Masters Degrees in Petrochemical Chemistry

Your programme of study

If you are considering a career or enterprise in oil and gas management or its associated supply chain this degree draws from the strengths of both academics at University of Aberdeen and industry professionals in the city who have helped to shape the programmes and modules from their learning and experiences. The university offers knowledge spanning fifty years in oil and gas production and commercialisation. The university has worked closely with the industry since its inception in Aberdeen city and in the 1970s to provide advanced level learning in the sector.

The programme uniquely offers a great range of knowledge across Geology and Engineering, Business and Law specific to the oil and gas industry but applicable to other similar industries with similar features. The degree offers great value in terms of the range of disciplines it covers and it will open up a range of careers internationally. It also gives you the confidence and knowledge to start up an enterprise yourself or work in mid to senior management within an already established company. Business and Law modules will be very useful to a great many commercial situations and sectors if you choose to apply your knowledge in the future. This also applies to Geology and Engineering which are also subjects in themselves when it comes to employment options.
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This programme is ideal for small specialist companies working with National Oil Companies and energy ministries to commercialise innovation in science and technology and improve hydrocarbon exploration. It combines science with law politics and economics. Alumni work internationally across the supply chain and some of them have started their own businesses.

Courses listed for the programme

Semester 1
Geoscience in Oil Exploration
Introduction to Energy Economics
Drilling and Well Engineering
Management in Engineering Production, Risk Management and Psychology

Semester 2
Porfolio Optimisation - Decision Making and Investment Appraisal
Commercial Law and Regulatory Frameworks
Remediation Technology for Geosciences
Research Skills, Professional Development and Field Study

Semester 3
Project Oil and Gas Enterprise Management

Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/degree-programmes/212/oil-and-gas-enterprise-management/

Why study at Aberdeen?

• You develop skills and knowledge to confidently talk to specialists across science, engineering, and commercialisation
• Research informed subject areas include earth science, petroleum geology, sedimentology, geochemistry, tectonics, and more
• We work with Apache, Statoil, BP, Chevron, Conoco Phillips, Shell, Pemex, to name but a few located in Aberdeen itself
• You learn directly from industry professionals and academics with a high level of expertise

Where you study

• University of Aberdeen
• Full Time
• September and January

International Student Fees 2017/2018

Find out about fees:
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/tuition-fees-and-living-costs-287.php

*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.

Scholarships

View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/finance-funding-1599.php
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/funding/

Living in Aberdeen

Find out more about:
• Your Accommodation
• Campus Facilities
• Aberdeen City
• Student Support
• Clubs and Societies

Find out more about living in Aberdeen:
https://abdn.ac.uk/study/student-life

Living costs
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/finance.php

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Your programme of study

This course is ideally situated to take advantage of the oil and gas industry in Aberdeen city and its industry experts who also have a strong input into the programme content and structure. This combination of academic overview and industry expertise ensures that you have a good range of skills and knowledge which is applicable to the global oil and gas and energy market so ideal if you are international or work or want to work internationally. Your skills are ideally placed to scope out maximising oil field recovery from declining field areas on top of upstream geoscience knowledge from initial exploration to mature and declining field recovery.

Aberdeen has been running this programme since 1973 to the current day, learning with the energy industry which is located in Aberdeen itself. This means that the programme is not only robust drawing on historical learning relevant to the current day, but highly regarded internationally. This strength of knowledge feeds down directly to you as a student and afterwards as a highly trained professional within the energy market.

Regarded as the best of its kind in the world the programme gives you vocational training in geoscience skills for minerals exploration and production, including: seismic interpretation, petrophysical analysis, geochemical evaluation, sedimentology, structural analysis, and reservoir modelling.

Courses listed for the programme

Semester 1

Geophysics and Petrophysics

Applied Sedimentology

Semester 2

Production Geology

Regional Exploration

Professional Skills Incorporating Field Trip

Semester 3

Project in Integrated Petroleum Geosciences

Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/degree-programmes/138/integrated-petroleum-geoscience/

Why study at Aberdeen?

