The Petroleum Engineering Bachelor’s of Science (B.S.) degree program, housed within the Swalm School of Chemical Engineering, provides graduates with state-of-the-art education and training for developing energy resources for the world today while enabling new technological energy solutions for the future.
The Petroleum Engineering B.S. program restarted in the fall 2015 semester, with our first graduates completing their degrees in the spring 2018 semester. The industry outlook has strengthened considerably in recent years and our graduates are entering the oil and gas industries in a variety of positions.
A petroleum engineer designs, develops and implements technologies for characterizing oil and gas reserves, enabling reliable forecasting of recoverable resources, instituting advanced drilling techniques and well treatments for optimizing and enhancing oil and gas recovery, and performing these tasks in a sustainable, safe and reliable manner.
The Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts employment growth projections of 15 percent from 2016 to 2026—considerably faster than the average for all occupations. As with all commodity businesses, oil and gas prices heavily influence employment growth with normal fluctuations in business cycles to be expected.
The close ties between petroleum and chemical engineering at Mississippi State ensure that students receive a broad exposure to engineering fundamentals common to both fields of engineering practice. Through our petroleum and chemical engineering faculty, students are exposed to an education based upon both industry practice and innovative research expertise—advancing technologies that will shape our energy future.
