Petroleum engineering is key to the functioning of the modern world, providing both energy and materials for industry. Teesside is a major European centre for the chemical and petroleum processing sector, making it an ideal location for individuals seeking to study for an MSc with industrial relevance.
The programme of lectures and project work, encompasses a wide range of petroleum fundamentals, pertinent to the modern petroleum 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 course is applied in nature and has been designed so that on completion, you are technically well prepared for a career in industry.
Professional accreditation
Our MSc Petroleum Engineering is accredited by the Energy Institute, under licence from the Engineering Council. This means that it meets the requirements for further learning for Chartered Engineer (CEng) under the provisions of UK-SPEC.
By completing this professionally accredited MSc you could benefit from an easier route to professional membership or chartered status, and it can help improve your job prospects and enhance your career. Some companies show preference for graduates who have a professionally accredited qualification, and the earning potential of chartered petroleum engineers can exceed £100,000 a year.
Teesside University Society of Petroleum Engineering student chapter
Our Society of Petroleum Engineering (SPE) student chapter is one of only nine in the UK. SPE is the largest individual member organisation serving managers, engineers, scientists and other professionals worldwide in the upstream segment of the oil and gas industry. Through our SPE chapter we can invite professional speakers from industry, and increase the industrial networking opportunities for students.
For the Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) award you must successfully complete 120 credits of taught modules. For an MSc award you must successfully complete 120 credits of taught modules and a 60-credit master's research project.
You select your master’s research projects from titles suggested by either industry or our academic staff, but you may also, with your supervisor’s agreement, suggest your own titles.
Student projects
Here are some examples of the Major Project module developed by our MSc Petroleum Engineering students.
Course structure
Core modules
MSc candidates
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
The course is delivered using a series of lectures, tutorials and laboratory sessions.
Our MSc Petroleum Engineering is supported by excellent laboratory and engineering machine workshop facilities including fluid flow measurement, computer modelling laboratories, other laboratories and workshops, an excellent library and computing facilities. We have invested around £150,000 in laboratory equipment particularly in within core analysis and enhanced oil recovery.
We have several computer laboratories equipped with specialised and general-purpose software. This generous computing provision gives you extended access to industry-standard software – it allows you to develop skills and techniques using important applications. For upstream processes, Teesside University has access to educational software packages like Petrel, Eclipse, CMG, PIPESIM and Ecrin to simulate the behaviour of oil reservoirs, calculating oil in situ, and oil and gas production optimisation. As for downstream processes, you can use HYSYS to test different scenarios to optimise plant designs.
Petroleum Experts Ltd has donated to Teesside University a network system and 10 educational licences for the IPM suite (Integrated Production Modelling software) which includes Prosper, Gap, Mbal, Pvtp, Reveal and Resolve. This £1.3m system and software is used by our students to design complete field models including the reservoir tanks, all the wells and the surface gathering system.
Petroleum laboratory facilities
Enhanced oil recovery and core analysis laboratory
The flow through porous media, enhanced oil recovery techniques and core analysis is done in the core flooding lab. The lab is equipped with core plugging and trimming, core preparation and conventional core properties measurement equipment. At a higher level, the lab is also equipped to perform some special core analysis measurements such as fluid relative permeabilities as well as rock surface wetting quantification.
Petrophysics laboratory
The petrophysics lab allows you to study the properties of rocks, particularly the measurement of porosity and evaluation of permeability. The lab is equipped with sieve analysis equipment to investigate grain sorting and its effect on permeability and the porosity of rocks. You are able to gauge saturation and fluid flow through porous media.
Surface characterisation laboratory
The rock surface characterisation lab is equipped with a zeta analyser to measure the rock surface electric charge. You study the rock surface wetting state, adsorption and desorption potential using digitised contact angle apparatus and thermos-gravimetric apparatus respectively.
Drilling laboratory
The drilling lab is equipped with mud measurement equipment including mud density, mud rheology and mud filtration systems to enable you to measure mud cake and formation damage. The lab highlights the importance of oilfield drilling fluids.
How you are assessed
Assessment varies from module to module. The assessment methodology could include in-course assignments, design exercises, technical reports, presentations or formal examinations. For your MSc project you prepare a dissertation.
These courses provide specialist education tailored to the requirements of both the upstream and downstream petroleum industry. The relevance of this education combined with careful selection of candidates has encouraged oil and gas companies to target our graduates for recruitment over the years.
The petroleum industry is subject to dramatic changes of fortune over time, with the oil price capable of very rapid rates of change in either direction. Petroleum, however, remains the dominant source of energy, with current world production of oil and gas at record rates. In this environment, companies face increasing technological and commercial challenges to keep their wells flowing and are increasingly dependent on input from petroleum engineers and geoscientists.
