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Oil and Gas Engineering MSc

2024-25 (also available for 2025-26)

This course is eligible for Master's loan funding. Find out more.

Start date

16 September 2024

6 January 2025

Duration

1 year full-time

Places available (subject to change)

30

About the course

Reasons to study

  1. Knowledge – You'll be taught by professional engineers, and supported by our technicians, many of whom have worked in industry, meaning you'll learn the very latest knowledge and practice.  
  2. Boosted Career Prospects – This course will help you to prepare you for careers with a wide range of potential employers, including national and multinational energy companies, consultancies and international agencies. 
  3. Support – You'll be supported by staff with specialist subject expertise to help you as you develop your knowledge and skills in your subject area. 

Develop your skills and boost your knowledge of oil and gas engineering with an MSc in the subject at The University of Huddersfield.

This course covers a range of foundational modules to ensure you are equipped to effectively study the more advanced analytical elements of this discipline.

As a student in the Oil and Gas Engineering MSc, you will also take non-technical modules to develop your managerial skills and knowledge. This will prepare you for careers with a wide range of potential employers, which could include national and multinational energy companies, consultancies and international agencies.

Why study Oil and Gas Engineering at Huddersfield?

The UK's offshore oil and gas industry remains a central pillar of the UK economy, and yet it suffers from a lack of graduates with advanced education that incorporates management skills. Our MSc in Oil and Gas Engineering seeks to fulfil this need for graduate level engineers.

A vibrant town surrounded by beautiful countryside, Huddersfield is a friendly and diverse place from which to study, offering lots of things to do between lectures.

Course detail

Core Modules

Advanced Production System

In this module you will gain an understanding of the systems analysis approach to model the transport of oil from upstream reservoir to downstream stock tank. You will explore Darcy’s law, inflow performance predictions, single-phase flow and multi-phase flow in pipes and restrictions, and the use of total system analysis to calculate the pressure drops versus flow rates.

Project and Finance Management

This module aims to develop your understanding of the strategic aspects of programme and project management and its role in adding competitive advantage to an organisation. The module enables you to gain a firm grounding in the principles, processes, tools and techniques that underpin programme and project management. It also aids you to develop a systematic understanding of the purposes and uses of financial information, together with the ability to use quantitative skills to improve performance management and decision making within an organisation. Emphasis is placed upon the need for competence in project planning and control. Team-working, communication and risk management skills are developed by means of group activity. Extensive use is made of project management and simulation software.

Enhanced Oil Recovery

The module is concerned with the understanding of reservoir fluids, reservoir rock properties, enhanced oil recoveries (EORs). You will have understanding of how production can be enhanced using these technologies and which technology/ies to be employed for a given oil field.

Professional Development and Research Methods

This module will develop your professional skills such as team working, organisation and leadership. You will also get the opportunity to explore a range of research methods and understand how they can be used in your own area of interest. There will be the opportunity to learn about professional registration in Engineering and how you can begin on that journey. You will learn through self directed study of online material supported by interactive seminars and workshops, this will give you ownership of your own learning and help you develop skills for life long learning and continued professional development. The assessment for this module will enable you to put these skills into practice in coursework which challenges your professional development and research skills whilst focussing on broadening your understanding of contemporary challenges in the sector.

Individual Project

The project provides you with the opportunity required within an MSc to undertake a major programme of advanced independent work. Where possible your project is carried out in collaboration with an industrial company and takes place at the company.

Process Measurement and Control

You will be studying the principal types of process plant and associated control equipment used in the process industries. Models of process plant systems are developed for optimising control system performance. You will get familiarised with the principal types of computer control systems, including PLCs, Direct Digital Control (DDC) systems, SCADA systems and Distributed Control (DCS) systems. Further on, you will get experience of working with instrumentation systems for the measurement of such as, temperature, pressure, level and flow. You will get familiarised with the real-time imaging systems for monitoring multiphase flows in pipes (e.g. oil-water or solids-water flows).

