Undergraduate Program
Overview
Petroleum engineering is more than just oil and gas — it’s a dynamic and evolving field at the heart of the global energy transition. As a petroleum engineer, you’ll develop technologies to safely and efficiently access the Earth’s subsurface, supplying the world with energy while also working on innovative solutions to reduce environmental impact.
From deepwater drilling and shale operations to geothermal energy systems and carbon capture and storage (CCUS), petroleum engineers play a vital role in both traditional and emerging energy sectors. The same skills used to extract oil and gas are now being applied to store carbon dioxide underground, extract critical minerals, and harness heat from the Earth’s interior to generate clean power.
You’ll be trained to:
- Design and supervise complex drilling operations across a range of environments — from arctic regions to ultra-deep offshore fields.
- Analyze geologic and engineering data to predict reservoir behavior and optimize resource recovery.
- Solve multidisciplinary problems at the intersection of geology, fluid mechanics, data science, and sustainability.
Curriculum
Our program combines coursework in reservoir engineering, well design, production systems, petrophysics, fluid properties, data analysis, and economics. This technical foundation is built on strong preparation in calculus, chemistry, physics, geology, and core engineering sciences.
Graduates are well-prepared for careers in oil and gas, geothermal energy, CCUS, solution mining, underground fluid disposal, and even groundwater management. The flexibility of the degree opens doors across the energy sector — and beyond.
For detailed information on petroleum engineering concentrations, please refer to our course flowcharts. Click the buttons below to be taken to the respective concentration section of the page.
At LSU, petroleum engineering students don’t just learn theory — they prepare to lead in one of the world’s most dynamic industries. Here’s what sets our program apart:
Our world-class faculty bring both academic excellence and industry experience to the classroom — averaging over seven years of hands-on work in the field. LSU graduates are recognized for being highly trained problem-solvers, ready to tackle real-world engineering challenges from day one.
Our curriculum emphasizes experiential learning with five hands-on labs, two of which are taught at the field-scale PERTT Lab (see below). You’ll go beyond simulations — working directly with equipment used in actual petroleum operations.
LSU is proud to be the first petroleum engineering department in the country to offer a formal concentration in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) — a key part of the global energy transition and an area of growing demand for engineering talent.
The Petroleum Engineering Research, Training & Testing (PERTT) Lab is a one-of-a-kind facility with six full-scale wellbores and the equipment needed to operate them under real conditions. After mastering skills on simulators, you’ll practice well control and field operations on actual systems. Students can also apply for paid internships at the PERTT Lab to build practical experience — and their résumés.
In addition to traditional petroleum engineering topics, LSU’s curriculum includes a required track in programming, statistics, and data visualization, with an elective in data analytics tailored to petroleum applications. This ensures graduates are fluent in the digital tools shaping the industry’s future.
We actively help students find summer internships in the energy industry and encourage involvement in professional organizations like the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the American Association of Drilling Engineers (AADE). We also recommend students take the FE exam in their senior year — the first step toward professional licensure.
Graduates of LSU’s nationally ranked Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering can be found across the globe — working for major energy companies, innovative startups, government agencies, and as independent consultants.
The Petroleum Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET: www.abet.org
To join the Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering at LSU, students must first be admissible to the LSU College of Engineering.
In addition to College of Engineering admission standards, applicants must meet the following departmental requirement:
A minimum GPA of 2.8 in all courses that apply toward the petroleum engineering degree.
Transfer students admitted to LSU may apply to the Petroleum Engineering program at
the same time they apply to the College of Engineering. Students who are not initially
admitted to the department are welcome to reapply in a future semester once requirements
are met.
Petroleum Engineering
Petroleum engineers work around the world in high-impact roles. Whether your interests lie in field operations, data analytics, research and development, or leadership, the possibilities are vast. Career paths often include roles such as drilling or reservoir engineer, technical advisor, project manager, consultant, or executive.
