Ph.D. Program
The Energy Resources Engineering department offers two distinct degree programs at both the M.S. and Ph.D. levels. One program leads to the degrees of M.S. or Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering, and the other leads to the degrees of M.S. or Ph.D. in Energy Resources Engineering. The Engineer degree, which may be offered in either Petroleum Engineering or Energy Resources Engineering, is an extended form of the M.S. degree with additional coursework and research.
The Ph.D. degree is conferred upon demonstration of high achievement in independent research and by presentation of the research results in a written dissertation and oral defense.
Basic requirements include a minimum of 135 units of satisfactorily completed graduate study. Students must take at least 90 units beyond the 45 units required for the master’s degree. The 90 units are composed of a minimum of 36 units of research and a minimum of 36 units of course work. The student’s record must indicate outstanding scholarship. The student must pass the department’s qualifying examination, submit an approved research proposal, fulfill the requirements of the minor department if a minor is elected, and pass the University oral examination, which is a defense of the dissertation. The student must prepare a dissertation based on independent research and that makes a significant contribution to the field.
The specification of 36 units of course work is a minimum; in some cases the research adviser may specify additional requirements to strengthen the student’s expertise in particular areas. The 36 units of course work does not include teaching experience (ENERGY 359), which is a requirement for the Ph.D. degree, nor any units in research seminars, which students are required to attend, nor summer work experience (ENERGY 355). All courses must be taken for a letter grade, with an average grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.25 in the 36 units of course work. Incoming Ph.D. students who earned their master’s degree at another institution are required to take at least 36 units of course work. The 36 units of course work may include graduate courses in Energy Resources Engineering (numbered 200 and above) and graduate courses from other science and engineering departments. Other courses may be substituted with prior approval by the adviser. In general, non-technical courses are not approved. Students are encouraged to take the class Engineering 202W - Technical Writing, although it does not count within the 36 unit minimum.
Doctor of Philosophy - Petroleum Engineering
In Addition to the University Doctorate requirement, Petroleum Engineering PhD has the following requirements:
- Students must complete a minimum of 36 course units and a minimum of 36 research units, with a total unit requirement of 90 units. At least half of the classes must be at a 200 level or higher and all must be taken for a letter grade. Students with an M.S. degree will generally be expected to include the classes ENERGY 175, 221, 222, 223, 227, 240, 246, 251.
- Prior to beginning of the qualifying procedure, the student must have completed 24 units of letter-graded course work. Such courses are expected to include: CME 200, 204, Energy 175, 221, 222, 223, 240, 246, 251, 260.
- To be admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, the student must pass both steps of the PhD qualification procedure. See the description below.
- The research advisers and two other faculty members comprise the dissertation reading committee. Upon completion of the thesis, the student must pass a University Oral Examination in defense of the dissertation.
- In addition to the courses above, recommended Courses for Petroleum Engineering include:
Energy 224 Advanced Reservoir Simulation
Energy 225 Theory of Gas Injection
Energy 241 Seismic Reservoir Characterization
Energy 253 Carbon Capture Storage
Energy 269 Geothermal Reservoir Engineering
Energy 281 Applied Mathematics in Reservoir Engineering
Energy 284 Optimization and Inverse Modeling
ENERGY 301 The Energy Seminar (may be repeated for credit no more than 3 times)
CEE 268 Groundwater Flow
CME 206 Introduction to Numerical Methods for Engineering
CME 302 Numerical Linear Algebra
CME 306 Numerical Solution of Partial Differential Equations
EESS 221/CEE 260C Contaminant Hydrogeology
GES 171 Geochemical Thermodynamics
GES 217 Faults, Fractures, and Fluid Flow
GES 231 Contaminant Hydrogeology
GES 253 Petroleum Geology and Exploration
GEOPHYS 182 Reflection Seismology
GEOPHYS 202 Reservoir Geomechanics GEOPHYS 262 Rock Physics
Doctor of Philosophy - Energy Resources Engineering
In Addition to the University Doctorate requirement, Energy Resources Engineering PhD has the following requirements:
- Students must complete a minimum of 36 course units and a minimum of 36 research units, with a total unit requirement of 90 units. At least half of the classes must be at a 200 level or higher and all must be taken for a letter grade. Students with an M.S. degree or other specialized training from outside ERE will generally be expected to include the classes ENERGY 293ABC, ENERGY 221 and ENERGY 240 or their equivalents.
The number and distribution of courses to be taken is to be determined with input from the research advisers and department graduate program committee. The program should contain a level of breadth (at least 4 courses, including ENERGY 293 A and B and C) in energy-related subjects in addition to coursework that supports the area of the student's focus (see number 5).
- Prior to beginning of the qualifying procedure, the student must have completed 24 units of letter-graded course work. Such courses are expected to include: CME 200, 204, Energy 221, 246, 253, 293ABC, MSE 248.
- To be admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, the student must pass both steps of the PhD qualification procedure. See the description below.
- The research advisers and two other faculty members comprise the dissertation reading committee. Upon completion of the thesis, the student must pass a University Oral Examination in defense of the dissertation.
- 12 of the 36 required course units must be completed from the following list of courses. If the student has not taken ENERGY 293ABC or their equivalent during the MS, then these courses must be taken during the PhD (they will satisfy 6 of the required 12 units).
