Amy Connelly

Petroleum engineering is concerned with the design and development of front-end engineering technologies required in the exploration and extraction of oil and gas reservoirs.
Petroleum engineers work with geologists and other engineers to ensure the safe recovery, processing, transportation, transmission, and utilisation of petroleum products often in challenging environments. In addition to the technical petroleum engineering skills, petroleum engineers learn skills in project management, project economics and environmental impact assessment. It is unsurprising therefore that petroleum engineers are highly sought after by both energy and non-energy companies worldwide, and are amongst the best-paid compared to other engineering disciplines.
Aberdeen is internationally recognised as a major international energy city and is leading the way in applying world-class technical expertise to the energy transition challenge. According to the Royal Academy of Engineering, Aberdeen is one of 13 engineering hot spots in the UK with over 8,000 engineering businesses across the city and the surrounding region.
The School of Engineering has strong links with the energy industry, including local, national and international organisations, who support our teaching through guest lectures and seminars, placement opportunities, site visits and
scholarships.
The Aberdeen University chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is one of the largest in the world. With more than 360 student chapters across the globe, the SPE make it easy for you to network with industry professionals and employers, benefit from technology discussions at SPE meetings and events, and receive society-sponsored scholarships.
While oil and gas will continue to play an important role in meeting our energy needs for years to come, the knowledge and skills you will acquire as a petroleum engineer are also in high demand in the renewable energy sector, for example in geothermal energy and carbon capture and storage.
The first two years cover general Engineering, with elements of Chemical, Mechanical, Petroleum and Electrical/Electronics, as well as Civil. In the later years you specialise, following your chosen discipline in greater depth. You do not need to finalise your choice of specialisation until you begin third year.
It is possible to move between MEng and BEng and this can be accomplished at any point until the second half session of fourth year. Successful BEng candidates will be offered the chance to change to the MEng and there is no quota, meaning that if grade requirements are met that transfer is guaranteed.
In year 1 you can study topics such as Engineering Mathematics, Principles of Electronics, Electronics Design, Fundamental Engineering Mechanics, Fundamentals of Engineering Materials and Computer Aided Design & Communication.
15 Credit Points
The aim of the course is to introduce basic concepts of electrical & electronics within a context of general engineering. The topics covered are kept at an elementary level with the aim of providing the foundational material for subsequent courses at levels 1 and 2. The course adopts the philosophy of application oriented teaching. During each topic the students will be provided with examples of day-to-day devices. Topics covered include dc circuit analysis, electronic amplifiers, digital circuits, optoelectronics, and ac theory.
15 Credit Points
Chemistry plays a central role in physical science and engineering, not only because of the insights it gives on the composition, properties and reactivity of matter but also because of its wide-ranging applications. This course seeks to consolidate some of the important fundamentals of chemistry that underlie many topics and principles across the physical sciences and engineering, bringing together theories of molecular structure, organic reaction mechanisms, the driving forces behind chemical reactions, and methods of chemical analysis and structure determination.
Laboratory classes complement the lectures by consolidating learning and developing problem-solving and hands-on practical skills.
15 Credit Points
The course is designed to introduce the students to different methods of communication in the process of interchanging ideas and information. Oral presentation and writing of technical reports are introduced. The importing data from web-based and library-based sources will be integrated through information retrieval and investigative skills training. Professional ethics are covered on plagiarism, copyright and intellectual property. Engineering drawing skills and knowledge of relevant British and International Standards will be developed through intensive training in the use of computer aided design and modelling package, SolidWorks. Standard drawing formats including 3D depiction of stand alone parts and assemblies are covered.
15 Credit Points
The course presents fundamental mathematical ideas useful in the study of Engineering. A major focus of the course is on differential and integral calculus. Applications to Engineering problems involving rates of change and averaging processes are emphasized. Complex numbers are introduced and developed. The course provides the necessary mathematical background for other engineering courses in level 2.
