Master of Petroleum Engineering

A competitive edge in one of engineering’s highest paid fields

Petroleum engineers help sustain society’s way of life. They provide oil and gas in efficient, safe, and environmentally responsible ways.

Our Master of Petroleum Engineering is designed for graduates of a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) or equivalent science and mathematics degrees. It’s also open to petro-technical professionals seeking to advance their technical careers with formal qualifications.

Our petroleum engineering degrees are developed and taught by industry-trained academics through the Australian School of Petroleum and Energy Resources. This is Australia and Southeast Asia's academic centre for petroleum research and education, and the only school of its kind in Australia.

What will you do?

  • Learn all about well testing and drilling engineering.
  • Explore unconventional resources and recovery.
  • Access our Tempest reservoir simulator.
  • Gain field experience at an Australian sedimentary basin.
  • Take integrated courses in business, economics and project management.
  • Complete a 6-unit research project thesis.

 Where could it take you?

You’ll graduate ready to enter the upstream sector of the petroleum industry. You could drill exploratory wells for oil, gas and energy companies. You might search for underground or underwater oil fields with a government agency. Perhaps you’ll move into a supervising or managerial role.

Note: Mid-year entry into this program is open to domestic students only and is subject to availability. This entry point is best suited to applicants wishing to study part-time while continuing to work in the industry. Applicants seeking mid-year entry into this program should be aware that their program will only be available part-time and therefore cannot be completed in 1.5 years.



  • #1 in Australia and #7 in the world for petroleum engineering^
  • Home to Asia Pacific's leading centre for integrated petroleum research and education
  • Transfer your expertise into one of the highest paid engineering fields

^ARWU, 2021

Entry Requirements

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Before applying make sure you understand the eligibility and entry requirements for your chosen degree.

Look out for any prerequisites or assumed knowledge subjects. Some degrees also have additional entry requirements like interviews and auditions.

Domestic applicants

SATAC Code 3CM183
Deferment Yes - 2 year
Intake February
Selection Criteria
Graduate entry

Higher Education Study Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) or equivalent in a discipline other than petroleum engineering with a minimum GPA of 4.0. Individuals who have a relevant Bachelor degree (Honours) with a strong science and mathematics component (such as geology, geophysics, geosciences, physics and applied mathematics or similar) may gain entry into this program. Individuals who have a Bachelor degree with suitable upstream oil and gas experience may have their prior academic and professional experience assessed to be equivalent to an honours level qualification and in such cases may also gain entry into this program.

Mid-year entry into this program is open to domestic students only and is subject to availability. This entry point is best suited to applicants wishing to study part-time whilst continuing to work in the industry. Applicants seeking mid-year entry into this program should be aware that the program will only be available part-time and cannot be completed in 1.5 years when commencing in semester 2.


Fees and Scholarships

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Domestic applicants

Indicative annual tuition fees
Australian Full-fee place: $43,500

Where the standard duration of the program is less than one year the full cost of the program is displayed.

FEE-HELP
This is an Australian full-fee program. As a domestic student you may be eligible to:

  • receive a zero interest government assistance package to cover your course fees and
  • use over $100,000 in HELP assistance over your lifetime
Check your eligibility today at Study Assist

Scholarships

These scholarships, as well as many others funded by industry and non-profit organisations, are available to potential and currently enrolled students.

Find a Scholarship.

Careers

Career Readiness

Petroleum engineers are employed in a diverse range of occupations in oil and gas companies, government agencies and companies that service the oil and gas industry. Graduates of this degree could become drilling engineers, reservoir engineers or production engineers. They may also find successful careers as managers, in sales or technical support as oil and gas business analysts or environmentalists. Graduates of this program often find themselves working in a team on multi-million dollar projects, designing or using state-of-the-art technology.

The University of Adelaide Careers Service prepares, inspires and empowers students to achieve successful career transitions and connect with industry.

Graduate Attributes

The objective of this program is to produce graduates with specific attributes as outlined in University of Adelaide Graduate Attributes.
  1. Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
  2. Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
  3. Teamwork and communication skills
  4. Professionalism and leadership readiness
  5. Intercultural and ethical competency
  6. Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency
  7. Digital capabilities
  8. Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

Potential careers

Graduates of this program have gone on to roles such as:

Mining Engineer;  Oil and Gas Analyst;  Petroleum Engineer;  Petroleum Exploration;  Petroleum Manager;  Drilling Engineer;  Reservoir Engineer;  Seismologist

Degree Structure

To qualify for the Master of Petroleum Engineering, students must satisfactorily complete 36 units, comprising a minimum of 30 units of core courses and a 6-unit capstone project.

Academic Program Rules

The Calendar is a comprehensive handbook of the University's academic program rules.

Master of Petroleum Engineering

Example Study Plan

Core Courses
Students must complete all of the following:

Electives
Students must choose one of the following:

Assessment

Assessment includes coursework, assignments, project and examinations.

Related Degrees

Testimonial

I chose to study because the difference degrees offered are well balanced content and have great links between academia, government and industry.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Last updated: Friday, 10 Nov 2023