Texas Tech Petroleum Engineering: Programs, Admission Requirements, Cost, And Aids

Studies show that petroleum engineers now use supercomputers to automate oilfield production and drilling operations. They are also developing and applying new technologies to recover hydrocarbons from oil shale and offshore oil and gas fields.

If you wish to have this kind of world-class career, then the graduate degree program in petroleum engineering at Texas Tech University is the sure bet for you.

It is important that you get to know the admission requirements as well as the programs in the petroleum engineering department.

Texas Tech is the seventh-largest university in Texas and the largest higher institution in the western two-thirds of the U.S. According to the 2015 Princeton Review, Texas Tech is ranked among the best schools in the U.S.A.

In addition, the 2016 U.S News & World Report puts Texas Tech #168 in the list of the best universities in the world.

On the other hand, the department of petroleum engineering at Texas Tech University offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs to its students.

The department emphasizes much on research and innovation. Its essence is to ensure that its graduates acquire the most recent skills for the oil and gas sector.

In this article, we have for you all information about the petroleum engineering department at Texas Tech University. You will know the admission requirements, the courses that you’ll take, the cost, and the scholarships available.

What is Petroleum Engineering?

This is the branch of engineering whose focus is on the development and exploitation of crude oil and natural gas fields. In addition, it deals with technical analysis, computer modeling, and prediction of the future performance of oil and gas.

Mining engineering and geology gave rise to petroleum engineering. It has a close connection with geoscience which enables engineers to understand the geological structures and conditions favorable for petroleum deposits.

Meanwhile, petroleum engineers bring solutions to problems that contribute to energy security and national prosperity. For you to be successful in this field, you must have knowledge of physics, geology, chemistry, and mathematics.

Why study Petroleum Engineering at Texas Tech University?

Ever wondered why Texas Tech is the best place for a degree program in petroleum engineering? Well, below are the reasons for recommending this university for you.

The department of petroleum engineering at Texas Tech is known as the Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering. This department offers its students the technical knowledge to develop, produce, and manage petroleum reserves efficiently.

Students at Texas Tech will receive excellent instruction and design experiences that will enable them to enter the field and pursue life-long professional development.

On the other hand, the appropriate curriculum at Texas Tech helps the students to be successful in different career paths in the petroleum sector.

The university enables its students to graduate, pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, and pass the Professional Exam.

Get to know: 15 Best Petroleum Engineering Schools in the World | 2024 Ranking

What Petroleum Engineering programs are available at Texas Tech University?

The Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas Tech University offers three academic programs. They include Bachelor of Science in petroleum engineering, Master of Science in petroleum engineering, and Ph.D. in petroleum engineering.

Each of these programs is aimed at offering students the appropriate knowledge and skills that the oil and gas industry requires. It also exposes them to the recent methods used in oil exploitation.

Interestingly, Texas Tech’s undergraduate petroleum engineering program is ranked 4th in the United States. The U.S News & World Report also ranks Texas Tech’s graduate petroleum engineering program 9th in the nation.

Texas Tech Undergraduate Program Curriculum

The undergraduate degree curriculum at Texas Tech is offered by the Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering. It aims at offering students the research experience required to develop and manage petroleum reserves efficiently.

Upon graduation, students will:

• apply the knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
• create and carry out experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data for the petroleum industry
• be able to utilize the skills, methods, and modern technology that the engineering sector requires
• have the ability to communicate effectively, identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems

In the table below, you will see the petroleum engineering curriculum for the bachelor’s degree program at Texas Tech University. The curriculum for each semester is taken based on credit hours.

FIRST YEAR		SECOND YEAR		THIRD YEAR		FOURTH YEAR
Fall (17)	Spring (17)	Fall (17)	Spring (18)	Fall (17)	Spring (19)	Fall (13)	Spring (14)
CHEM 1307	Oral Communications	CE 2301 OR ME 2301	MATH 3350	PETR 3303	PETR 3107	PETR 4121	PETR 4222
CHEM 1107	ENGL 1302	ME 2322	PETR 4331	PETR 3103	PETR 3307	PETR 4300	PETR Senior Elective III
ENGL 1301	POLS 2306	MATH 2450	PETR 2322	PETR 3105	PETR 3304	PETR Senior Elective I	PETR Senior Elective IV
POLS 1301	MATH 1452	PHYS 2401	PETR 3302	PETR 4303	PETR 3306	PETR Senior Elective II	ENGR 2392
MATH 1451	PHYS 1408	GEOL 3324	CE 3305 OR ME 3370	IE 2324	CE 3302 OR ME 2302	Creative Arts	HIST 2301
ENGR 1315		CE 3303 OR ME 3403	GEOL 4334	ENCO 3350
			MATH 3342 OR IE 3341	HIST 2300

