University Name -Texas Tech University
Campus Setting – Midsize City
Petroleum Engineering Department Name – Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering
Department Website – http://www.depts.ttu.edu/pe/
Texas Tech University (TTU) is a public research institution established in 1923. Founded in 1923, it was originally called Texas Technological College. American author James A. Michener described the school with its Spanish Renaissance architecture as “the most beautiful west of the Mississippi until you get to Stanford.”
TTU is the flagship school of the Texas Tech University System. The campus houses the Health Sciences Centre. It is the only institution in the state of Texas to have an undergrad university, medical school, and law school all in one campus.
Research is one of the strongest suits of Texas Tech. The Carnegie Foundation deems this Texas university as having the “highest research activity”. TTU has different research centers and institutes, amongst them the National Wind Institute. In 2014, the university exceeded $150M in research expenditures and a year before that, 10 faculty members received grants from the Fulbright US Scholar Program. This gave the university the distinction of receiving the biggest number of grants of any research university in the US at the time.
For students, TTU’s research division offers the Texas Tech Innovation Mentorship & Entrepreneurship program and a 3 Day Startup instructional seminar. These activities show the school’s commitment to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in its students.
Strategically located in the middle of oil country, one of the university’s regionally relevant programs is its Petroleum Engineering program. It offers the full spectrum of degrees including Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees. The Petroleum department averages more than 500 enrollees making TTU one of the top producers of petroleum engineers.
Key courses covered by the Petroleum Engineering program include the full spectrum of exploration and production, efficient and responsible use of water, and business profitability analysis. Students’ coursework is complimented with hands-on application from its laboratories and research areas.
This includes the department’s own test well — Red Raider #1, the largest on a university campus in the U.S. Other labs and research areas include the Reservoir and Drilling Simulation Center, the Fracturing and Production Laboratory, the Enhanced Oil Recovery Laboratory, and the Natural Resources Pressure Volume Temperature Laboratory to name a few.
Texas Tech University faculty are also involved in the Southwestern Petroleum Short Course Association, Inc.or SWPSC. It is a non-profit where TTU faculty work with other petroleum production experts to disseminate technical information, discuss engineering problems, and come up with efficient solutions via annual conferences and workshops.
Key Stats
| Key Stats | 2014-2015 |
|---|---|
| Ninja Ranking | 10 |
| Student Population | 35,158 |
| Student/faculty ratio | 22:1 |
| Admission rate | 63% |
| Retention rate | 83% |
| Graduation rate | 60% |
| Forbes Best Value |
Texas Tech University Petroleum Engineering Degrees Awarded
| Degrees Awarded | 2012-13 | 2014-15 |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 122 | 129 |
| Master's | 25 | 23 |
| Doctoral | 0 | 5 |
Estimated Tuition Costs and Living Expenses for the 2016-2017 Academic Year
Expect a slight increase for tuition and fees, although inflation was higher for out-of-state fees. At TTU, students who were in the upper 25% of their high school and who pass a standardized test benchmark are guaranteed financial assistance with tuition.
| Estimated Expenses | 12-13 | 13-14 | 14-15 | 15-16 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - In-state | $7,517 | $7,517 | $7,811 | $8,028 | 2.8 |
| - Out-of-state | $15,941 | $16,013 | $16,499 | $17,388 | 5.4 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 | $1,200 | $1,200 | 0 |
| On Campus | |||||
| - Room and Board | $8,464 | $8,464 | $8,928 | $8,928 | 0 |
| - Other | $4,420 | $4,420 | $4,420 | $4,420 | 0 |
| Off Campus | |||||
| - Room and Board | $8,464 | $8,464 | $8,928 | $8,928 | 0 |
| - Other | $4,420 | $4,420 | $4,420 | $4,420 | 0 |
Video
Celebrate Energy: Texas Tech’s Ties to the Oil Industry
See the field laboratory and test well of Texas Tech University in this short video.
The 23 Million Dollar Petroleum Engineering Building at Texas Tech
We’ve heard a lot about the spanking new Petroleum building at TTU — the Terry Fuller Petroleum Engineering Research Building. Let’s have a look at the latest cutting edge technology in this 23M dollar facility.