Do you have an undergraduate degree in Chemistry or a substantive element within the subject and are you wondering what to study next to get into a specialised field? An oil and gas chemist is a highly skilled, highly paid professional with a vital impact on the world's energy industry production both now and in the future. You would not only look at the production side of energy exploration but you are looking at bioremediation, analysis, flow risk, natural gas and in depth analysis to ensure that energy producers supply the correct quality constantly.
You also get involved in corrosion prevention in terms of facilities and development of a new supply of chemical products to ensure improved production and remediation techniques are applied. This is a highly skilled profession with international applications across global facilities often working within interdisciplinary teams. The programme draws on expertise at Aberdeen which has been known for its energy production since the 1970s. This has allowed for both strong academic rigour and industry input to develop a consistently high standard of industry relevant vocational advanced degrees specifically for the oil and gas industry. Programmes are run from the university or online from Aberdeen where it is possible to do this. Aberdeen, Scotland is located at the heart of the European oil and gas industry and on a par with Houston, Texas in terms of knowledge and skills in the city.
The programme addresses a growing need for environmental responsibility looking at production and refining materials, energetics and environmental impact remediation in a constantly evolving oil and gas environment and within a constantly changing regulatory environment internationally.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
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*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
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You may be interested in:
If have an engineering, science or mathematics degree and you are considering work in the oil and gas industry worldwide Petroleum Engineering can provide you with a wide range of knowledge and skills within the upstream oil and gas extraction area. The programme mainly focuses on the skills you need to extract oil which can be the initial geoscience knowledge through to core analysis and reservoir engineering. Within reservoir and well engineering there are several areas of analysis, testing and development you then specialise in. This ensures you have a very robust approach to offshore production with the type of advanced skills to problem solve and troubleshoot different situations.
The programme also develops your skills in formation evaluation, simulation, and appraisal plus safe production and enhancing the recovery of hydrocarbon oil and gas. This programme is highly regarded in the industry internationally and it is recognised by all major players in the oil and gas industry. Careers can be anything from Drilling, Operations, Piping Specification, Production, Reservoir, Subsurface and Wellhead Engineer. The degree hold accreditation from the Energy Institute and Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
This programme is relevant for any oil and gas professional or professional interested in working in the industry worldwide. It is taught by world renowned international experts from the industry, researching and teaching the skills and knowledge necessary. Aberdeen is seen as the oil and gas European capital of the industry with major FTSE 100 multinationals located in the city.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
for online delivery
Find out about international fees:
Find out more about fees on the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
Other engineering disciplines you may be interested in:
A comprehensive range of subjects is studied covering the whole spectrum of natural gas engineering, providing a sound base from which to select an area of specialised study.
You may also be eligible for membership of the Gas Engineering and Management Institute and subsequently become a Chartered Engineer. Alternatively you may wish to continue your studies to PhD level, researching gas engineering or other related subjects available within the School of Computing, Science & Engineering.
Duration:
September intake
MSc (one year full-time or two years part-time)
PgDip (nine months full-time or one year and six months part-time)
January intake
MSc (one year and four months full-time or two years and eight months part-time)
PgDip (one year full-time or two years part-time)
Teaching will take the form of traditional lectures in a class room, with PowerPoint presentations and videos and reference to laboratory work, demonstrations, workshops and tutorials and use of specialised software as applicable.
Coursework and labs – 30%
Examinations – 70%
Plus Dissertation
Graduates pursue a variety of careers in the natural gas/oil industry. The programme covers all aspects of gas technology and associated gas business management and will enable students to increase their skills and technical knowledge.
You may want to go on to further study with our Engineering 2050 Research Centre as part of the Spray Research Group.
The Spray Research Group is specialised in the production of sprays, atomiser design and turbulent spray structures. The group has a wide variety of experience in applying experimental and computational modelling techniques, utilising state-of-the-art facilities to fundamental and industrial and commercial applications of sprays, the design of atomisation devices and Petroleum Technology. We have a wide variety of experience in applying experimental and simulation modelling techniques, utilising state-of-the-art facilities to fundamental and industrial and commercial applications of Petroleum Technology.
Our expertise also extends to fluid mechanical and instrumentation related research and devoplment in the covers the production of sprays, the structures of sprays and interaction with fluid/boundary interactions, mixing, vaporization and combustion.
Research areas include:
Primarily suited to hydrocarbon industry professionals who wish to further develop their knowledge and skills while working, this online version of the well-established Royal Holloway MSc course has an international reputation for excellence in the petroleum industry.
Finding new reserves is becoming ever more challenging and the enhanced recovery of reserves from existing fields is becoming increasingly important. Well-trained Petroleum Geoscientists with the ability to integrate geological and geophysical data, and to apply it on a variety of scales, have a vital role to play.
This MSc in Petroleum Geoscience provides training in the practical and technical skills to address a range of exploration and production challenges, from predicting the likely distribution of hydrocarbons in a frontier sedimentary basin, to quantifying the complex structural, stratigraphic and sedimentological architecture of individual reservoirs.
