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The University of Adelaide

Adelaide , South Australia ,Australia

Graduate Certificate in Petroleum Engineering

Fuel new global career opportunities

The petroleum industry has long been one of the world’s largest, powering much of modern life and the global economy. Engineering in the field is highly challenging and rewarding, with outstanding career opportunities worldwide.

Our Graduate Certificate of Petroleum Engineering will build on your existing engineering knowledge and experience in another discipline to help you enter this exciting industry.
 
What will you do?

Completed over 6 months full-time, the degree features an engaging blend of face-to-face tuition and practical problem solving.

The program is developed and taught by world-class, industry-trained and research-active academics through our Australian School of Petroleum and Energy Resources (ASPER)—Australia’s only school of its kind, and the leading centre for integrated petroleum research and education throughout the Asia Pacific region.

The wide-ranging and internationally informed curriculum draws on ASPER’s strong collaborations with industry and other leading universities around the world, delivering you:

basic knowledge of petroleum engineering principles
fundamental skills in evaluating, selecting and using appropriate, environmentally responsible methods and techniques in drilling, reservoir and production engineering
skills in solving petroleum engineering problems
specialised petroleum engineering technical and creative capabilities
effective interpersonal communication skills.
Interaction with ASPER’s world-recognised staff and guest industry presenters will also help you develop valuable connections and real-world insight.

Where could it take you?

You’ll graduate ready to enter the upstream petroleum industry in Australia or anywhere else in the world. You may also choose to continue your studies with our Graduate Diploma of Petroleum Engineering.

Campus Information

North Terrace

The campus provides a mix of the historical and contemporary, combining old sandstone buildings with state-of-the-art teaching, learning and research facilities.

Intakes

  • Feb

Application Processing Time in Days: 10

Minimum English Language Requirements

English Level Description IELTS (1.0 -9.0) TOEFL IBT (0-120) TOEFL CBT (0-300) PTE (10-90)
Expert 9 120 297-300 86-90
Very Good 8.5 115-119 280-293 83-86
Very Good 8 110-114 270-280 79-83
Good 7.5 102-109 253-267 73-79
Good 7 94-101 240-253 65-73
Competent 6.5 79-93 213-233 58-65
Competent 6 60-78 170-210 50-58
Modest 5.5 46-59 133-210 43-50
Modest 5 35-45 107-133 36-43
Limited 4 32-34 97-103 30-36
Extremely Limited < 4 < 31 < 93 < 30

Job Opportunity Potential

There are three key steps you will need to take when addressing the selection criteria in any University of Adelaide job application:

  • Create a new document. Your statement addressing the position’s specified selection criteria should be separate from your cover letter and resume.
  • List each criterion separately. Give each a title, using exactly the same wording as appears on the Position Description (e.g. Excellent verbal communication skills).
  • Address each criterion. Under each heading, write two short paragraphs explaining how your experience, skills, education and training equip you to meet that specific requirement. Dot points are also acceptable.

Please note that failing to submit a statement addressing the selection criteria could result in your application not being considered.

Some helpful writing tips
There are a number of steps you can take when putting together your responses to increase their clarity and impact.

  • Give details of one or two specific things you’ve done that are good examples of the relevant experience or knowledge required. For example: ‘I was responsible for organising an event attended by… This involved…'
  • Preface these examples with a short overview that shows you appreciate the relevance of the specific criterion.
  • Quantify your experience (number of years worked, staff supervised, etc.). For example: ‘I delivered a presentation to an industry forum with an audience of 80 people.’
  • Where possible, indicate how successfully you meet the criterion. You could do this by referring to feedback from others, or things you've set up that are still being used. For example: ‘A report I wrote about… was endorsed by the… Committee and circulated to all stakeholders for discussion.

You could also consider using the STAR method as a structural framework when describing examples of your work. This involves describing, in the order listed here, the:

  • situation you faced
  • task required, and desired outcome
  • action you took to complete the task
  • results you achieved, and lessons you learned.

PSW Opportunity

The additional year of post study work rights is not available to international students studying in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane.

Bachelor Degree or Masters by Coursework Degree - 2 years - 3 years (Adelaide)

Masters by Research - 3 years - 4 years (Adelaide)

PhD qualification - 4 years - 5 years (Adelaide)

Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria

Entry to postgraduate coursework programs as a minimum requires a Bachelors degree or equivalent qualification from an approved institution as a qualification for entry.

Some of the graduate certificates and graduate diplomas that are offered may be accepted as qualifying work for entry to a Masters program, or as professional qualifications in their own right.

IELTS Overall 6.5 Reading 6.5 Listening 6.5 Speaking 7 Writing 7

TOEFL Overall 79 Reading 20 Listening 20 Speaking 23 Writing 27
 
Pearson Overall 58 Reading 58 Listening 58 Speaking 65 Writing 65
 
C1 Advanced Overall 176 Reading 176 Listening 176 Speaking 185 Writing 185