Bob L. Herd Department of
Petroleum Engineering

(Back to College of Engineering)

Quick Links

Undergraduate ProgramGraduate ProgramCourse DescriptionsFaculty

 

About the Program

This department supervises the following degree programs and certificate:

• Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering
• Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering
• Doctor of Philosophy in Petroleum Engineering
• Graduate Certificate in Petroleum Engineering

Mission. The mission of the Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering has three elements:

• To provide excellent instruction and design experiences essential for graduates to enter the practice of petroleum engineering and pursue lifelong professional development.
• To provide research opportunities for students that generate, communicate, and apply new knowledge for the betterment of society.
• To foster a spirit of service and leadership among students and faculty and assist the public in addressing issues concerning using our resources, protecting our environment, and developing our infrastructure.

Program Educational Objectives. The department supports the mission of the university through its undergraduate program by providing students with an appropriate curriculum and educational experience. The course selection and content remain current through continuous assessment by faculty, students, alumni, petroleum industry advisory board (PIAB) members, and industry employers. To accomplish the mission, the petroleum engineering faculty, with advice from students, alumni, PIAB members, and industry employers, endorse program educational objectives to generate petroleum engineering graduates who will accomplish the following during the first few years after graduation:

• Be successful in diverse career paths in the petroleum industry.
• Continue professional development through participation and leadership in professional organizations (SPE, ASEE, API, AADE, SPWLA).
• Pursue lifelong learning through continuing education or post-graduate education (professional meetings, short courses, graduate courses).
• Progress to professional registration so that some individuals graduate from an ABET-accredited degree plan, pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, work in increasingly responsible engineering positions, and pass the Professional Exam.

The department, by fulfilling these objectives, will remain faithful to the mission of the College of Engineering and Texas Tech University, and in so doing, will satisfy the needs of the people of the state of Texas.

Program Outcomes. Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering program as well as the Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering and the Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering programs are educated to develop the following:

• An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.
• An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.
• An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs.
• An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams
• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
• An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
• An ability to communicate effectively.
• A broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context.
• A recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in lifelong learning.
• A knowledge of contemporary issues.
• An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

Program Overview. The department is uniquely located in the Permian Basin, where approximately 22 percent of the nation’s petroleum resources and 68 percent of Texas’ petroleum resources lie within a 175-mile radius. The department fulfills an obligation to the people of the State of Texas and the nation in making available the technical expertise for the safe and efficient development, production, and management of petroleum resources.

Petroleum engineering is the practical application of the basic and physical sciences of mathematics, geology, physics, and chemistry and all of the engineering sciences to the discovery, development, production, and transportation of petroleum. Petroleum is the most widely used form of mobile energy and now supplies approximately three-fourths of the total energy used in the United States. It is also a major raw material from which a wide variety of products are manufactured.

The department strongly encourages students to experience at least one summer internship for professional growth. Intern students will be assessed externally. The department has conferred over 1,900 B.S. degrees since the program’s inception in 1948. A high-priority goal is to produce quality B.S. graduates measured by:

• Nearly 100 percent placement of graduates each year.
• Student average starting salaries near the top of the national average in accredited U.S. petroleum engineering departments.
• Provide summer intern opportunities and experiences within the industry for 100 percent of students desiring positions.
• Ninety percent Fundamentals of Engineering Examination pass rate of graduating seniors.
• Recruiting quality undergraduates.
• ABET accreditation.
• Petroleum Industry Advisory Board recommendations on curriculum and graduates.
• An independent assessment of capstone senior course.