15 Credit Points
Engineering design depends on materials being shaped, finished and joined together. Design requirements define the performance required of the materials. What do engineers need to know about materials to choose and use them successfully? They need a perspective of the world of materials. They need understanding of material properties. They need methods and tools to select the right material for the job. This course will help you develop knowledge and skills required for the successful selection and use of engineering materials.
15 Credit Points
Engineering Mechanics is concerned with the state of rest or motion of objects subject to the action of forces. The topic is divided into two parts: STATICS which considers the equilibrium of objects which are either at rest or move at a constant velocity, and DYNAMICS which deals with the motion and associated forces of accelerating bodies. The former is particularly applied to beams and truss structures. The latter includes a range of applications, such as car suspension systems, motion of a racing car, missiles, vibration isolation systems, and so on.
This course, which is prescribed for level 1 undergraduate students (and articulating students who are in their first year at the University), is studied entirely online, takes approximately 5-6 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks.
Topics include orientation overview, equality and diversity, health, safety and cyber security and how to make the most of your time at university in relation to careers and employability.
Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’.
Select a further 30 credit points from courses of choice.
15 Credit Points
The fluid mechanics section of the course begins with the material properties of fluids. This is followed by studying fluid statics and principles of fluid motion. Bernoulli’s equation is used to explain the relationship between pressure and velocity. The final fluids section introduces the students to incompressible flow in pipelines.
The thermodynamics section presents: the gas laws, including Van Der Waals’ equation; the first law of thermodynamics with work done, heat supply, and the definitions of internal energy and enthalpy. The second law is introduced including entropy through the Carnot cycle.
15 Credit Points
A general engineering course that provides an insight into the principles of engineering design process, computer programming in MATLAB and its application in parametric study and basic design optimisation, environmental ethics and sustainability in the context of design, and Computer Aided Design (CAD) using Solidworks. The course also includes hands-on exercises on the manufacture of simple parts using a variety of machine tools and joining processes.
15 Credit Points
A general engineering course that provides insight into the two main conservation principles, mass and energy. Processes are usually described through block diagrams. This language, common to many disciplines in engineering, helps the engineer to look at their processes with an analytical view. Degree of freedom analysis is addressed, emphasising its importance to solve a set of linear equations that model fundamental balances of mass. Practical examples of Energy balances are displayed, bringing Thermodynamics to a practical level. Heat Transfer is introduced. Process control is introduced, explaining basic control techniques and concepts, i.e sensors, feedback, control loops and PID controllers.
15 Credit Points
This course provides students with the opportunity to refresh and extend their knowledge to analyse the mechanical behaviour of engineering materials and structures. In particular, mechanical properties of materials, and 2D and 3D stresses and strains are examined, the effects of internal imperfections on the performance of materials under loading, brittle fracture, fatigue and non-destructive testing are discussed. The structural analysis of beams and columns, deflection and buckling, as well as design applications are also considered in the course.
15 Credit Points
This course follows Engineering Mathematics 1 in introducing all the mathematical objects and techniques needed by engineers. It has three parts:
15 Credit Points
This course provides students with an integrated development of methods for modelling, analysing and designing systems comprising electrical and mechanical components. In doing so it intends to emphasise to the students the similarity in behaviour between electrical and mechanical systems. The course aims to give an introduction to both electrical machines, circuit and systems, transformers, and similar mechanical systems like gearbox, vibrating system and principles of dynamics, and thus provide the foundation material for several courses at level 3 .
15 Credit Points
This course is an introduction to the formation mechanisms and controls on formation of the three major rock groups: igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. The relationship between plate tectonics and the petrogenesis of igneous and metamorphic rocks, including types and styles of volcanic eruptions will be addressed. The formation and fill of sedimentary basins and their importance in the accumulation of hydrocarbons is an integral part of the course.
Select a further 15 credit points from courses of choice at levels 1 or 2.
