*Effective Spring 2024, this program will be discontinued
The Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering in conjunction with the department of Petroleum Engineering offers a program leading to Master's degrees in both Petroleum Engineering and Engineering Management. The program is designed for engineers whose career objectives lead to increasing technical management responsibilities in the field of Petroleum Engineering.
International students: This program is eligible for the OPT STEM extension.
Please Note: Requirements for graduation, course offerings, course availability, track offerings, and any other degree requirements are subject to change. Students should consult with an academic advisor prior to registering for any classes.
- A minimum of 45 units is required to earn the MS in Petroleum Engineering / MS in Engineering Management dual degree
- Some Petroleum Engineering deficiency courses may be required
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation
Detailed Program Curriculum and RequirementsSchedule of Classes
APPLICATION DEADLINES
| SEMESTER | DEADLINE |
| Spring | September 1 |
| Fall | December 15 |
Visit our
Application Deadlines page for more information.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
- An undergraduate degree in Petroleum Engineering (or other engineering, math, or hard science with assigned deficiencies) from a regionally-accredited university.
- Familiarity with engineering economy, engineering probability and statistics is recommended, but not required.
- Petroleum Deficiency Courses: Students without a BS in Petroleum Engineering must complete the following prerequisite courses at USC: Introduction to Transport Processes in Porous Media (PTE 411x), Petroleum Reservoir Engineering (PTE 412x), Formation Evaluation (PTE 461), Petroleum Geology (PTE 466), and Computational Reservoir Modeling (PTE 500) before beginning the MS program. Units from these courses cannot be applied towards the degree. Other prerequisite courses may be assigned on a case-by-case basis upon consultation with the Department Advisor.
- Math proficiency at the level needed for PTE 500 (basic calculus and differential equations)
- Satisfactory cumulative undergraduate GPA (grade point average).
- GRE: General GRE test scores are not required for 2024
- Satisfactory performance in previous coursework related to the intended major.
The following materials are required to be included with your online application:
- Transcripts: Upload Electronic Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. A mailed hard copy or official e-transcript is not required for admission to our programs.
- Submit an electronic copy of official transcripts (.pdf recommended) and other degree related documents through the online graduate application (International applicants, visit USC Graduate Admission’s Country Requirements page for details on required documents)
- Unofficial transcripts from university student portals are not acceptable
- If the transcript includes a separate grading scale, make sure it is also uploaded
- For upload purposes, all transcript related documents for a single school must be submitted as one document
- If you are admitted, you will be given specific instructions on submitting your hard copy transcripts
- Resume/CV
- Personal Statement : The personal statement should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program at the Viterbi School of Engineering, your preparation for this field of study, study interests, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study.
- Letters of Recommendation (3 Required): Letters of recommendation should be from faculty or others (supervisors, professional colleagues, etc.) qualified to evaluate your potential for graduate study.
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS
English Language Proficiency: In addition to application requirements above, international students whose first language is not English are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS. There is no minimum TOEFL or IELTS score required for admission to the Viterbi School. For possible exemption from additional language requirements, you must achieve an Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) score of 90, with no less than 20 on each section or an IELTS score of 6.5, with no less than 6 on each band score. Please review USC Graduate Admission – Proficiency in English.
IMPORTANT: USC does not accept Duolingo and TOEFL Essentials test scores.
APPLY NOW - USC GRADUATE APPLICATION
The following is an overview of the tuition & fees for graduate engineering students. Both on-campus and DEN@Viterbi students pay the same tuition.
TUITION
| Academic Year | Per Unit Rate | 3-unit Course | 4-unit Course |
| Fall 2024 - Summer 2025* | $2,543 | $7,629 | $10,172 |
| Fall 2023 - Summer 2024* | $2,424 | $7,272 | $9,696 |
| * Tuition is the same for on-campus and online students |
MANDATORY STUDENT FEES - 2022/23
| Fee Description | Fee Amount | On-Campus | DEN@Viterbi |
| Student Health Center Fee for 2023-24 (2024-25 not yet available) | $600/semester | | |
| Norman Topping Student Aid Fee | $11/semester | | |
| Graduate Student Programming Fee (On-Campus students) | $40/semester | | |
| Graduate Student Programming Fee (DEN@Viterbi students) | $20/semester | | |
| Exam Proctoring | $40 - $100 per course | | |
| Transportation Fee | $117/semester | | |
| Health Insurance (U.S.-based health insurance is required, but it does not have to be through USC) | Fall 2023: $948
Spring 2024: $1,765 | | |
Visit Tuition & Fees for more information
This program is also available online to professional engineers through DEN@Viterbi. Because the DEN@Viterbi program provides a fully equivalent academic experience, the degree a USC engineering student earns is the same whether they are on-campus or online.
If you are interested in beginning classes as a DEN@Viterbi student next semester, explore the requirements and steps to enrolling as a Limited Status Student.
Learn More About DEN@Viterbi
Detailed Program Curriculum and RequirementsSchedule of Classes
DEN@VITERBI ONLINE COURSE OFFERINGS
The following courses and program requirements serve as program planning for DEN@Viterbi students. Course offerings and availability are subject to change. Please consult with advisor if you have any questions.
| Petroleum Engineering Core Requirements |
| All courses are required - 21 units minimum. |
| PTE 507 | Engineering and Economic Evaluation of Subsurface Reservoirs (3 units) |
| PTE 508 | Numerical Simulation of Subsurface Flow and Transport Processes (3 units) |
| PTE 517 | Testing of Wells and Aquifers (3 units) |
| PTE 531 | Enhanced Oil and Gas Recovery (4 units) |
| PTE 555 | Well Completion, Stimulation, and Damage Control (3 units) |
| PTE 582 | Fluid Flow and Transport Processes in Porous Media (3 units, 2 years*) |
| *Please check with your PTE advisor regarding PTE 582. |
| Engineering Management Core Requirements |
| All courses are required - 12 units total. |
| ISE 500 | Engineering Management Decisions and Statistics (3 units) |
| ISE 515 | Engineering Project Management (3 units) |
| ISE 544 | Management of Engineering Teams (3 units) |
| ISE 561 | Economic Analysis of Engineering Projects (3 units) |
| Analytics Course |
| Select One - 3-4 units |
| DSCI 552 | Machine Learning for Data Science (4 units) |
| ISE 562 | Decision Analysis (3 units) |
| Technology Course |
| Required - 3 units |
| ISE 545 Technology Development and Implementation (3 units) |
| Additional Electives (4-5 units) |
| Choose at least 4 units from among other courses listed in the MS Engineering Management degree. |
