petroleum industry. Students have been attending the Institute of Petroleum Engineering at Heriot-Watt University to study for the MSc programme in Petroleum Engineering since 1975.
Programme content
The MSc in Petroleum Engineering is a programme of lectures and project work, encompassing a wide range of petroleum engineering fundamentals, relevant to the current petroleum engineering industry.
Project work provides an opportunity for ideas and methods, assimilated through lectures and tutorials, to be applied to real field evaluation and development design problems. The courses on this programme are applied in nature and have been specifically designed so that our students are technically well prepared for, and have a sound knowledge of, the industry.
Our students
Students on the Petroleum Engineering programme come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including directly from undergraduate degrees such as chemical, mechanical, mining and petroleum engineering as well as geology and applied chemistry. Others are oil and gas industry professionals looking to broaden their knowledge and extend their technical expertise.
Our students come to us from all parts of the world, in the last few years the students in all three MSc programmes within the Institute of Petroleum Engineering have come from over 30 different nations.
Graduate profiles
Read our graduate profiles to find out what some of our recent graduates said about their experiences studying Petroleum Engineering at Heriot-Watt.
Industry links
Students on the Petroleum Engineering MSc will benefit from the excellent links with industry and research activities by staff at the Institute of Petroleum Engineering. The Institute also has an industry-based Strategic Advisory Board who monitors activities in the wider context of the needs of the industry and offer guidance on the programme ensuring content is up to date and relevant to current industry needs. Seminar sessions are also conducted by staff from a variety of petroleum engineering companies.
Career opportunities
Graduates of our Petroleum Engineering programme are much sought after by oil operating and oilfield service companies both in the UK and worldwide. Graduates go on to work for major global oil and gas operating companies, service companies as well as smaller consultancies in petroleum engineering. The programme also provides an excellent springboard for graduates wishing to pursue a career in research.
Flexible study options
This programme can be studied full-time, part-time at our Edinburgh campus or via flexible online Independent Distance Learning (IDL), ideal for those in employment or with other commitments, providing flexible study options that fit around work or family. As an IDL student you will not be required to attend any lectures, tutorials or other events at any of Heriot-Watt University's campuses.
Programme duration
The only significant difference with the on-campus delivery is the design project, which is configured as an individual assignment for distance learning candidates.
* An Independent Distance Learning (IDL) programme can be completed in a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 7 years. Students studying the Petroleum Engineering MSc via Independent Distance Learning are expected to spend 12-15 study hours per week and should therefore be able to complete the programme within about three years.
How do I apply?
You can apply via the online application system.
It will tell you which information you'll need to provide, including financial and English language documents.
The Programme Director may arrange to hold a telephone interview with you.
* If you are unsure which category you fall in to, you should complete a fee status enquiry form, which allows us to assess your fees.
Additional fees information
*** Total fees will be £1020 per course, £1020 per research project and £125 per exam.
MSc students will complete 8 courses, 2 research projects and take 8 exams.
All course costs are covered by the tuition fee. This includes full electronic versions of the course notes, core text books, field trips and any day trips arranged as part of the course.
Students should budget additional funds sufficient to cover living expenses such as accommodation, travel to and from the university, food, clothing and leisure pursuits.
Scholarships and bursaries
We aim to encourage well-qualified, ambitious students to study with us and we offer a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries to achieve this. Over £6 million worth of opportunities are available in fee and stipend scholarships, and more than 400 students benefit from this support.
View our full range of postgraduate taught scholarships.
Additional scholarship information
Industrial sponsorship
Many of our past students have gained funding from industry sources, both those companies involved in oil exploration and production in their home countries or larger international companies that offer scholarship programmes. For example:
There are also a number of industrial sponsorships available every year to UK and EU students coming to pursue the degree on-campus in Edinburgh. All eligible UK/EU applicants offered a place to study by 1st April will have their CVs or applications automatically sent to participating petroleum companies, who offer a limited number of sponsorships each year to our students, across all three programmes.
The number of sponsorships offered will vary depending on the companies' needs and situations, and the quality of the student applicants. Successful applicants are usually informed in July. Full details can be found on the University's Industry Scholarships web page.
Entrants to the programme will normally have a good Honours degree (minimum 2:2 or UK equivalent) in engineering or a relevant science discipline such as geology, physics, chemistry or mathematics, from a British or overseas University.
In addition to the academic qualifications, motivation, industrial experience and personality are taken into consideration.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Heriot-Watt University is committed to providing opportunities to applicants who have a wide range of prior experiences through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Prior learning at postgraduate level is normally recognised to gain exemption from individual courses within a programme based on an existing academic qualification. Note that the prior learning must have been rated at the level of the courses for which RPL is sought, yet credits from an award already held by an applicant can only contribute to a higher award in the same discipline, e.g. from PG Diploma to MSc. If you believe that you qualify for RPL, please contact the Learning & Teaching Support Team via egis-enquiries@hw.ac.uk, who will guide you through the RPL application procedure.
The school will only consider students' requests for RPL at the time of application for their programme of study.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language a minimum of IELTS 6.5 or equivalent is required with all elements passed at 6.0 or above. We offer a range of English language courses to help you meet the English language requirement prior to starting your masters programme:
Distance learning students
Please note that independent distance learning students who access their studies online will be expected to have access to a PC/laptop and internet.
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