You have the opportunity to study from a range of courses leading to specialisation in your chosen discipline. The opportunity exists to study a European language to support this study. Formal courses continue to develop your specialist interests.
15 Credit Points
Modern engineering analysis relies on a wide range of analytical mathematical methods and computational techniques in order to solve a wide range of problems. The aim of this course is to equip students with the necessary skills to quantitatively investigate engineering problems. Examples applying the methods taught to practical situations from across the full range of engineering disciplines will feature heavily in the course.
15 Credit Points
The course begins with dimensional analysis and the concept of dynamic similarity applied to fluid flow phenomena. This is followed by sections on the energy and momentum equations applied to a range of problems in civil, mechanical, chemical and petroleum engineering, including steady flow in pipes, design of pump-pipeline systems, cavitation, forces on bends, nozzles and solid bodies, turbomachinery and propeller theory. A section on unsteady flow applies inertia and water hammer theory to the calculation of pressure surge in pipes. The final section deals with flow through porous media such as flow through soils and rocks.
15 Credit Points
This course focuses on applied momentum, heat, and mass transport in engineering problems. It demonstrates how fundamental design equations can be derived for a wide range of real engineering problems (e.g. nuclear fuel rods, coal combustion, radiation shielding, electrical heaters, toothpaste etc). This course makes it clear that engineering is the art of applying mathematics to the real world and develops the tools required to tackle a wide range of challenges.
The analytical results of transport phenomena are demonstrated in simple systems before discussing more complex systems, such as multiphase flow, which require the use of semi-empirical correlations to solve.
15 Credit Points
This course aims to introduce students to the concept of the petroleum system, demonstrating how all the elements are necessary for a conventional accumulation of hydrocarbons. It will deal particularly with the petroleum geology aspects of exploration and show how explorationists make predictions of hydrocarbon volumes in frontier areas. The course looks in detail at reservoir characterisations and the factors that influence the performance of hydrocarbon and geothermal reservoirs.
10 Credit Points
To course aims to provide students with an awareness of purpose, principals, fundamental concepts and strategies of safety and project management.
15 Credit Points
The process of drilling an oil and gas well will be outlined. We will look at the surface equipment, downhole technologies and associated safety issues. Drilling fluids, casing and cementing the well, directional drilling etc. will be investigated
15 Credit Points
This course presents an introduction to the theories that govern the flow of oil and gas through a reservoir rock. The mechanisms that drive the fluid flow through the reservoir and that control hydrocarbon production are described and discussed. Some ways of increasing hydrocarbon production are introduced. The course is intended for students on the honours petroleum engineering degree program and students will require a strong engineering, or physics background (to level 3) and a good grasp of engineering mathematics at level 3 (or equivalent).
10 Credit Points
This course provides experience of working in a team by carrying out a practical well engineering design.
The design will draw on theories and concepts from courses previously and/or currently being studied by the student. This course may be accompanied by lectures from practising engineers on professional aspects of petroleum engineering design and practice. Students will be encouraged to attend relevant local meetings of professional engineering societies and institutions.
10 Credit Points
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of well fluid and reservoir testing and the implications for reservoir characterisation. The theory of reservoir pressure testing is introduced, testing methods examined and some of the standard analysis techniques are explored using both “hand calculations” and industry standard software.
10 Credit Points
This course provides detailed understanding of the methodologies and relevant engineering science and technology for efficient and safe production of oil and gas.
10 Credit Points
This course provides students with understanding of analytical methods that can be used to assess different improved hydrocarbon recovery methods and identify the principal mechanisms controlling the performance of producing oil and gas reservoirs.
15 Credit Points
This course provides a detailed overview of oil and gas field development from discovery to abandonment with particular focus on the decisions made prior to first production. The roles of uncertainties, economics considerations, safety and environmental impact on the design choices are explored.