Downstream Oil and Gas Engineering

In this module you will gain an understanding of how the downstream petroleum industry is organised. An in-depth coverage of how crude oil is refined to produce a variety of intermediate and finished products either as straight run or through blending, how they are stored and finally marketed will be covered. Natural gas treatment, liquification processes, storage and transportation will also be covered. Storage tank farms, Design Construction Maintenance and operation.

Upstream Oil and Gas Engineering

This module is concerned with the understanding of the upstream Oil & Gas value chain which includes all aspects of Exploration and production of oil and gas, surface treatment, storage and transportation to the downstream value chain. You will, in addition, gain an understanding of how oil and gas is priced and traded.

Quality Systems and Measurement

This module will build upon your previously acquired understanding of Operations Management, Quality Assurance and Control, together with the statistical techniques employed in probability theory. During the course of this module, you will develop further expertise necessary to implement and operate Quality Systems, Maintenance Regimes and Reliability Trials and support New Product Introductions. You will explore the role of Quality Systems in the introduction of New Products. You will also learn about the importance of ensuring that products are problem-free in their early life to become established on the market.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for this course are normally:

  • An Honours degree (2:1 or above) in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Engineering Systems, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering or a closely related science subject area or an equivalent professional qualification.
  • Other qualifications or experience which demonstrate that a candidate possesses knowledge and skills at honours degree standard may be acceptable and will be considered on an individual basis.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our Where are you from information pages.

Why study with us?


Hear from our academic staff and students to discover what it's like to study as a Postgraduate Student at the University of Huddersfield.

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

A wide range of resources are also offered within the School of Computing and Engineering, which provides you with support in a variety of areas. These include:

Student Support Office: A one stop shop for students studying within the School. The team deal with every aspect of student life from enrolment, module queries, timetabling, exams, assessments, course-related committees and graduation. They are the first place to go with any query, and they can also signpost to other support networks.

Student Guidance Office: Students can book an appointment with a Guidance Adviser at any time during their studies; we are here to help with navigating any challenges they may face while studying. Our Advisers are skilled in providing advice and guidance to students on a range of issues including personal circumstances and academic issues and can help students to understand University regulations. The Guidance Team also offer study skills appointments to support with developing academic skills, such as; research and project planning, referencing and paraphrasing, essay writing, critical thinking, understanding assessments and to develop Maths skills. The team also encourage students to develop effective study habits such as good time management to meet deadlines by supporting with planning and organising work schedules.

Technical Support: technicians support our students across each department. Based in our labs with different specialisms and knowledge they are on hand to provide support, guide and advise where students can access our technician’s expertise/knowledge during lectures and seminars as well as during self-study. An IT Support Helpdesk is also available to all students within the School of Computing and Engineering to help troubleshoot any computer issues/problems or to loan hardware and software.

Important information

We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

Changes to a course you have applied for

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

Cancellation of a course you have applied for

Although we always try and run all of the course we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will contact you to discuss other suitable courses with us we can transfer your application to. If we notify you that the course you have applied to has been withdrawn or combined, and you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

We will always try to deliver your course and other services as described. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below:

Changes to option modules

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have a range of options to choose from and we will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes

We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change in this context is a change that materially changes the services available to you; or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but this may not always be the case. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation with affected students. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

Termination of course

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include transferring to a suitable replacement course for which you are qualified, being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered, or claiming an interim award and exiting the University. If you do not wish to take up any of the options that are made available to you, then you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the course without liability to the University for future tuition fees and you will be entitled to a refund of all course fees paid to date. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and disciplinary procedure, fees and finance and compliance with visa requirements (where relevant). It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to abide by them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to. You should read these carefully before you enrol. Please note that this information is subject to change and you are advised to check our website regularly for any changes before you enrol at the University. A person who is not party to this agreement shall not have any rights under or in connection with it. Only you and the University shall have any right to enforce or rely on the agreement.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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