• One of the best in the world in the heart of the European oil industry in Aberdeen
• The programme focuses on upstream geoscience from initial exploration to recovering declining fields
• You learn how to work in multidisciplinary teams involved in hydrocarbon exploration
• You join 98% of graduates in the past decade employed immediately in the oil and gas industry

Where you study

• University of Aberdeen
• Full time
• 12 Months
• September start

International Student Fees 2017/2018

Find out about fees:

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/tuition-fees-and-living-costs-287.php

*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.

Scholarships

View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/finance-funding-1599.php

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/funding/

Living in Aberdeen

Find out more about:

• Your Accommodation
• Campus Facilities
• Aberdeen City
• Student Support
• Clubs and Societies

Find out more about living in Aberdeen:

https://abdn.ac.uk/study/student-life

Living costs

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/finance.php

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Your programme of study

If you are interested in working in the oil and gas industry and you have a science or engineering background you might want to consider Oil and Gas Engineering at Master's degree level. This qualification takes you across the full life cycle of production and it contains quite a few employable elements and modules in themselves giving you a wide variety of skills and knowledge to take with you into employment. You will often work with other specialists on offshore drilling platforms and facilities recording information on drilling, researching the most productive areas, ensuring maintenance and health and safety and a constant flow from a well. You also oversee some of the decommissioning aspects to redundant equipment on site.

This is a highly skilled job with a lot of responsibility associated to it, and you receive excellent input from University of Aberdeen which has been teaching oil and gas related subjects since the inception of the oil and gas industry in Aberdeen since the 1970s. Aberdeen is known the world over for energy production out of Aberdeen city and academics have worked with industry to ensure that knowledge is relevant now and in the future. You study use of technology and management of energy innovation projects.

Courses listed for the programme

Semester 1

Reservoir Engineering

Fundamental Safety Engineering and Risk Management Concepts

Fundamentals of Petroleum Geoscience

Semester 2

Oil and Gas Chemistry

Facilities Engineering

Project Management

Flow Assurance

Semester 3

Project

Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/degree-programmes/210/oil-and-gas-engineering/

Why study at Aberdeen?

• The programme allows you to explore a wide range of career options due to its breadth and depth
• You learn technological skills, health and safety plus risk management, planning and communication
• The programme is fully accredited by IMechE and Energy Institute both industry recognised
• You are uniquely situated in Aberdeen city, Scotland, home of the European energy industry

Where you study

• University of Aberdeen
• Full Time
• 12 Months
• September or January start

International Student Fees 2017/2018

Find out about fees:

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/tuition-fees-and-living-costs-287.php

*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.

Scholarships

View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/finance-funding-1599.php

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/funding/

Living in Aberdeen

Find out more about:

• Your Accommodation
• Campus Facilities
• Aberdeen City
• Student Support
• Clubs and Societies

Find out more about living in Aberdeen:

https://abdn.ac.uk/study/student-life

Living costs

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/finance.php

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Your programme of study

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.

Courses listed for the programme

Semester 1

Materials for the Oil and Gas Industry

Processes, Materials and Bioremediation for the Energy Industry

Chemistry at Interfaces and Enhanced Oil Recovery

Analytical and Instrumentation Methods

Semester 2

Flow Assurance and Oil Field Chemicals

Chemistry of Refinery and Natural Gas

Applied Analytical and Instrumental Methods

Industrial Engagement and Applications

Semester 3

Extended Research Project

Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/degree-programmes/206/oil-and-gas-chemistry/

Why study at Aberdeen?

• The programme is accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry and high commended as an exceptional programme
• You are taught by a research intensive university with close interaction with the oil and gas industry
• The department was ranked 1st IN Scotland for Chemistry research impact (REF 2014)
• Your skills will enable you to perform a wide variety of industrial processes

Where you study

• University of Aberdeen
• 12 Months
• Full time
• September to January start

International Student Fees 2017/2018

Find out about fees:

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/tuition-fees-and-living-costs-287.php

*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.

