Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering

For information regarding the GRADUATE PROGRAM, click here.  

Although the petroleum engineering curriculum is designed primarily for careers in the petroleum industry, it is suitable for careers in related areas such as ground water hydrology, geothermal energy, solution mining, and underground storage or disposal of fluids. Professional courses in drilling and production, well design, reservoir engineering, petrophysics, well logging, and the phase behavior of hydrocarbons systems follow basic course work in mathematics, chemistry, physics, geology, and the engineering sciences. Additionally, the faculty gives specific attention to the economic evaluation of drilling and production operations.

The department is active in obtaining summer employment in the petroleum industry for its students. The department also strongly recommends that its students join and participate, as student members, in the Society of Petroleum Engineers and take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination during their senior year as preparation for licensure as a professional engineer.

The nationally ranked Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering at LSU has alumni throughout the world working for major companies, small independent companies, government agencies, and as independent consultants.

The petroleum engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

The program educational objectives of the BS program in Petroleum Engineering at LSU are to produce graduates, who within 2-5 years after graduation and for the remainder of their careers are able to:

• Perform as engineering professionals in the upstream oil, gas, and related industries, including academia and government, and excel in leadership, research, operational, and technical roles.
• Adapt to future conditions and emerging technologies to solve critical problems for energy and sustainability.
• Participate in key decision-making by effectively communicating technical concepts, risks, and recommendations to stakeholders.
• Demonstrate a high standard of professional ethics and competency throughout their careers.

The student outcomes require that graduates will have:

1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Undergraduate Admission Requirements

Admission to the Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering requires that a student be admissible to the College of Engineering. In addition to the College of Engineering requirements, students must meet the following GPA requirements at the time of application for admission:

• A minimum cumulative 2.8 GPA on all course work that applies to the petroleum engineering undergraduate curriculum.

Transferring students admitted to LSU may apply to the Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering when they apply to the College of Engineering. Students who are denied admission to the department may reapply for admission in a subsequent semester.

An alternative for students who do not meet the GPA requirement but display an exceptional ability and desire to become a petroleum engineer is available. A committee including the department’s undergraduate advisor, the department’s chair, and the associate dean of undergraduate studies for the College of Engineering will meet and review appeals prior to the start of each semester. Admittance will depend on available space as well as criteria such as grades in freshman and sophomore petroleum engineering courses, relevant work experience and/or activity in student petroleum engineering organizations.

Programs

• Petroleum Engineering, B.S.P.E.

• Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Modern Topics in Petroleum Engineering