The department is heavily involved in assisting our students to find employment—both summer internships and full-time positions—upon graduation. Approximately 50 companies have recruited our students and nearly 100 percent of them have been placed upon graduation for the previous 15 years. Approximately 50 percent of our undergraduate body is on scholarship. An interview and resume workshop for the fall and spring semesters is conducted to assist students with interviewing and resume writing skills as an additional effort to maintain our outstanding placement rate. The curriculum is under continuous review, and revisions are made as needed to maintain accreditation and ensure employability of students. Faculty participation with ABET and the SPE Education and Accreditation Committee ensure the department is current on engineering education. In addition, faculty have attended and been principal planners in all eight of the Colloquiums on Petroleum Engineering Education. Changes in the petroleum engineering curriculum since 1991 have been implemented by the Petroleum Engineering Curriculum Committee after due consideration of input from the Petroleum Industry Advisory Board, ABET recommendations, and the department’s planning and assessment tools.

The department assists students to obtain summer internships. This provides invaluable and highly recommended industry experience to students. The increasing department involvement in industrial research provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to participate actively in the research experience on campus.

The Petroleum Engineering curriculum is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).Back to Top

Undergraduate Program

Success in engineering courses is highly dependent on knowledge and skills in mathematics. It is strongly recommended that students have a minimum mathematics SAT score of 610, a minimum score of 28 on the mathematics ACT, or take mathematics courses at a junior or community college to be prepared to take calculus classes at Texas Tech.

All students in the department are expected to have access to a personal computer. Many instructors require students to transfer homework via email. Some instructors transfer information to students using the Internet. The department recommends that students acquire a personal laptop computer to facilitate coursework. Students should check with the department for hardware and software recommendations.

Curriculum. Petroleum engineering applies the curriculum management of the Whitacre College of Engineering.

Minors. Along with the Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering degree, students may declare a minor (18 hours in a subject) in a field of their choice. Any required or elective courses in petroleum engineering may be applied toward the minor with the approval of the minor department (and department advisor). While declaration of a minor is not required, it is strongly recommended. Suggested minors are, but not limited to, mechanical engineering, geosciences, mathematics, or energy commerce. These minors can be earned with some additional hours.

A minor in petroleum engineering consists of 18 or more hours in petroleum engineering courses, including PETR 1305, 2302, 2302; GEOL 1303; and two junior- or higher-level PETR courses (with the exception of PETR 3308). Prerequisites and corequisites for all of the courses will be enforced.

Freshman Admissions. For admission into the Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering, freshmen and entering transfer students (with less than 12 hours of transferable college work) must meet published assured admission standards. Students who are interested in declaring petroleum engineering as their major but do not meet assured admission requirements will enter the major of engineering undeclared and remain as such until the student meets the transfer admission requirements.

Transfer Admissions. Students applying for transfer into petroleum engineering from another institution or from another department at Texas Tech must have completed a minimum of 30 hours of transferable college work that includes Calculus I and II (MATH 1351 and 1352), Chemistry I (CHEM 1307 and 1107), PHYS 1408, and English I and II (ENGL 1301 and 1302) with a GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Curriculum Table

• Petroleum Engineering

Back to Top

 

Graduate Program

The department is staffed with industry-experienced faculty who has an average of more than 20 years of experience per faculty member. This experience is combined with sound engineering and scientific principles in the classroom and made an integral part of the candidate’s educational challenge. Also, the department is located in a geographical area that produces 20 percent of the nation’s petroleum resources and 68 percent of Texas’ petroleum resources lie within a 175-mile radius. This proximity provides the student with unique opportunities for directly interfacing with industry while still a student as well as first hand observations of oil field operations. The department has been consistently ranked in the top ten petroleum engineering departments for both the graduate and undergraduate program.

Graduate studies in petroleum engineering prepare the engineer to assume responsibility in technical and managerial areas within the oil and gas industry. Historically, the graduate can expect to be challenged quickly and in areas of strong potential for personal and professional growth. Candidates with superior skills and the desire to progress within the industry can expect to be successful. The Petroleum Engineering Department at Texas Tech prepares the advanced student with the technical skills required to meet those challenges. Access to a laptop is required.