Scholarships

View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/finance-funding-1599.php

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/funding/

Living in Aberdeen

Find out more about:

• Your Accommodation
• Campus Facilities
• Aberdeen City
• Student Support
• Clubs and Societies

Find out more about living in Aberdeen:

https://abdn.ac.uk/study/student-life

Living costs

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/finance.php

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This is the first masters level degree course that brings academic rigour and focus to this multi-disciplinary subject. The MSc in Flow Assurance for Oil and Gas Production is suitable for engineering and applied science graduates who wish to embark on successful careers in the oil and gas industry. Our strategic links with industry ensures that all the materials taught on the course are relevant, timely and meets the needs of organisations competing within the sector. This industry-led education makes our graduates some of the most desirable the world for energy companies to recruit.

In the foreseeable future, hydrocarbon (oil and gas) will still be the major energy source irrespective of the developments in renewable and nuclear energy. The term ‘flow assurance’ was coined by Petrobras in the early 1990s meaning literally “guarantee of flow.” It covers all methods to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of hydrocarbons from the well to the collection facilities. It is a multi-disciplinary activity involving a number of engineering disciplines including mechanical, chemical, process, control, instrumentation and software engineering.

Previously uneconomical fields are now being exploited - oil and gas are produced in hostile environments from deep water to the Arctic. As conventional oil reserves decline, companies are developing unconventional oil fields with complex fluid properties. All of these factors mean that flow assurance plays an increasingly important role in the oil and gas industry.

Course overview

The MSc in Flow Assurance for Oil and Gas Production is made up of nine compulsory taught modules (eight compulsory and one optional from a selection of three), a group project and an individual research project.

In addition to management, communication, team work and research skills, each student will attain at least the following outcomes from this degree course:

- Develop a professional ability to undertake a critical appraisal of technical and/or commercial literature.
- Demonstrate an ability to manage research studies, and plan and execute projects in the area of oil and gas production technology and flow assurance.
- Use of the techniques appropriate for the management of a oil and gas production and transport systems.
- Gain an in-depth understanding of the technical, economic and environmental issues involved in the design and operation of oil and gas production and transport systems.

Group project

The group project runs between February and April and is designed to give students invaluable experience of delivering a project within an industry structured team. The project is sponsored by industrial partners who provide particular problems linked to their plant operations. Projects generally require the group to provide a solution to the operational problem. This group project is shared across the Process Systems Engineering MSc, Flow Assurance MSc and Carbon Capture and Transport MSc, giving the added benefit of gaining new insights, ways of thinking, experience and skills from students with other backgrounds.

During the project you will develop a range of skills including learning how to establish team member roles and responsibilities, project management, and delivering technical presentations. All groups submit a written report and deliver a presentation to the industry partner. Part-time students will take an additional elective module instead of the group project.

It is clear that the modern design engineer cannot be divorced from the commercial world. In order to provide practice in this matter, a poster presentation will be required from all students. This presentation provides the opportunity to develop presentation skills and effectively handle questions about complex issues in a professional manner.

Recent Group Projects include:

- Waste water treatment process design
- A new operation mode design for a gas processing plant.

Individual Project

The individual research project allows students to delve deeper into a specific area of interest. Our industrial partners often put forward practical problems or areas of development as potential research topics. For part-time students, their research project is usually undertaken in collaboration with their place of work. The individual project takes place from April/May to August.

Recent Individual Research Projects include:

- Separation – from Subsea to Topside
- Evaluation of Multiphase Flow Metering
- Multiphase Jet Pumps
- Sand Transport in Undulating Terrains.

