Petroleum Geology

The modern world is still heavily dependent on oil and gas for everything from heating our homes to driving our cars. Petroleum geologists help maintain this critical supply by discovering and analyzing natural reserves on land and in the sea using sophisticated technology.

Program Overview

Explore how natural resources are discovered and produced.

The Moncrief Petroleum Geology program will prepare you for a career as a geoscientist in the oil and gas industry or as a resource assessment and energy policy manager at a governmental agency. In the program, you’ll have the opportunity to visit nearby oil and gas fields, study stunning geologic formations minutes from campus and work one-on-one with professors on independent research projects.

Generous donations from legendary oilman Tex Moncrief Jr. and Western graduate Paul M. Rady, Chairman and CEO of Antero Resources, have provided funding for the Petroleum Geology program. In our state-of-the-art computing facilities, you’ll learn the technological skills you need to navigate industry software and data sets. To begin making professional connections, you’ll have the opportunity to network with industry geoscientists and participate in competitive internships. If you’re interested in pursuing an advanced degree, our expert faculty will help you publish your research and apply to graduate programs.

Start exploring

Western provides one-of-a-kind opportunities to visit nearby oil and gas fields, study stunning geologic formations minutes from campus and work one-on-one with professors on independent research projects.

Courses

At Western, course rotations are crafted to encompass a variety of subject fields for a comprehensive education and versatile degree. For required courses and degree plans, visit the official University Catalog. Below is a general overview of courses at Western Colorado University related to this area of study.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits	Description
CHEM 111	General Chemistry I (GT-SC2)	3	View
CHEM 112	General Chemistry Laboratory I (GT-SC1)	1	View
CHEM 113	General Chemistry II	3	View
CHEM 114	General Chemistry Laboratory II	1	View
GEOL 101	Physical Geology (GT-SC2)	3	View
GEOL 105	Physical Geology Laboratory (GT-SC1)	1	View
GEOL 201	Historical Geology (with laboratory)	4	View
GEOL 302	Geoscience Writing	2	View
GEOL 305	Mineralogy (with laboratory)	4	View
GEOL 310	Stratigraphy and Sedimentation (with laboratory)	4	View
GEOL 311	Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (with laboratory)	4	View
GEOL 343	Exploration Geophysics (with laboratory)	3	View
GEOL 345	Structural Geology (with laboratory)	4	View
GEOL 346	Subsurface Geology (with laboratory)	4	View
GEOL 450	Field Geology	4	View
GEOL 455	Petroleum Geology (with laboratory)	4	View
GEOL 456	Petroleum Geology of Unconventional Resources (with laboratory)	4	View
GEOL 465	Research in Basin Analysis (with laboratory)	3	View
MATH 151	Calculus I (GT-MA1)	4	View
MATH 251	Calculus II	4	View
PHYS 170	Principles of Physics I (with laboratory) (GT-SC1)	4	View
PHYS 171	Principles of Physics II (with laboratory) (GT-SC1)	4	View
PHYS 200	General Physics I (with laboratory) (GT-SC1)	4	View
PHYS 201	General Physics II (with laboratory) (GT-SC1)	4	View

Faculty & Staff

Brad Burton, Ph.D.

Rady Chair in Petroleum Geology

Elizabeth Petrie, Ph.D.

Moncrief Chair in Petroleum Geology

Gary Scott Steffens, M.S.

Adjunct Professor in Geology and Business Energy Management

James Coogan, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor of Geology

Samantha Siegfried

Administrative Assistant for NES

Careers

Career preparation starts your first year at Western and is the primary focus of every degree.

Visit Career Services in Library 120 or online to discover your interests, define your goals, and land the career of your dreams.

The data below is automatically collected by Burning Glass Technologies, a firm that sources job market data and provides analytics. The statistics illustrate general trends in U.S. careers, but do not precisely represent every job and salary.

What could my career look like with this degree?