Royal Holloway, University of London is one of the leading centres for Earth Science research in the UK. It has excellent links with the international oil industry and a strong programme of industry-funded petroleum geology research, which ensures that this Masters is up-to-date, focused and commercially relevant.
Royal Holloway staff provide tutorial support for each module, plus guidance for your dissertation and for project work, which is based on industry data.
- Comprehensive learning materials delivered via a dedicated web portal: video clips, animations, audiovisual presentations, fully illustrated manuals, self-assessment quizzes, exercises and computer-based practicals including examples of subsurface data such as seismic and well-log data
- A field trip and intensive study seminars held in the UK as part of the final module on the course
- Option to be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Petroleum Geoscience if you choose not to undertake the project.
The programme has been developed by academics within the Department of Earth Sciences at Royal Holloway using the material and experience from the campus-based Petroleum Geoscience MSc course that has been running since 1985. The Royal Holloway Earth Sciences Department achieved an 'excellence' rating for teaching quality and 70% of our research was graded as world-leading or internationally excellent in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.
Many graduates of the campus-based MSc are now well-established, successful industry professionals with careers ranging from national oil companies to geoscience IT and consultancy to academia.
This course is offered online with each module running with tutor support for a three month period during the academic year, and available the rest of the time for preview and revision. This online structure enables you to fit your studies around work and family commitments. To complete an MSc in a three year period you will need to study an average of 20 hours per week during the academic session.
Fully supported by a Virtual Learning Environment, you will have the opportunity for interaction with online tutors to discuss course material and exercises; a virtual student cafe allows you to interact and network with other students.
If you have any questions, please contact our Student Advice Centre.
This industry-focused programme - run jointly by the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow - focuses on the principles, methods, techniques and technologies that underpin a vast range of needs in applications spanning from research to industry to medicine.
The programme is designed for students looking to develop the skills and knowledge that will open up opportunities in the many companies developing sensor and image based solutions.
Sensing and sensor systems are essential for advances in research across all fields of physics, engineering and chemistry and can be enhanced when multiple sensing functions are combined into arrays to enable imaging.
Industrial applications of sensor systems are ubiquitous: from mass-produced sensors found in modern smartphones and cars to the state-of-the-art, specialist high-value sensors routinely used in oil and gas recovery, scientific equipment, machine tools, medical equipment and environmental monitoring.
This programme is run over 12 months. The first semester of taught courses is run at the University of Glasgow and the second at the University of Edinburgh. The taught courses are followed by a research project, carried out at either university, leading to the production of your masters thesis.
Semester 1
Semester 1 is delivered at the University of Glasgow.
Semester 2
Semester 2 is delivered at the University of Edinburgh.
Two compulsory courses:
Two to four (depending on course weighting) optional courses in engineering and/or chemistry:
Sensor and imaging systems (SIS) underpin a vast range of societal, research and industrial needs. Sensing is essential for advances in capability across all fields of physics, engineering and chemistry and is enhanced when individual sensing units are configured in arrays to enable imaging and when multiple sensing functions are integrated into a single smart system.
This Masters in Sensor and Imaging Systems (SIS) focuses on the technologies and techniques that underpin a vast range of societal, research and industrial needs. It is delivered and awarded jointly by the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Sensing and sensor systems are essential for advances in research across all fields of physics, engineering and chemistry and are enhanced when multiple sensing functions are combined into arrays to enable imaging. Industrial applications of sensor systems are ubiquitous: from mass-produced sensors found in modern smart phones and every modern car to the state-of-the-art, specialist high-value sensors routinely used in oil and gas recovery, scientific equipment, machine tools, medical equipment and environmental monitoring. This is an industry-focused programme, designed for people looking to develop skills that will open up opportunities in a host of end applications.
The programme comprises a mix of core and optional courses. The curriculum you undertake is flexible and tailored to your prior experience and expertise, your particular research interests, and the specific nature of the extended research project topic provisionally identified at the beginning of the MSc programme.
Graduates receive a joint degree from the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow.
You will gain an understanding of sensor-based systems applicable to a whole host of markets supported by CENSIS.
Career opportunities are extensive. Sensor systems are spearheading the next wave of connectivity and intelligence for internet connected devices, underpinning all of the new ‘smart markets’, e.g., grid, cities, transport and mobility, digital healthcare and big data.
You will graduate with domain-appropriate skills suitable for a range of careers in areas including renewable energy, subsea and marine technologies, defence, automotive engineering, intelligent transport, healthcare, aerospace, manufacturing and process control, consumer electronics, and environmental monitoring.
Globally, the market for sensor systems is valued at £500Bn with an annual growth rate of 10%. The Scottish sensor systems market is worth £2.6Bn pa. There are over 170 sensor systems companies based in Scotland (SMEs and large companies), employing 16,000 people in high-value jobs including product R&D, design, engineering, manufacturing and field services.