Modules

The taught programme for the Flow Assurance masters is generally delivered from October to March and is comprised of eight compulsory modules, and one optional module to select from a choice of four. The modules are delivered over one to two weeks of intensive delivery with the later part of the module being free from structured teaching to allow time for more independent learning and reflection. Students on the part-time programme will complete all of the compulsory modules based on a flexible schedule that will be agreed with the course director.

Assessment

Taught modules: 40%; Group project: 20% (dissertation for part-time students); Individual Research Project: 40%.
The taught modules are assessed by an examination and/or assignment. The Group Project is assessed by a written technical report and oral presentations. The Individual Research Project is assessed by a written thesis and oral presentation.

Funding

Bursaries are available; please contact the Course Director for more information.

Cranfield Postgraduate Loan Scheme (CPLS) - https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/Study/Postgraduate-degrees/Fees-and-funding/Funding-opportunities/cpls/Cranfield-Postgraduate-Loan-Scheme

The Cranfield Postgraduate Loan Scheme (CPLS) is a funding programme providing affordable tuition fee and maintenance loans for full-time UK/EU students studying technology-based MSc courses.

Career opportunities

There is considerable global demand in the oil and gas industry for flow assurance specialists with in-depth technical knowledge and practical skills. The industry led education makes our graduates some of the most desirable for recruitment in this sector. The depth and breadth of the course equips graduates with knowledge and skills to tackle one of the most demanding challenges to secure our energy resource. Graduates of the course can also be recruited in other upstream and downstream positions. Their knowledge can additionally be applied to the petrochemical, process and power industries.

Further Information

For further information on this course, please visit our course webpage - http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/courses/masters/flow-assurance-for-oil-and-gas-production.html

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APL will be permitted only under the terms of the University procedure.

Successful applicants will normally be required to have an 2ii (or better) honours degree in a subject broadly related to the science, engineering or business and management branches of the oil and gas industry.

Ideally, students should have a working knowledge of chemistry to at least Level 2 (GCSE).

English competence for international applicants should be in-line with University requirements for Masters-level taught degrees (IELTS 6.0 overall and 5.5 in all elements). Please see the English Language Requirements pages for further information.

International Students will require approval from the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS).

Its aim is to help stop the spread of knowledge and skills that could be used in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery.

The ATAS is specifically designed to ensure that those applying for postgraduate study in certain sensitive subjects do not acquire knowledge that could potentially be used in WMD courses.

Please see link for further info:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/atas/atas-what/

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This programme will provide you with the advanced knowledge and skills to pursue a successful career in the oil and gas industry.

You’ll study modules covering core topics related to the downstream activities of the industry including drilling and production technology, oilfield chemistry and corrosion, and chemical reaction processes. You’ll also have the option to take modules in topics such as separation processes, process optimisation and control, and multi-scale modelling and simulation.

Practical work supports your lectures and seminars, as you split your time between the lab and the classroom. You’ll also undertake a major research project investigating a specific topic in petroleum production engineering, which could relate to your own interests or career intentions. Taught by experts in our world-class facilities, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills to thrive in a challenging and exciting industry.You’ll benefit from the chance to study in cutting-edge facilities where our researchers are pushing the boundaries of chemical and process engineering. We have facilities for characterising particulate systems for a wide range of technological materials, as well as facilities for fuel characterisation, environmental monitoring and pollution control. In our Energy Building, you’ll find an engine testing fuel evaluation and transport emissions suite and other characterisation equipment.

Accreditation

We are seeking accreditation from the Energy Institute.

Course content

Most of the course revolves around core modules, giving you a range of knowledge relating to different aspects of downstream petroleum production processes. These will include chemical reaction processes, drilling and production technologies and oilfield chemistry and corrosion.

You’ll look at the principles of process performance analysis, refining theory, enhanced oil recovery, chemicals used in corrosion control and strategies for new or mature assets. On top of this, you’ll take an optional module that allows you to develop your knowledge in an area that suits your own interests.

In the summer months you’ll undertake a research project, which will demonstrate the skills you’ve gained and may even be linked to your future career plans.