Scholarships

Institutional Scholarships

Alumni Association Future Alumni Scholarship

The Alumni Association Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $1,000 and is applicable for the student’s junior or senior year at Western. Any child or grandchild of an alumni is eligible to receive the Future Alumni Scholarship.

This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $1,000.
Only one Future Alumni Scholarship will be awarded per academic year.
GPA must be 3.2 or above (college).

Due date has been extended to April 15 for 2021. An Alumni selection committee, appointed by the Alumni Advisory Board, will review applicants and select awardee by June 1. Apply

Alumni Legacy Scholarship

The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western (incoming freshman or new transfer students are eligible).

Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:

This is a one-time scholarship of $1,000.
Nominee must be an incoming freshman or new transfer.
The cost of orientation is reduced by half (a $45 value).
The admission application fee is waived (a $30 value).
GPA must be 2.0 or above (high school or college of transfer).

The applicant must fill out the application form found here (click). Application forms are accepted year-round. If the applicant meets the GPA guidelines, the scholarship will be awarded.

Apply

Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship

The Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western. This scholarship is not available to midyear transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.

Are you an alumni or employee of Western and know a prospective (or incoming) student who would be a great fit at Western? A recommendation from alumni and employees can support any new student and provide them a $500 scholarship their first year. (Western employees may not recommend a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits).

Any Western alumni/employee may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship (distributed $250 per semester).
The scholarship is good for the first year only and is non-renewable.
The recommended student must be a full-time undergraduate student, attending Western for the first time.

The applicant must fill out the application form found here. The nominating alumni/employee must fill out the application form and submit the required documents by June 1. The recommended student must meet university admissions acceptance standards and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Presidential Promise

The Presidential Promise is guaranteed to students who have received a scholarship through the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) and/or GearUp—and are eligible for a Pell Grant. For students who meet these criteria, Western will cover the cost of tuition and fees through the combination of federal, state and institutional aid. For more information on the Presidential Promise, visit our scholarships page.

The Presidential Honors Scholarship

Description

The Western Presidential Honors Scholarships, established by the Jack and Marilyn MacAllister Foundation shall be an elite class of scholarships awarded to Western's highest achieving and most deserving students, celebrating the ideals of academic excellence and service to the campus and community. Recipients of the Scholarships will be members of the Western Colorado University Honors Program.

There are eight Presidential Honors Scholarships of $2500 each. Each year two new Presidential Honors Scholarships will be awarded to two incoming freshmen.

Tuition Discount Programs

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) tuition represents a substantial savings relative to normal, out-of-state tuition. Students eligible for the WUE or CP program will be charged 150% of Western’s total in-state tuition. For 2018-19, total in-state tuition was $8,934. WUE/CP tuition was $13,401. The WUE/CP discount is valued at $4,695.

For more information about the WUE and CP geography-based programs, visit Western’s Tuition Discount Programs Page.

Western Merit Scholarship

Immediately upon acceptance at Western, every student is considered for a merit scholarship worth between $2,500-$4,500 per year for in-state students and $8,000-$10,000 for out-of-state students. The amount is based on the student's GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Visit our Net Price Calculator at western.edu/cost to determine whether you qualify for a merit scholarship.

For more information about merit scholarships at Western, visit our scholarships page.

News & Research

Nontraditional student writes his own future in geosciences

Make your education a life changing experience.

A college education is so much more than just taking classes. Expand your community and network, while gaining hands-on experience in your field.

Computing Facilities: The Scientific Computing Lab and Geology Research Lab have a combined 20 workstations for highly-interactive instruction and use the most up-to-date industry software and data sets.
Outdoor Laboratory: The Gunnison Valley provides a wide range of opportunities for unique field experiences and undergraduate research.
Research Funding: The Bartleson-Prather Fund provides students scholarships and research stipends.

Outdoor observations

Petroleum Geology students observe many of the principles that they learn in the classroom on local field trips.