Read: 13 Best Petroleum Engineering Universities In UK | 2024

Texas Tech Petroleum Engineering Graduate Program Curriculum

The MS program in petroleum engineering at Texas Tech requires a minimum of 30 graduate credit hours with 6 credit hours for the thesis.

Students must have to write a thesis for the exact master’s degree. Additionally, a thesis committee will give a final oral exam to the student in defense of the completed thesis.

Alternatively, the department also offers a non-thesis master’s program that needs a minimum of 33 graduate credit hours.

This must be approved by the graduate advisor. The aim is to help the candidate’s educational background, industry experience, and personal interest.

For the two programs (thesis and non-thesis), the candidate must take and pass a final comprehensive examination. Students can only take comprehensive examinations after the graduate dean admits them to candidacy.

On the other hand, Texas Tech offers a combined B.S. & M.S. degree program in petroleum engineering.

Students that wish to pursue the double-degree program should notify their academic advisor during the first semester of the undergraduate year. In addition, they must meet all graduate admission requirements of the petroleum engineering department.

The graduate courses at Texas Tech’s department of petroleum engineering are taken based on credit. Students must score a grade of “B” or higher in all graduate courses before graduation.

Also, they are not permitted to have over six hours of PETR 6300 in their master’s degree plan without approval from the graduate dean.

The curriculum is divided into four (4) core areas and students are required to choose at least one course from each of the five core areas.

Students for the graduate degree program must register for PETR 5121 each semester unless the chairperson excludes the particular student. However, the seminar course does not count during the graduate program.

Check out the: 12 Best Petroleum Engineering Schools Online | 2024

Texas Tech Petroleum Engineering PhD. Program Curriculum

The PhD program in petroleum engineering at Texas Tech offers students knowledge of the advanced methods of research, analysis, and synthesis in the field. It focuses primarily on research.

So, to apply for the PhD program, applicants must have a degree in engineering disciplines. In addition, they must obtain approval from the graduate committee of the Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering.

All doctoral students must take diagnostic examinations by the end of their second semester. The diagnostic examinations must be taken according to students’ areas of specialization and any three-core areas.

On the other hand, PhD applicants must demonstrate high proficiency in a single research area. There is no specific foreign language requirement. However, a student’s dissertation advisor may specify a foreign language for the Ph.D. program.

Furthermore, Ph.D. courses at Texas Tech’s department of petroleum engineering are taken based on credit. Students must score a grade of “B” or higher in all graduate courses before graduation. Students are not permitted to have over six hours of PETR 6300 in their doctoral degree plan without approval from the graduate dean. The curriculum is divided into four (4) core areas.

PhD students must register for PETR 5121 each semester unless the chairperson excludes the particular student. However, the seminar course does not count during the PhD program.

Read also: List Of Petroleum Engineering Universities In Australia | 2024

What are the admission requirements for Texas Tech Petroleum Engineering Program?

Before applying to the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas Tech, it is important that you know the admission requirements. The petroleum engineering requirements for admission at Texas Tech are divided into undergraduate and graduate.

Texas Tech Petroleum Engineering Undergraduate Admission Requirements

Below are the admission requirements for the undergraduate program at the Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering:

Applicants must possess a 3.4 GPA with 30+ hours and must have completed the following courses with a ‘C’ or higher in:

• ENGL 1301
• ENGL 1302
• MATH 1451
• MATH 1452
• CHEM 1307 & 1107
• MATH 2450
• PHYS 1408
• ME 2322
• PHYS 2401
• GEOL 3324
• PETR 1305 OR ENGR 1315
• CE 2301 OR ME 2301

Texas Tech Petroleum Engineering Graduate Admission Requirements

To be eligible for the graduate petroleum engineering program at Texas Tech University, applicants must possess the following:

• Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering with a GPA >3.0.
• Evidence of financial support
• Official transcript
• Evidence of proficiency in English (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic, Cambridge CPE, Cambridge CAE or Completion of ELS Level 112 )
• Official GRE scores (applicant may get GRE waiver if he/she has two years or more experience in the Oil and Gas Industry)
• Three letters of recommendation

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What is the Texas Tech University Petroleum Engineering Acceptance Rate?