Want to find out more about your modules?

Take a look at the Petroleum Production Engineering module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• Research Project (MSc) 60 credits
• Chemical Reaction Processes 15 credits
• Fuel Processing 15 credits
• Advanced Drilling and Production Technology 15 credits
• Drilling and Production Technology 30 credits
• Unconventional Oil and Gas Reservoirs 15 credits

Optional modules

• Separation Processes 30 credits
• Multi-Scale Modelling and Simulation 30 credits
• Rock Mechanics 15 credits
• Petroleum Reservoir Engineering 15 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Petroleum Production Engineering MSc in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

Our groundbreaking research feeds directly into teaching, and you’ll have regular contact with staff who are at the forefront of their disciplines. You’ll have regular contact with them through lectures, seminars, tutorials, small group work and project meetings. Independent study is also important to the programme, as you develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including case studies, technical reports, presentations, in-class tests, assignments and exams. Optional modules may also use alternative assessment methods.

Projects

The research project is one of the most satisfying elements of this course. It allows you to apply what you’ve learned to a piece of research focusing on a real-world problem, and it can be used to explore and develop your specific interests.

Examples of project topics would include:

• Enhancement of mechanical strength and corrosion inhibition in oil pipelines
• Reducing oil pipeline scaling using nano-particle seeding agents
• Monitoring pipeline flows using electrical resistance tomography (ERT)
• The application of nano-technology in enhancing oil recovery
• Application of polymer-based nano-particles in absorbing and controlling oil spillages
• Tribo-electrostatic beneficiation of oil shale using a powder dispersal system

A proportion of research projects are formally linked to industry, and can include spending time at the collaborator’s site over the summer.

Career opportunities

The programme’s main focus is on downstream petroleum industry activities such as drilling, production, refining and distribution.

With an MSc degree in Petroleum Production Engineering you could expect to pursue a successful career in the oil and gas industries in a wide range of areas as diverse as field engineering, production drilling engineering, pipeline and transportation logistics, refinery operations and management, refinery control and optimisation, and sales and marketing.

Careers support

You’ll have access to the wide range of engineering and computing careers resources held by our Employability team in our dedicated Employability Suite. You’ll have the chance to attend industry presentations book appointments with qualified careers consultants and take part in employability workshops. Our annual Engineering and Computing Careers Fairs provide further opportunities to explore your career options with some of the UK’s leading employers.

The University's Careers Centre also provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.

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MSc in Geochemistry

Geochemistry is at the heart of earth sciences, and provides the techniques and knowledge that allow scientists to answer such fundamental questions as: how has the mantle evolved through time, was there ever life on Mars, what was the chemistry of Earth’s and Mars’ ancient atmospheres, and what are the rates and drivers of past and current climate change on Earth? Geochemistry has widespread applications to understanding and solving contemporary problems in Earth surface chemistry, such as pollution of soils and water or rates of ocean acidification. It is a forensic part of Earth science and is used to address questions that are both diverse and profound.

The St Andrews MSc in Geochemistry delivers postgraduate level knowledge and skills training in geochemistry and modern geochemical methods, involving extensive hands-on laboratory training and experience with state-of-the-art equipment. This comprehensive and rigorous course is relevant preparation for pursuing a PhD in geochemistry by incorporating a lab-based research dissertation, as well as employment in industry through incorporation of economic and environmental geochemistry
modules. Staff in the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences and the School of Chemistry contribute to the core laboratory training and teaching within subject modules.

Features

The Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences has 20 full-time academics, 8 research fellows and 4 technical staff members, with a student population of about 170. We have a wide range of expertise in the field of geochemistry underpinned by new state-of-the-art laboratory facilities developed as a result of the recent appointment of early career academics over the past five years. Geochemistry research spans investigations into the origins of life, evolution of the Earth and other terrestrial planets, composition of
oceans, rivers and atmospheres, and the pulse of past and current climate change.

