Petroleum Engineering Ph.D. Students
The goal is to develop critical thinkers who can solve energy problems using innovative solutions. Students have the opportunity to use world class facilities to conduct advanced research culminating in the creation and defense of a research dissertation.
There are no set core courses and students are not required to have a background in petroleum engineering prior to joining the program. However, students with a non-petroleum engineering background must take courses that provide both specialization and a broad fundamental knowledge of the discipline.
A master’s degree is not required to enter a Ph.D. program. However, all incoming Ph.D. students must have an adviser. Students are responsible for contacting faculty members in order to find an adviser. In addition to providing research mentorship, academic advisors review and approve the students’ course load to ensure it aligns with their degree requirements and academic goals.
To remain a graduate student in the M.S. program, students must retain a 3.0 GPA.
Course Requirements
The PhD program requires at least 42 credit hours of coursework and 30 hours of research credits. Students choose upper-level technical courses based on their interests and career goals. The Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Petroleum Engineering, designed to prepare students for advanced industry roles and academic careers. A written dissertation is required for this degree. In addition, the candidate’s graduate committee will administer a final oral exam in defense of the completed dissertation.
Credit Hours
- 4000-level* or above approved electives: 42 Credit Hours
Program of Study Requirement
All Petroleum Engineering graduate students must complete their Program of Study worksheet at the beginning of their second academic year of study or 3rd semester of enrollment. Students must have a Program of Study and a Committee on file with the Office of the Registrar. If at any time students need to make changes to their approved program of study, they must submit a Request for Change in Graduate Program form.
https://www.uwyo.edu/registrar/graduate-students/program-study.html
Ph.D. Preliminary Examination
Candidacy in the doctorate occurs upon certification of successful completion of the preliminary examination. The preliminary examination will be held at least 15 weeks prior to the final examination. The preliminary examination may not be given before: (a) the research tool requirements, if any, have been met and certification approved; (b) at least 30 hours of coursework have been completed; and (c) the doctoral program of study has been approved.
The goal of the preliminary exam is for the student to present the research proposition that is being investigated and will lead to the final dissertation, and demonstrate progress to-date. The preliminary exam consists of three components:
- a written document provided to each member of the student’s graduate committee at least three weeks prior to the oral presentation;
- a public oral presentation; and
- a private examination by the student’s graduate committee immediately following the oral presentation.
The written document may be in any format but must concisely provide a survey of the relevant literature, a summary of the student’s progress to-date, and a clear, detailed plan for the successful completion of the proposed work. The preliminary exam oral presentation should be consistent with the written document. It should provide an appropriate literature background, demonstrate proficiency with proposed experimental/computational techniques, identify details of the experiments to be performed, and provide a timeline to final defense.
The student’s committee will pass or fail the student on the strength of the preliminary examination, with an option to conditionally pass the student while requiring an interim committee meeting prior to the final Ph.D. examination. The Report on Preliminary Examination for Admission to Candidacy form sent to the Office of the Registrar reports the results of the examination.
Ph.D. Final Examination (Dissertation Defense)
All Ph.D. students must orally defend their dissertation at a public final examination. If, for any reason, a student’s Ph.D. research goals are substantially changed after successful completion of the preliminary examination, the student must arrange a subsequent meeting to provide their committee with an accurate and current overview of their proposed work. The final examination consists of a public defense in oral presentation format. At least three weeks before the examination, the student must provide each member of the graduate committee with a copy of the written dissertation and provide the department an announcement of their defense for public advertisement. The results of the defense are reported by the committee on the Report of Final Examination form. Often, graduate committee members request changes in the final dissertation, and they may postpone signing this form until they are satisfied that those changes have been made.
Publication of Dissertation
After the defense, an electronic copy (in PDF format) of the dissertation must be uploaded in accordance with the directions provided on the Registrar’s web site. This copy will be rejected if the format standards specified by the Dissertation Format Guide are not met. This guide allows for a publication-ready format. An electronic copy must also be submitted to the department for the departmental library. Most students will want copies for their own use. Students should consult with their chair to determine if they also want a copy of the final paper or other research documentation.
Graduate Student Regulations and Policies
The School of Graduate Education Graduate Student Regulations and Policies apply for all Petroleum Engineering graduate students.