Petroleum Engineering

Advance your career with the only Petroleum Engineering degree program in North Dakota.

We offer a unique applied education and research program. Students learn about recovery of oil and gas from conventional petroleum reserves and unconventional petroleum reserves like the Bakken Formation in North Dakota. Students learn to solve problems in a rapidly growing field and gain hands-on experience in designing, conducting and analyzing experiments just like real world settings.

Programs Offered

Accreditation

UND's Petroleum Engineering B.S. program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The last ABET accreditation visit was in November 2021 and the next visit will be in 2027.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Petroleum Engineering program at the University of North Dakota is to educate petroleum engineers to meet the growing demands in North Dakota and elsewhere.

Vision Statement

The vision for the Petroleum Engineering program is to educate future generations of Petroleum Engineers who can contribute to building a better world through professional service and research for safe, reliable and affordable energy production and environmental protection.

Program Educational Objectives

The undergraduate Program Educational Objectives (PEO) are the expected accomplishments of graduates during their first few years following graduation. The PEOs of the Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering (EPE) as adopted by the EPE faculty, and Industry Advisor Board are as follows:

1. Contribute as engineering professionals in industry, including government or academia;
2. Pursue continued education and professional development through participation in professional organization, training and possible post graduate education;
3. Progression or attainment of professional registration and licensure.

ABET Student Outcomes

Program Outcomes reflect a foundation of knowledge and skills that, if satisfied, provide graduates of the PtrE program with the tools needed to achieve successfully the PEOs. Program Outcomes have been discussed by the program faculty on numerous occasions.

These outcomes serve as a template for designing and improving the curriculum, providing an undergraduate program that meets all ABET criteria for petroleum engineer, and maintaining an educational focus that emphasizes competence and future professional success for our graduates.

Upon graduation, Petroleum Engineering students 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

Enrollment and Graduation Data