Postgraduate community

A dynamic and research-intensive atmosphere is encouraged and supportive of all students. The size of our Department engenders cohesive and friendly collaborations between staff, postdoctoral research fellows and postgraduate students, and co-authored papers are routinely published in the top journals for geochemistry, such as Nature, Nature Geoscience, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta and Science. We are part of the ‘IAPETUS’ NERC Doctoral Training programme, along with the universities of Durham, Glasgow, Newcastle and Stirling, and the British Geological Survey.

Facilities

The Department houses state-of-the-art stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry and geobiology laboratories, including culturing facilities for corals and microbes. Our research equipment includes five high-precision isotope mass spectrometers (two MAT 253s, two Nu Plasma, and one Neptune Plus installed in 2015), two Class 100 clean labs, an XSeries quadropole ICP-MS, ICP-OES, and a Finnegan Delta Plus XP gas source mass spectrometer. All materials, and particularly gases, liquids, minerals, rocks, organisms, and soils, can be analysed for isotopes and major and trace elements within research projects that cover the breadth of earth and environmental science. We host an experimental petrology facility capable of simulating conditions from the mid-crust to upper mantle (pressures of between 0.5-4.5 GPa and 300- 2000°C). A range of spectroscopic, SEM, electron microprobe and X-ray diffraction and fluorescence techniques are also part of our analytical facilities.

Careers

The range of research areas and applications of geochemistry is so broad that career opportunities span the whole of earth and environmental sciences. Geochemists are employed in the energy sector (hydrocarbon industries, petrochemicals, nuclear and renewables), in mining and mineral exploration, extraction and processing, and in environmental industries and agencies focused on pollution monitoring and environmental remediation. Masters-level training in geochemistry would provide a suitable platform for a career in materials science outside of earth and environmental sciences specifically. MSc Geochemistry graduates are also in demand as specialised research technicians in academic institutes worldwide and as PhD students in geochemistry-focused research.

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This Course is Open for 2016-17 entry.

Royal Holloway is one of the leading international centres for petroleum geoscience training and research. Our MSc Petroleum Geoscience course was established in 1985 and, with over 600 graduates from 32 countries, it is recognised around the world as one of the premier training courses for people starting out on careers in the hydrocarbon industry.

Our excellent links with the international oil industry, combined with high quality teaching and research facilities make the Royal Holloway MSc an ideal option if you are a recent graduate looking for a focused, vocational training course, or if you are an early career professional wishing to enhance your career development.

You can choose between several course modules to specialise your training in topics focussing on basin evolution or structural analysis and tectonics.

You will be joining a department where the Research Excellence Framework (REF) reported that 94% of research has been classified as 4* world leading and 3* internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour. By this criterion, Earth Sciences is 2nd place among UK universities. You will become part of a vibrant international graduate school, fully integrated into the research culture of the department.

See the website https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/earthsciences/coursefinder/mscpetroleumgeoscience.aspx

Why choose this course?

- There is a huge demand for well qualified petroleum geoscientists. Companies worldwide are facing up to the challenge of replacing an ageing workforce with young graduates who can apply their knowledge and quickly learn from more experienced colleagues.

- We are one of the world leaders in the field of petroleum geoscience. Our MSc is recognised as a premier training course that will provide you with the practical and technical skills required to meet the challenges facing the hydrocarbon industry.

- You will develop the ability to integrate geological and geophysical data, and to apply your knowledge on a variety of scales, so that you can address a range of questions; from understanding the distribution of hydrocarbons in sedimentary basins, to quantifying the complex structural, stratigraphic and sedimentological architecture of individual reservoirs.

- We have excellent links with the international oil industry, including an Advisory Board with representatives from 14 multinational companies, which ensures that our teaching is up-to-date, relevant and will prepare you for a career in the industry.

- An MSc in Petroleum Geoscience from Royal Holloway also provides you with the geological and transferable skills to work in other Earth Science-related fields, and prepares you for further postgraduate study.

