Key information
- Level
- Postgraduate Taught
- Delivery type
- Full Time
- Degree qualification
- MSc
- Mode of delivery
- On-Campus
- Duration
- 1 year
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Start date
- September, January
- Next intake
- January 2026
The Petroleum Engineering MSc combines lectures, tutorials, field trips, industry software, and expert seminars to prepare graduates with advanced technical knowledge and practical skills for tackling global oil and gas challenges.
Alongside core petroleum engineering disciplines such as reservoir engineering, drilling, formation evaluation, reservoir simulation, production technology, geoscience with integrated data science, and energy project economics, the programme now incorporates energy transition and sustainability, equipping students to apply subsurface analysis, reservoir management, and fluid flow expertise to emerging geo-energy solutions like geothermal energy, carbon capture, and hydrogen storage.
Graduates gain a strong foundation in both traditional petroleum engineering and modern energy transition practices, enabling them to manage sustainable oil and gas assets and contribute to global energy security and environmental sustainability – through eight taught courses, one field development group project and one individual research project:
- Reservoir engineering
- Geoscience with integrated data science
- Drilling engineering
- Formation evaluation
- Reservoir simulation
- Energy project economics
- Production technology
Your student experience
Your learning will be informed by experts in geoenergy engineering and applied geoscience from our Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering at the Edinburgh campus, part of Heriot-Watt’s School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society. The School is one of the United Kingdom’s leading institutions for multidisciplinary research and teaching in areas critical to economic development and societal equity.
The research relevance of this postgraduate programme ensures your studies remain innovative and industry focused.
Go Global
With Go Global, Heriot-Watt's global student programme, you can carry your studies to new places and experience new cultures, expanding your horizons on the way. You'll discover what it means to be a true global citizen and emerge prepared for wherever your career journey will take you.
Inter-Campus Transfer: Dubai
Inter-Campus Transfer: Malaysia
Course content
September Intake- Edinburgh
Year 1
Mandatory September
- Drilling Engineering
- Formation Evaluation
- Geoscience with Integrated Data Science
- Reservoir Engineering
Mandatory January
- Energy Project Economics
- Production Technology
- Reservoir Simulation
- Well Test Analysis
Mandatory May
- Field Development Project
- Individual Project
January Intake - Edinburgh
Year 1
Mandatory January
- Well Test Analysis
- Reservoir Engineering
- Production Technology
- Energy Project Economics
Mandatory September
- Drilling Engineering
- Formation Evaluation
- Geoscience with Integrated Data Science
- Reservoir Simulation
Mandatory Second January
- Field Development Project
- Individual Project
Disclaimer
The courses mentioned above may change between now and the time that you study. For more information, please view our Terms and Conditions.
Programme Video
Video - MSc Petroleum Engineering
Fees and funding
| Status | Full Time |
|---|---|
| UK | £13,000 |
| International | £29,960 |
- Tuition fees are subject to revision each year. For students starting in September 2026 or later, refer to the table below.
| Status | Full Time |
|---|---|
| UK | £13,000 |
| International | £29,960 |
- Status: Your residency status is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course.
- International: 'International' includes applicants from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in UK. (This does not include students from the Republic of Ireland - see above).
Additional information
All course costs are covered by the tuition fee. This includes full electronic versions of the course notes, core text books, field trips and any day trips arranged as part of the course.
Scholarships and bursaries
Postgraduate scholarships and bursaries
We aim to encourage well-qualified, ambitious students to study with us and we offer a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries to achieve this. Over £6 million worth of opportunities are available in fee and stipend scholarships, and more than 400 students benefit from this support.
Entry requirements
We have standard entry requirements for all of our courses that you will have to meet.
Year 1
A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree, or its non-UK equivalent in an engineering subject or a physical or earth science discipline, including evidence of a good understanding of mathematics. Degrees in chemistry, maths, physics, geology or computing may also be considered with demonstrable maths ability.
In addition, work or project experience in a related company role will be taken into consideration, please include your CV as part of your application.
We welcome applications from international students and accept qualifications from around the world. Please refer to the entry requirements for your country for more details.
English language requirements
If your first language is not English, we'll need to see evidence of your English language ability.
The minimum English language requirement for entry to this programme is IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) with no score lower than 5.5.
If you do not have IELTS 6.0, we offer a range of English language courses to help you meet the English language requirement for this programme prior to commencing your studies.
Please see our detailed English language requirements.
Why Heriot-Watt
We're the top university in Scotland for graduate outcomes which means that more of our graduates are employed or in postgraduate education than any other institution in the country and we ranked 5th in the UK.
We're also rated number one in the UK for CEO or MD roles, meaning more of our graduates go on to become CEOs or MDs than any other university in the whole of the UK. On top of that, we have beautiful campuses, across the globe, so you'll get a truly international education. Our Edinburgh Campus is home to Oriam, Scotland's National Sports Performance Centre combined with plenty of wellbeing resources, prioritising fitness and mental health for all students. Our Global Research Institutes look at solving real world issues such as climate change and saving our oceans as well as working on the next medical technological breakthrough and the future of AI and robots.
Student life
Explore facilities, and chat to staff and students