10 Credit Points
This course provides students with an understanding of advanced concepts of geomechanics and their application to safe, environmentally friendly and efficient drilling for, and production of, hydrocarbon fluids. The course has no formal pre-requisites, but is intended for students on the Honours Petroleum Engineering Degree Programme and students will require a strong Engineering, or Physics background (to Level 3), and a good grasp of Engineering Mathematics at Level 3 (or equivalent).
Select one of the following options:
Option 1
Option 2
45 Credit Points
To provide the student with the opportunity of pursuing a substantial and realistic research project in the practice of engineering at or near a professional level, and to further enhance the student's critical and communication skills. The project will usually be carried out at the University of Aberdeen but may be carried out at industry or other research location.
60 Credit Points
The course is designed to provide the student with the opportunity to carry out a project in an approved European institution by pursuing a substantial and realistic exercise in the practice of engineering at or near a professional level, and to further enhance the student's critical and communication skills.
15 Credit Points
This course presents an overview of the motivations, challenges and technological solutions associated with Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS). The main carbon capture technologies and methods, CO2 transportation and underground storage are covered. These are introduced in terms of their technical, economic, and environmental criteria, as well as stage of development. Examples of operating pilot plants are shown, complemented by industrial guest lectures and webinars.
15 Credit Points
Students will examine the societal grand challenges of water, food, medicine and energy (electricity and heat) to thread together the themes of environment, sustainability and ethics.
The course also aims to provide graduates with a versatile framework for evaluating and developing business models which should prove invaluable for both potential entrepreneurs and future senior executives.
15 Credit Points
Offshore process plants, such as subsea installations, oil rigs, FPSOs, pipelines, and captured CO2 injection sites are some of the most technically challenging environments to operate in. This course uses this context to introduce and explain the advanced engineering and innovative designs used to overcome these challenges. The focus is on developing safe, energy-efficient designs using first-principle reasoning and awareness of modern approaches.
30 Credit Points
Real-life contemporary engineering projects and challenges invariably require inputs from, and collaboration amongst, multiple disciplines. Furthermore, legal and economic aspects, as well as safety, team work and project management must also be successfully navigated through. This course enables students to immerse themselves in a realistic, multidisciplinary, multifaceted and complex team design project that will draw on their previous specialist learning and also enable gaining and practicing new skills of direct relevance to their professional career.
15 Credit Points
With growing demand on energy, there is increasing need to maximise the production of oil and gas, especially from depleting reservoirs. This course examines the methods and processes of enhanced recovery of oil and gas and provides students with the knowledge and understanding required to develop, acquire and safely integrate enhanced oil recovery technologies into field development plan and field operations.
15 Credit Points
The course provides an understanding of theoretical formulation, data sources and integration into simulator, and quantification of uncertainties necessary for transforming real reservoir engineering problems into manageable numerical simulation models.
Select one of the below courses:
15 Credit Points
To provide an understanding of the physical principles, technologies and systems associated with renewable energy generation from geothermal and hydro sources. To provide an understanding of the position of these sources of energy in the current and future global energy requirements and the technical challenges in meeting the future energy demand.
15 Credit Points
The course aims to provide understanding of main principles and techniques underpinning computational fluid dynamics (CFD) combining numerical methods with practical experience using appropriate software. The course develops a foundation for understanding, developing and analysing successful simulations of fluid flows applicable to a broad range of applications.
15 Credit Points
Decommissioning of offshore oil and gas infrastructure requires graduates to have a competent and realistic understanding of well plugging and abandonment. This course allows students to understand the scientific, engineering, and economic rationale for abandoning wells and decommissioning fields.
We will endeavour to make all course options available; however, these may be subject to timetabling and other constraints. Please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:
The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, year of study and individual courses.
Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
SQA Highers
Standard: AABB (Mathematics and Physics or Engineering Science required*)
Applicants who achieve the Standard entry requirements over S4 and S5 will be made either an unconditional or conditional offer of admission.