- This is a flexible course, allowing you study full-time, part-time or through distance learning. If you opt to study part-time you will have also have the option of studying through sandwich mode (complete terms in separate years).

- Field work in the UK and Spain is an important part of the programme and is fully integrated with the course units.

- The Department receives a number of studentships from industry sponsors and from the Research Council which are available to UK and EU applicants. Everyone who applies for a place on this course is automatically considered for these studentships, and no further application is required.

Department research and industry highlights

Our research follows four main themes:

- Geodynamics and Sedimentary Systems
The interaction between tectonic, volcanic and sedimentary processes to generate surface and sub-surface architectures. With a diverse range of expertise, researchers integrate geophysics, structural geology, sedimentology and modelling to improve our understanding of a wide range of geodynamic settings. Our interests range from the evolution of rift systems and passive margins to the tectonics of mountain belts and include an emphasis on sediment dynamics in all settings. Much of the research in this theme is funded by industry.

- Physics & Chemistry of Earth Processes
Quantitative characterization of Physical and Chemical processes within the Earth. This group plays a role in many research activities across the department and helps to ensure a rigorous academic approach. Research applications in geochemistry stem from development of world-class geochemical techniques in radiogenic (Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf-U-Th) and stable (C,H,O,N,S) isotopes, based on strategic partnerships with instrument manufacturers. In geophysics we have extensive expertise in both exploration geophysics and global geophysics. However, the group's main contribution extends well outside the traditional scope of geophysics and geochemistry into areas such as sedimentology, tectonics, palaeontology, oceans and atmospheres, the link between magmatism and tectonics, and the nature of the shallow mantle. In addition to making wide use of geochemical and geophysical data, we have developed a wide variety of forward and inverse modelling techniques (mathematical, numerical and laboratory-analogue).

- Global Environmental Change
Key transitions in Earth history including modern global change. A wide range of proxies and finger-printing techniques are employed to focus on issues of global change such as methane as a greenhouse gas, coastal and estuarine dynamics, modern and ancient sedimentary processes, Phanerozoic environmental change and associated biotic responses, the biogeochemistry of Archaean ecosystems and evolution of life through geologic time. In addition, we pioneer new research on the impact of ice sheet contamination and associated chemistry on climate change.

- Natural Hazards
Integrating several strands of current research within the department, this newly developing theme investigates a range of natural hazards, including intraplate earthquakes, subduction zones, volcanoes, landslides and associated tsunami, as well as environmental hazards. It utilises field studies, remote sensing data, numerical modelling, geophysical data from sites around the globe.

On completion of the course graduates will have:

- an understanding of the processes that control the structural and stratigraphic architecture of sedimentary basins

- an understanding of petroleum systems and the controls on the distribution of hydrocarbons and other fluids in sedimentary basins

- an understanding of the properties of hydrocarbon reservoirs, and the implications of this for hydrocarbon production and field development

- the ability to use seismic, well log, core and remotely sensed data to evaluate sedimentary basins, hydrocarbon prospects and hydrocarbon fields.

Assessment

The taught course units are assessed by a combination of written exams and course work. Each of the six units comprises 10% of the total assessment for the MSc course. The remaining 40% of the assessment comes from the Independent Research Project.

Employability & career opportunities

Our graduates are highly employable; 92% remain in petroleum geosciences and related fields after graduation – approximately 75% entering the industry and 20% continuing in research (mainly as PhD students).

Graduates find employment in a wide range of companies, from multinationals (such as Shell, BP, Statoil, BG, Centrica, GDF-Suez), large independents (e.g. Tullow, Hess), small independent companies (e.g. Volantis), and a wide range of consultancy companies (e.g. Fugro-Roberston, RPS, Equipoise, IHS, Midland Valley)

How to apply

Applications for entry to our campus based full-time postgraduate degrees can be made online https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studyhere/postgraduate/applying/howtoapply.aspx .

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