ENERGY 104 Transition to Sustainable Energy Systems
Energy 221 Fundamentals of Multiphas Flow
Energy 246 Reservoir Characterization and Flow Modeling with Outcrop Data
ENERGY 253 Carbon Capture and Sequestration
ENERGY 256 Electronic
Structure Theory and Applications to Chemical Kinetics
ENERGY 260 Modeling Uncertainty in the Earth Sciences
ENERGY 269 Geothermal Reservoir Engineering
ENERGY 291 Optimization of Energy Systems
ENERGY 293A Fundamentals of Energy Processes
ENERGY 293B Fundamentals of Energy Processes
ERERGY 293C Energy from Wind and Water Currents
ENERGY 301 The Energy Seminar (may be repeated for credit no more than 3 times)
CEE 176A Energy Efficient Buildings
CEE 176B Electric Power: Renewables and Efficiency
CEE 268 Groundwater Flow
CEE 272P Distributed Generation and Grid Integration of Renewables
CEE 268 Groundwater Flow (delete, repeat)
CME 200 Linear Algebra with Application to Engineering Computations
CME 204 Partial Differential Equations in Engineering
CME 206 Introduction to Numerical Methods for Engineering
CME 302 Numerical Linear Algebra
CME 306 Numerical Solution of Partial Differential Equations
EESS 221/CEE 260C Contaminant Hydrogeology
CHEMENG 130 Separation Processes
CHEMENG 310A Microscale Transport in Chemical Engineering
CHEMENG 340 Molecular Thermodynamics
EARTHSYS 247 Controlling Climate Change in the 21st Century
ECON 250 Environmental Economics
ECON 251 Natural Resource and Energy Economics
GES 170 Environmental Geochemistry
GES 171 Geochemical Thermodynamics
GES 217 Faults, Fractures, and Fluid Flow
GES 231 Contaminant Hydrogeology
GES 253 Petroleum Geology and Exploration
GEOPHYS 182 Reflection Seismology
GEOPHYS 202 Reservoir Geomechanics
GEOPHYS 262 Rock Physics
ME 131A Heat Transfer
ME 150 Internal Combustion Engines
ME 260 Fuel Cell Technology
ME 335ABC Finite Element Analysis
ME 370A Energy Systems I: Thermodynamics
ME 370B Energy Systems II: Modeling and Advanced Concepts
MATSCI 156 Solar Cells, Fuel Cells, and Batteries
MATSCI 316 Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology
MS&E 248 Economics of Natural Resources
Ph.D. Degree Qualification
The procedure for Ph.D. qualification is identical for individuals who entered the department as an M.S. or a Ph.D. student. For students completing an MS in the department, the student formally applies to the Ph.D. program in the second year of the M.S. degree program. The student is considered for admission to the Ph.D. program along with external applicants. The admission decision is based primarily upon research progress and course work.
There are two steps to the qualification procedure. Students first take a preliminary written exam that is offered at the beginning of Autumn Quarter. The exam focuses upon synthesis of knowledge acquired from core courses in ERE or PE. Exams are different for ERE and PE PhD students, but share a goal of having students exhibit capability to solve an engineering problem. Students take the exam consistent with their PhD degree objective (i.e., ERE or PE).
Students continuing within the department take the written exam at the beginning of their first quarter as PhD students. Students who completed their MS outside of the department take the written exam at the beginning of their fourth quarter as PhD students. A student who does not pass the exam may not be allowed to take the exam a second time. Any student who does not pass the written exam is considered to have failed the qualifying exam. Any student who is deemed to have not made sufficient research progress may not be allowed to take the preliminary exam and research progress shall be taken into account for pass, fail, and retake decisions.
A written Ph.D. proposal and oral defense are the main components of the second step. The written proposals are reviewed by three faculty members. Students are provided a template of what constitutes an acceptable proposal. Students subsequently make an oral presentation of their proposal to three faculty members including material such as a literature review, identification of key unanswered research questions, proposed work outline, and an oral presentation. Following the presentation, the student is questioned on the research topic and general field of study. The student can pass, pass with qualifications requiring more classes or teaching assistantships, or fail. Students who completed their MS in the department prepare and defend their proposal in their third quarter (not counting summer) as a PhD student. Their advisor may request an additional quarter given extenuating circumstances such as a major change in research focus between MS and PhD programs. Students who completed their MS outside of the department complete the proposal in their fourth quarter (not counting summer) of study.
Students who have passed the Qualification procedure and later wish to change their degree objective from PE to ERE, or vice versa, may petition the graduate standing committee. A switch of degree objective is not automatically granted. Petitions are made in writing and include a brief explanation of the request for a change in degree objective and a plan to make up subject matter deficiencies. At the minimum, students who petition are expected to complete ultimately all courses listed as contributing subject matter to the written exam in the area of their degree objective with a minimum grade of “B”. The graduate standing committee decides whether petitions have merit and if additional steps are needed to address deficiencies. Such switches in degree objective will be considered provisional until all conditions have been met.
Ph.D. Minor
To be recommended for a Ph.D. degree with Petroleum Engineering as a minor subject, a student must take 20 units of selected graduate-level lecture courses in the department. These courses must include ENERGY 221 and 222. The remaining courses should be selected from ENERGY 175, 223, 224, 225, 227, 240, 241, 251, 280, 281, and 284.
The specification of 36 units of course work is a minimum; in some cases the research adviser may specify additional requirements to strengthen the student’s expertise in particular areas. The 36 units of course work does not include teaching experience (ENERGY 359), which is a requirement for the Ph.D. degree, nor any units in research seminars, which students are required to attend, nor summer work experience (ENERGY 355). Students are encouraged to take the class Engineering 202W - Technical Writing, although it does not count within the 36 unit minimum. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, with an average grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.25 in the 36 units of course work.
PhD students entering ERE are required to hold a MS degree in a relevant science or engineering discipline, although it need not be in ERE.
