Master of Science in Petroleum Geosciences

The Department of Earth Sciences at Khalifa University builds on the legacy of the Petroleum Institute as an internationally recognized center of excellence in education and research in petroleum geology and geophysics, and will be the leading university center of petroleum geosciences education, continuing education, and research in the Middle East.

The diverse expertise of the faculty in the department supports a variety of research opportunities that include studies of earth surface and deep processes, geological hazards, environmental geoscience, and Quaternary geology, sedimentology/facies analysis, micropaleontology, bio- and chemo- stratigraphy, seismology, petrology, tectonics, geophysics, and geochemistry.

Program goals of the Master in Petroleum Geosciences (objectives) are statements of what the program itself contributes, or aims to contribute, to the student, industry, and/or the UAE society. The Department of Earth Sciences has defined the goals of its master’s program as follows:

• Provide graduates with an outstanding education and the research skills required to further their careers;
• Prepare graduates for further education in PhD programs;
• Provide the oil and gas industry with highly educated personnel who can utilize their technical knowledge and skills to increase value of petroleum assets and to develop petroleum industry business opportunities;
• Advance the technological skill base of E&P sponsor companies, the UAE, and the regional oil and gas industry;
• Raise the overall educational environment of the UAE through publication of scholarly work.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for those studying in the MSc in Petroleum Geosciences program are defined as statements describing what graduates are expected to know and be able to do upon graduation. The current SLOs for this program are as follows:

Upon completion of the MSc in Petroleum Geosciences, graduates will

• Be able to successfully apply advanced and current concepts and methods of the geosciences to formulate and solve complex petroleum geoscience problems;
• Be able to plan and complete a research project within a reasonable time frame by integrating knowledge and methods from different disciplines of the petroleum geosciences and using appropriately selected research methods;
• Demonstrate an ability to communicate complex scientific problems in oral and written forms in English appropriate to the petroleum and broad energy industry;
• Demonstrate self-direction and time management when working independently;
• Work effectively and professionally in multidisciplinary teams, as a member and a leader;
•  Be able to manage and analyze complex ethical issues.