Petroleum Technology, A.A.S.

Joseph Filchock, Petroleum Technology Interim Program Coordinator
223B Advanced Technology Center / (304) 534-7807
jfilchock@pierpont.edu

Program Purpose

The Associate of Applied Science Degree Program in Petroleum Technology is designed to prepare students for employment in the upstream and midstream segments of the oil and gas industry. As the exploration and development of petroleum and shale gas resources expands in the Marcellus, Utica and other regional geological formations, excellent employment opportunities exist throughout this region and across the country for students who complete this program.

The program includes 60 credit hours of study. Of the 60 hours, 18 are general education courses and 42 are specific to the petroleum industry. The curriculum focuses on the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are required for success in technician-level jobs within the upstream and midstream segments of the petroleum industry.

Admission Requirements

Students must meet the general admission requirements of Pierpont Community & Technical College. Incoming expectations include, but are not limited to, pre-requisite courses. For example, a course may not require any specific coursework, but the course assumes students have a working knowledge of certain math concepts.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Associate Degree in Petroleum Technology, graduates will be able to do the following:

• Demonstrate a functional knowledge of duties and responsibilities of a technician associated with petroleum production such as a roustabout, lease operator, meter technician, compressor technician, geological technician, or engineering technician
• Demonstrate the ability to safely perform skills commonly associated with working as a production technician working in flowing production, beam pumping, free plunger lift, production surface equipment, gas measurement, compressor operations, flowback operations, or cased-hole wireline operations
• Demonstrate a functional knowledge of duties and responsibilities of a well stimulations hand, cementing operations hand, or a well servicing crew member in support of and drilling and/or production operations

Opportunities

The target population of the AAS Degree Program in Petroleum Technology is both traditional and non-traditional college students who are seeking a career in a high demand and highly technical career field offering entry level salaries of $35,000 to $60,000 annually with the ability to advance in position and income in the near future and throughout their careers. A limited number of career positions are also typically available in office support positions for persons with an AAS degree in Petroleum Technology.

A student may complete a summer internship if a compatible opening is available.