A Levels
Standard: ABB (AB required in Mathematics, plus at least one from Physics, Design & Technology, Engineering or Chemistry). Applicants who are predicted to achieve the Standard entry requirements are encouraged to apply and may be made a conditional offer of admission.
* FOR CHEMICAL AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERING PROGRAMMES: Please note: For entry to Chemical and Petroleum Engineering an SQA Higher or GCE A Level or equivalent qualification in Chemistry is required for entry to year 1, in addition to the general Engineering requirements.
SQA Highers
Standard: AABB (Mathematics and Physics or Engineering Science required*)
Applicants who achieve the Standard entry requirements over S4 and S5 will be made either an unconditional or conditional offer of admission.
A Levels
Standard: ABB (AB required in Mathematics, plus at least one from Physics, Design & Technology, Engineering or Chemistry). Applicants who are predicted to achieve the Standard entry requirements are encouraged to apply and may be made a conditional offer of admission.
International Baccalaureate:
Minimum of 34 points including Mathematics and Physics at HL (6 or above)
Irish Leaving Certificate:
Five subjects at Higher, with 4 at H2 and 1 at H3. H2 or above in Mathematics and H3 or above in Physics required.
* FOR CHEMICAL OR PETROLEUM ENGINEERING: Please note: For entry to Chemical or Petroleum Engineering an SQA Higher or GCE A Level or equivalent qualification in Chemistry is required for entry to year 1, in addition to the general Engineering requirements.
The information displayed in this section shows a shortened summary of our entry requirements. For more information, or for full entry requirements for Engineering degrees, see our detailed entry requirements section.
To study for an Undergraduate degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:
IELTS Academic:
OVERALL - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
TOEFL iBT:
OVERALL - 78 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
PTE Academic:
OVERALL - 59 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency:
OVERALL - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169
Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
You will be classified as one of the fee categories below.
Fee category | Cost |
---|---|
RUK | £9,250 |
Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year | |
EU / International students | £24,800 |
Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year | |
Home Students | £1,820 |
Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year |
Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who pay tuition fees may be eligible for specific scholarships allowing them to receive additional funding. These are designed to provide assistance to help students support themselves during their time at Aberdeen.
Further Information about tuition fees and the cost of living in Aberdeen
View all funding options in our Funding Database.
Equipped with a balanced portfolio of knowledge on the full lifecycle of hydrocarbon production, graduates from this discipline are highly sought after by a range of companies; from major operators and multinational service providers to small and medium enterprise technology companies.
A degree in Petroleum Engineering allows graduates to function effectively in a complex environment and to work across the disciplines of petroleum geology, drilling, production and process engineering. In addition, the underlying attributes, such as logical analysis, problem solving, management and communication, allow them to develop a career in a range of other sectors including finance and management. If you are interested in applying the knowledge of geology and physics in creating engineering systems for safe and sustainable harnessing of the primary source of energy used by the modern society, then you should consider Petroleum Engineering.​
According to your choice of curriculum, our MEng Honours degree is an accredited five-year Honours programme satisfying the educational base for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) by the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Institution of Structural Engineers, the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Energy Institute or by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The BEng Honours degree is an accredited four year Honours degree programme partially satisfying the educational base for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) while it fully meets the educational base for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) registration.
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. Staff changes will occur from time to time; please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
TAU (Team Aberdeen University) Racing is a student-run Formula Student team that competes annually at Silverstone. It is made up of students from a variety of disciplines and helps develop excellent and highly-relevant career skills.
Society of Petroleum Engineers, Student Chapter is one of the 230 student chapters around the world and is an excellent opportunity to network with industry and other students from all over the world.
Find out moreThe University is home to a broad range of student societies including professional teams, extra-curricular and subject-focused organisations and purely recreational groups based on a shared interest.
Find out moreDiscover Uni draws together comparable information in areas students have identified as important in making decisions about what and where to study. You can compare these and other data for different degree programmes in which you are interested.