Bachelor of Engineering (Petroleum Engineering) Honours

Petroleum engineers work in a range of industry sectors, often related to the exploration, mining, production, delivery and downstream processing of fossil fuels.

These fossil fuels are derived from oil and gas reservoirs in the earth's crust, but may also include extraction from sands and shales. This course provides the foundations for a professional engineering career in the oil and gas industry, both in Australia and internationally. As well as providing core mechanical and chemical engineering skills, the course provides specialist knowledge in drilling, reservoir and petroleum production engineering.

The programme focuses on the development of knowledge and skills relevant to professional engineering practice and along with a sound theoretical base, includes strong elements of practical problem solving, teamwork and project development. As a result, graduates will gain strong analytical skills and have the ability to lead complex projects as well as having multiple technical and transferable skill competencies.

The course provides a sound basis in mechanics, mathematics, and the principles of engineering design in the first two years of study, along with core areas of engineering science including chemistry and materials science, fluid mechanics, process systems and thermodynamics. In the final two years of study, a range of more specialist petroleum engineering topics is covered to prepare students to enter their chosen profession with relevant knowledge and skills.

The first year of this course includes a set of eight units that are common across all engineering honours courses. This allows students the opportunity to develop a better understanding of the various engineering disciplines on offer and the flexibility, if desired, to switch to another engineering discipline/course without penalty after the first year of study.

Applicants from South West WA will be able to study only the first year (up to eight foundation units) of this degree at ECU's Bunbury Campus, which may include attending a short set of lab sessions at Joondalup Campus by the end of each semester. After completing these eight units, Bunbury students will need to attend ECU's Joondalup Campus to complete the rest of their course. This option is only available for domestic students living in the South West region of WA.

Course Entry

Academic Admission requirements (Band 4)

The following course-specific admission requirements are mandatory and must be satisfied by all applicants. These requirements are in addition to or supersede the minimum requirements outlined within the Academic admission requirements band section below.

All applicants are required to have Mathematics: Methods ATAR, with equivalents, considered, and Physics ATAR or Engineering Studies ATAR, with equivalents, considered.

It is desirable that all applicants have Mathematics: Specialist ATAR, with equivalents considered.

All applicants must meet the academic admission requirements for this course. The indicative or guaranteed ATAR is as published (where applicable) or academic admission requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:

• AQF Diploma or equivalent;
• Successfully completed 0.5 EFTSL of study at bachelor level or higher at an Australian higher education provider (or equivalent);
• Special Tertiary Admissions Test;*
• University Preparation Course;*
• Indigenous University Orientation Course; or*
• Aboriginal Student Intake Test.*

* Further information can be found on the Study course entry page.

For international students, requirements include your secondary school results.

English Language requirements (Band 3)

English competency requirements may be satisfied through the completion of one of the following:

• Year 12 English ATAR/English Literature ATAR grade C or better or equivalent;
• Special Tertiary Admissions Test;*
• IELTS Academic Overall band minimum score of 6.0 (no individual band less than 6.0);
• Successfully completed 1.0 EFTSL of study at bachelor level or higher in the UK, Ireland, USA, NZ or Canada;
• University Preparation Course;
• Indigenous University Orientation Course;*
• Aboriginal Student Intake Test;*
• AQF Diploma, Advanced Diploma or Associate Degree;
• Successfully completed 0.375 EFTSL of study at bachelor level or higher at an Australian higher education provider (or equivalent); or
• Other tests, courses or programmes defined on the English Proficiency Bands page.

* Further information can be found on the Study course entry page.

Applications for this course are not accepted through ECU's Experience Based Entry Scheme.

^{Zukiman Mohamad / Pexels}

Course Details

Semester availability

• Semester 1: Study full-time at Joondalup
• Semester 2: Study full-time at Joondalup

Course Structure

Year 1 - Semester 1

Note: Students who receive a WAM of 70 per cent or above at the end of their third year of study will be invited to complete a graded Honours degree by taking the two Honours Thesis units in place of the standard project units in their fourth year. Students below this cut-off, or who decline the offer to undertake the Honours Thesis, will graduate with an ungraded Honours degree.

Year 4 - Semester 1

Note: Students undertaking the graded Honours pathway should enrol into ENS5145 Engineering Honours Thesis 1 in place of ENS4152 Project Development.

Year 4 - Semester 2

Note: Students undertaking the graded Honours pathway should enrol into ENS5146 Engineering Honours Thesis 2 in place of ENS4253 Engineering Project.

Recommended Electives

Note: Electives chosen from outside this list must be approved by the Course Coordinator.

^ Core Option

Course Learning Outcomes

• Apply systematic engineering synthesis and design processes to conduct and manage petroleum engineering projects, with some intellectual independence.
• Demonstrate a global outlook and knowledge of contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline, including respect for cultural diversity and indigenous cultural competence.
• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the underpinning natural and physical sciences and an in-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the Petroleum engineering discipline.
• Demonstrate clear and coherent oral and written communication in professional and lay domains.
• Demonstrate a conceptual understanding of the mathematics, numerical analysis, statistics and computer and information sciences which underpin the petroleum engineering discipline and fluently apply engineering techniques, tools and resources.
• Demonstrate effective team membership and team leadership to implement engineering projects according to relevant standards of ethical conduct, sustainable practice and professional accountability.
• Demonstrate responsibility for own learning, professional judgement and an understanding of the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds of contemporary engineering practice.
• Think critically, and apply established engineering methods and research skills to complex petroleum engineering problem-solving.

Professional Recognition

Provisionally Accredited by: Engineers Australia

Career Opportunities

Petroleum engineers work in a wide range of industries associated with the exploration, drilling and mining, development and operation of production and transport of raw and processed products as well as the downstream processing of fossil fuel derivatives.

Possible future job titles

Petroleum Engineer, Oil and Gas Engineer, Exploration Engineer, Reservoir Engineer, Drilling Engineer, Pipeline Engineer, Refining Engineer, Production Engineer.