All petroleum-engineering courses can be taken for credit. A grade of B or better must be obtained in all graduate courses. No more than six hours of PETR 5000 can appear in a master degree plan without approval from the graduate dean. The curriculum is organized into five core areas that denote the teaching and research concentration of the faculty. The master’s degree plan of a petroleum engineering student should include at least one course from each of the five core areas; the doctoral degree plan should include at least two courses in each core area.

Drilling Engineering—PETR 5000, 5302, 5303, 5315, 5317.

Production Engineering—5000, 5306, 5314, 5316, 5318, 5319.

Reservoir Engineering—PETR 5000, 5307, 5311, 5320, 5321, 5323, 5325, 5326.

Formation Evaluation—PETR 5000, 5304, 5305, 5308, 5324, 5328, 5329.

Computational—PETR 5309, 5310, 5312, 5313, 5322, 5327.

All graduate students are required to register for PETR 5121 or 7121 each long semester unless exempted by the chairperson. The graduate seminar course does not count toward fulfilling degree requirements for the graduate program.

 

Master's Program

Master's with Thesis. The master’s program requires a minimum of 33 graduate credit hours above the baccalaureate degree, including 6 credit hours allowed for the thesis. The department graduate advisor will meet, advise, and approve courses for the degree each semester. A written thesis is required for the master’s degree. In addition, the candidate’s thesis committee will administer a final oral exam in defense of the completed thesis.

Master's Without Thesis.The department also offers a nonthesis master’s program that requires a minimum of 33 graduate credit hours approved by the graduate advisor (excluding seminar). The graduate program for nonthesis master’s candidate is specifically tailored for that candidate’s educational background, industry experience, and individual interest.

For both the thesis and the nonthesis programs, a final comprehensive examination is required. The policy governing the comprehensive examination is available with the departmental graduate advisor. Comprehensive examinations are given only after the graduate dean has admitted the students to candidacy.

Combined B.S.—M.S. Degrees. Student entering the petroleum engineering program are assigned a faculty advisor and are responsible for arranging a course of study with the advisor’s counsel and approval. Programs leading to a combined B.S.–M.S. degree are available. Students interested in these programs should inform their academic advisor during the first semester of the junior year. Students must meet all Graduate School admission requirements (www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool).

 

Doctoral Program

The objectives of the Ph.D. program are to provide students opportunities to reach a critical understanding of the basic scientific and engineering principles underlying their fields of interest and to cultivate their ability to apply these principles creatively through advanced methods of analysis, research, and synthesis. The Ph.D. degree is awarded primarily on the basis of research. Applicants for the doctoral degree must have a degree in engineering disciplines and must meet the approval of the department’s graduate committee. Students majoring in this department for doctoral degree must take diagnostic examinations (or preliminary examination) by the end of their second long semester. These examinations are based on the undergraduate curriculum. Each student is required to take the diagnostic examinations in their area of specialization and any three-core areas.

In addition to regulations established by the Graduate School, applicants for candidacy for the doctor’s degree are required to demonstrate high proficiency in a single research area. The coursework for each student must meet the approval of the student’s doctoral advisory committee. The department has no specific foreign language requirement (but a foreign language for the Ph.D. degree can be specified at the discretion of the student’s dissertation advisor). Research tools are included as an integral part of the degree program in the leveling, minor, or major courses of each student. Additional information may be obtained from the departmental program advisor.

 

Certificate Program

The department offers a Graduate Certificate in Petroleum Engineering that is intended to supplement a course of study for the student who possesses an engineering degree other than petroleum engineering. The successful student will complete 18 hours as determined by the program and must complete with a B or better. The certificate program is intended to provide the above-average student with basic education in petroleum engineering.Back to Top

 

Course Descriptions

• Petroleum Engineering (PETR)

Back to Top

Faculty

Click here to view alphabetical listing of all TTU faculty and their academic credentials.

Lloyd R. Heinze, Ph.D., Chairperson

Roy S. Butler Professor: Heinze
Associate Professors: House, Menouar, Ziaja
Assistant Professors: Awal, Siddiqui
Instructors: Giussani, Taylor, WatsonBack to Top