Admissions to the Texas Tech’s petroleum engineering program is quite competitive. What this means is that applicants should ensure that they meet the criteria for admission before sending their applications.

Hence, the petroleum engineering acceptance rate at Texas Tech University is 63%.

Read: 10 Best Masters in Petroleum Engineering Online Programs | 2024

How Much Does Petroleum Engineering Program Cost at Texas Tech University?

Tuition and fees at Texas Tech are paid according to the minimum full-time load of hours per academic year. The program cost will vary depending on hours taken per semester plus course- and program-specific fees.

In addition, students are advised to confirm from the department the number of hours each semester will take so as to make adequate plans.

Hence, the tuition fee for the petroleum engineering program at Texas Tech is $10,817 for in-state and $18,413 for out-of-state.

Scholarships and Financial Aids at Texas Tech University’s Department of Petroleum Engineering

The scholarships available at Texas Tech University for petroleum engineering students are divided into undergraduate scholarships and graduate scholarships.

Undergraduate Scholarships

Texas Tech University through its Whitacre College of Engineering offers several externally funded undergraduate scholarships.

If you are an incoming freshman or a transfer student, click here to apply for an undergraduate scholarship. On the other hand, current students should click here and click on the link below General Scholarship Information to apply.

The moment you apply, you will be matched to a scholarship for which you qualify for.

On the other hand, the department of petroleum engineering provides merit based scholarships to students. Incoming freshman, transfer students, and current students can apply for this scholarship by clicking here. 

Graduate Scholarships

There are several fundings that are available to graduate students in the department of petroleum engineering at Texas Tech University. 

Teaching assistantships are available to graduate degree students in the petroleum engineering department of Texas Tech. Students should note this position is limited in number and most awarded to Ph.D. students.

Additionally, students that wish to win TA positions must take and pass an ITA workshop. This ITA workshop is an intensive English course that the Texas Tech offers at the end of every summer.

Students under the teaching assistantship are required to work for the department 20 hours per week and their research for 40 hours per week. 

The research assistantship depends on the department of petroleum engineering’s research activity. The salaries of research assistants are comparable to teaching assistants. With the help of this salary, students can pay for their living expenses and tuition fees.

How do I apply to Texas Tech’s Department of Petroleum Engineering?

While starting your application to Texas Tech’s petroleum engineering program, ensure that you meet the admission requirements first. Afterward, you read the application instructions very well to avoid unnecessary mistakes.

The deadline for applications vary from one program to another. So, make sure that you verify very well the deadline for the exact program you’re applying for.

During your application, you will have to attach unofficial copies of transcripts and test scores. This is for the sake of evaluation purposes.

Upon gaining admission, you will have to submit official transcripts, diplomas/degree certificates, and test scores. Texas Tech advises that applicants do not send official transcripts until they receive a notification of acceptance from the university for graduate programs.

For the graduate degree program, applicants will have to provide supplemental materials for admission review. The supplemental materials include a statement of purpose, recommendations, writing samples, creative portfolios, etc. Meanwhile, the department will have to review the supplemental materials that applicants will submit.

Once you complete filling in your details, ensure to review your application before submitting it. If you fail to include important details or submit incorrect information, your admission will be delayed. So, this is the reason why we advise that you carry out a review first before submitting your application.

Finally, you can always check your application status on the Raiderlink Portal’s Applications tab. If it is your first time applying, you will receive your login information between 1 to 5 days after your information has been uploaded to Texas Tech’s database.

If you wait for the stipulated time and you do not get your login information, kindly send the university an email to graduate.admissions@ttu.edu with your full name, date of birth, term applied to, and program applied for. Once you do this, the university will resend your log-in information to you.

FAQs on the Petroleum Engineering Program at Texas Tech University

The bachelor of science petroleum engineering program at Texas Tech is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

The Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering accepts students every December so that they can start their coursework that Spring.

The department is highly competitive as it accepts only 250 students every December.

The department does not guarantee that your application will be considered. To stand a chance for an admission into the petroleum engineering program, you must have a minimum of 3.4 Texas Tech GPA as well as all of the foundational curriculum finished.

References

• Texas Tech University | TTU

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