As you gain experience, you might choose to move into management, start your own business, or specialize in an emerging energy technology. The field is known for offering competitive salaries, global mobility, and strong career advancement opportunities.
If you’re curious, confident, and ready to tackle real-world challenges with a mix of science, technology, and innovation, petroleum engineering could be your path to a meaningful and successful career.
Full course descriptions are available here.
| Course Number | Course Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PETE 1010 | Introduction to Petroleum Engineering | 2 |
| PETE 2031 | Reservoir Rock Properties | 3 |
| PETE 2032 | Reservoir Fluid Properties | 3 |
| PETE 2034 | Rock and Fluid Properties Laboratory | 1 |
| PETE 2061 | Statistics and Data Visualization for Petroleum Engineers | 2 |
| PETE 3025 | Economic Aspects of Petroleum Engineering | 3 |
| PETE 3036 | Well Logging | 3 |
| PETE 3037 | Petroleum Field Operations | 1 |
| PETE 3050 | Reservoir Dynamics | 3 |
| PETE 3053 | Petroleum Engineering Aspects of Subsurface Geology | 3 |
| PETE 3061 | Computational Methods and Data Analytics in Petroleum Engineering | 3 |
| PETE 3085 | Well Performance and Production | 3 |
| PETE 4045 | Drilling Engineering | 3 |
| PETE 4047 | Well Design - Completions | 3 |
| PETE 4051 | Reserve Estimation and Reservoir Management | 3 |
| PETE 4056 | Numerical Simulation of Improved Recovery Processes | 3 |
| PETE 4058 | Reservoir Mechanics Laboratory | 1 |
| PETE 4059 | Drilling Fluids Engineering Laboratory | 1 |
| PETE 4060 | Prevention of Oil and Gas Well Blowouts | 1 |
| PETE 4998 | Senior Project I | 1 |
| PETE 4999 | Senior Project II | 1 |
| Course Number | Course Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 1201 | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 1202 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 1212 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| GEOL 1001 | General Geology: Physical | 3 |
| GEOL 1601 | Physical Geology Laboratory | 1 |
| PHYS 2110 | Particle Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 2112 | Fluids, Thermodynamics, Waves and Modern Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 2113 | Fields: Gravity, Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| CE 2200 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| CE 2450 | Statics | 3 |
| CE 3400 | Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
| ME 3333 | Thermodynamics | 3 |
Students must take any 3-credit-hour course from the Department of Geology & Geophysics numbered 3000 or above except GEOL 4165.
Students must choose one of the following 3-credit-hour courses: EE 2950, CE 2460, ME 3133 or one of the following PETE 4046, PETE 4083, PETE 4084, PETE 4085, PETE 4086, PETE 4087, PETE 4088, PETE 4089, PETE 4090, PETE 4241.
| Course Number | Course Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 1022 or MATH 1023 | Plane Trigonometry or College Algebra and Trigonometry | 3 or 5 |
| MATH 1550 | Differential and Integral Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 1552 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH 2065 | Elementary Differential Equations | 3 |
| Course Number | Course Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 1001 | English Composition | 3 |
| ENGL 2000 | English Composition II | 3 |
| ECON 2030 | Economic Principles | 3 |
In addition to the above requirements, a total of six General Education courses must be taken as follows: one course in Life Sciences (3), one course in Arts (3), three courses
in Humanities (9) and one course in Social Sciences (3).
| Course Number | Course Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PETE 3320 | Fundamentals of Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage | 3 |
| PETE 4083 | Secondary Recovery of Petroleum | 3 |
| PETE 4084 |
Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer in Wellbores | 3 |
| PETE 4085 | Surface Handling of Produced Fluids | 3 |
| PETE 4087 | Environmental Control in Petroleum Engineering | 3 |
| PETE 4088 | Formation Evaluation | 3 |
| PETE 4089 | Natural Gas Engineering | 3 |
| PETE 4090 | Unconventional Reservoirs | 3 |
| PETE 4145 | Directional Drilling | 3 |
| PETE 4161 | Petroleum Engineering Applications of Data Analytics | 3 |
| PETE 4190 | Shale Reservoir Engineering and Evaluation | 3 |
| PETE 4241 | Special Topics in Petroleum Engineering Design | 3 |
| PETE 4320 | Subsurface CO2 Storage | 3 |
Petroleum Engineering (CCUS)
In the Fall of 2023, LSU’s Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering became
the first in the U.S. to offer a formal Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS)
Concentration — placing students at the cutting edge of the global energy transition.
Located in one of the world’s most active CCUS regions, LSU prepares students to step
directly into low-carbon and CCS teams by providing access to unique opportunities
for research, internships, and industry partnerships.
In addition to CCUS, students can choose electives in oil and gas production from
shales, advanced drilling, data analytics, and other modern energy topics.
| Course Number | Course Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PETE 1010 | Introduction to Petroleum Engineering | 2 |
| PETE 2031 | Reservoir Rock Properties | 3 |
| PETE 2032 | Reservoir Fluid Properties | 3 |
| PETE 2034 | Rock and Fluid Properties Laboratory | 1 |
| PETE 2061 | Statistics and Data Visualization for Petroleum Engineers | 2 |
| PETE 3025 | Economic Aspects of Petroleum Engineering | 3 |
| PETE 3036 | Well Logging | 3 |
| PETE 3037 | Petroleum Field Operations | 1 |
| PETE 3050 | Reservoir Dynamics | 3 |
| PETE 3053 | Petroleum Engineering Aspects of Subsurface Geology | 3 |
| PETE 3061 | Computational Methods and Data Analytics in Petroleum Engineering | 3 |
| PETE 3020 | Fundamentals of Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage | 3 |
| PETE 4045 | Drilling Engineering | 3 |
| PETE 4047 | Well Design - Completions | 3 |
| PETE 4051 | Reserve Estimation and Reservoir Management | 3 |
| PETE 4056 | Numerical Simulation of Improved Recovery Processes (CCUS) | 3 |
| PETE 4058 | Reservoir Mechanics Laboratory | 1 |
| PETE 4059 | Drilling Fluids Engineering Laboratory | 1 |
| PETE 4060 | Prevention of Oil and Gas Well Blowouts | 1 |
| PETE 4089 | Natural Gas Engineering | 3 |
| PETE 4320 | Subsurface CO2 Storage | 3 |
| PETE 4998 | Senior Project I (CCUS) | 1 |
| PETE 4999 | Senior Project II (CCUS) | 1 |
| Course Number | Course Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 1201 | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 1202 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 1212 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| GEOL 1001 | General Geology: Physical | 3 |
| GEOL 1601 | Physical Geology Laboratory | 1 |
| PHYS 2110 | Particle Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 2112 | Fluids, Thermodynamics, Waves and Modern Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 2113 | Fields: Gravity, Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| CE 2200 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| CE 2450 | Statics | 3 |
| CE 3400 | Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
| ME 3333 | Thermodynamics | 3 |
Students must take any 3-credit-hour course from the Department of Geology & Geophysics numbered 3000 or above except GEOL 4165.
Students must choose one of the following 3-credit-hour courses: EE 2950, CE 2460, ME 3133 or one of the following PETE 4046, PETE 4083, PETE 4084, PETE 4085, PETE 4086, PETE 4087, PETE 4088, PETE 4089, PETE 4090, PETE 4241.
| Course Number | Course Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 1001 | English Composition | 3 |
| ENGL 2000 | English Composition II | 3 |
| ECON 2030 | Economic Principles | 3 |
In addition to the above requirements, a total of six General Education courses must be taken as follows: one course in Life Sciences (3), one course in Arts (3), three courses in Humanities (9) and one course in Social Sciences (3).