Master of Petroleum Geoscience (coursework or coursework and dissertation)

The Master of Petroleum Geoscience is a two-year coursework or coursework and dissertation degree course. This course aims to develop graduates with advanced skills in geological and geophysical data analysis and integration of datasets related to sedimentary basin analysis and petroleum geoscience. The course places considerable emphasis on the development of practical skills underpinned by conceptual knowledge, and the application of both to solving problems related to basin history and petroleum exploration through coursework and research project components of the course. Students have the opportunity to use latest digital technology to develop advanced skills in the analysis of geoscientific data and constructing 3D models.

Course overview

Course title
Master of Petroleum Geoscience (coursework or coursework and dissertation)
Award abbreviation
MPetGeosci
Course code
73540
Course type
master's degree by coursework or by coursework and dissertation
Status
current / 2019
Administered by
Faculty of Science
CRICOS code
093309J

Course details

Intake periods
Beginning of year and mid-year
Attendance type
full- or part-time (Student visa holders should read Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 for more information.)
Articulation
The Master of Petroleum Geoscience has the following exit awards: 74240 Graduate Certificate in Petroleum Geoscience (24 points) (24 points), 74340 Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Geoscience (48 points) (48 points)
Credit points required
96
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester.
Standard course duration
2 years
Time limit
4 years
Delivery mode
internal
Locations offered
UWA (Perth)
Domestic fee type
Postgraduate fee-paying/FEE-HELP
Course Coordinator(s)
Dr Daniel Peyrot
Fees
Visit the fees calculator.

Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.

Course structure

Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2019; NS = non-standard teaching period

All units have a value of six points unless otherwise stated.

Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2020 or 2021.

Take all units (54 points):

AvailabilityUnitcodeUnitnameUnit requirements
NSGEOP4002Near-Surface and Environmental Geophysics
NSGEOS4410Australia's Geological Evolution
Prerequisites:
enrolment in the Master of Geoscience (72550) or Master of Petroleum Geoscience (73540) or Bachelor of Science (Honours) (BH004)
NSGEOS4412Petroleum Systems
Prerequisites:
enrolment in the Master of Geoscience (72550) or the Master of Petroleum Geoscience (73540) or Bachelor of Science (Honours) (BH004)
S2GEOS4418Basin Analysis Techniques
Prerequisites:
enrolment in the Master of Geoscience (72550) or enrolment in the Master of Petroleum Geoscience (73540)
Incompatibility:
EART3344 Basin Analysis
S2GEOS4419Biostratigraphy
Prerequisites:
GEOS4412 Petroleum Systems or by approval of unit coordinator
NSGEOS5503Advanced Petroleum Geoscience
Prerequisites:
GEOS4412 Petroleum Systems or equivalent, or approval of unit coordinator
Incompatibility:
GEOS4416 Petroleum Resources
NSGEOS5506Structural Analysis for Petroleum Geoscience
Prerequisites:
enrolment in the Master of Geoscience (72550) or Master of Science (thesis and coursework) (70630) or Bachelor of Science Honours (BH004) or Master of Petroleum Geoscience (73540)
Incompatibility:
GEOS4412 Petroleum Systems prior to 2015
NSGEOS5509Sedimentary Basin Field Excursion
Prerequisites:
enrolment in Master of Geoscience (72550) or Master of Petroleum Geoscience (73540) or Master of Science (thesis and coursework) (70630)
S1, S2SCIE4403The Conduct, Ethics and Communication of Science
Prerequisites:
enrolment in postgraduate course or honours

For students in course by coursework and dissertation only, take all units (24 points):

AvailabilityUnitcodeUnitnameUnit requirements
S1, S2GEOS5011Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 1
Prerequisites:
(a) a weighted average mark of at least 65 per cent in 48 points of the Levels 4 and 5 units completed in the first year of the Master of Geoscience; and (b) a supervisor, approved by the Faculty, must have confirmed their willingness and availability to supervise the project
Co-requisites:
GEOS5012 Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 2
Incompatibility:
SCIE5590 Literature Review and Research Proposal, SCIE5511 Science Research Project Part 1, SCIE5512 Science Research Project Part 2, SCIE5513 Science Research Project Part 3
S1, S2GEOS5012Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 2
Co-requisites:
GEOS5011 Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 1
Incompatibility:
SCIE5590 Literature Review and Research Proposal; SCIE5511 Science Research Project Part 1; SCIE5512 Science Research Project Part 2; SCIE5513 Science Research Project Part 3
S1, S2GEOS5013Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 3
Prerequisites:
GEOS5011 Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 1, GEOS5012 Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 2
Co-requisites:
GEOS5014 Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 4
Incompatibility:
SCIE5590 Literature Review and Research Proposal, SCIE5511 Science Research Project Part 1, SCIE5512 Science Research Project Part 2, SCIE5513 Science Research Project Part 3
S1, S2GEOS5014Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 4
Co-requisites:
GEOS5013 Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 3
Incompatibility:
SCIE5590 Literature Review and Research Proposal, SCIE5511 Science Research Project Part 1, SCIE5512 Science Research Project Part 2, SCIE5513 Science Research Project Part 3

For students in course by coursework only, take units to the value of 42 points, including at least 30 points at Level 5. The 30 points at Level 5 may include up to two options, chosen as substitutes, from related areas, as approved by the Faculty.

For students in course by coursework and dissertation, take units to the value of 18 points including at least 6 points at level 5.

AvailabilityUnitcodeUnitnameUnit requirements
S2ECON5511Climate, Energy and Water Economics
Prerequisites:
enrolment in the Master of Agricultural Economics (73530) or the Master of Economics (42620) or the Master of Agricultural Science (72510) or the Master of Science (70630) or Master of Environmental Science (72530)or Master of Petroleum Geoscience (73540) or Master of Ocean Leadership (62540) or honours in the Faculty of Science or honours in the Business School; ECON1120 Environmental Economics 1 or ECON1101 Microeconomics: Prices and Markets or ECON1102 Macroeconomics: Money and Finance or ECON2224 Environment Economics 2 or ECON4410 Environmental and Resource Economics (most recommended) or equivalent. Students who do not meet the prerequisites can contact the unit coordinator to discuss a possible exception.
NSENVT4403Coastal and Estuarine Processes
Prerequisites:
enrolment in Master of Environmental Science (72530) or Master of Hydrogeology (72540) or Master of Geographic Information Science (71570) or Bachelor of Science (Honours) (BH004)
S1ENVT4409Remote Sensing of the Environment
Co-requisites:
ENVT4411 Geographic Information Systems Applications
S1, S2ENVT4411Geographic Information Systems Applications
NSENVT5508Advanced Spatial Analytics
Co-requisites:
ENVT4411 Geographic Information Systems Applications
S2ENVT5511Advanced Geographic Information Systems for Environmental Management
Prerequisites:
ENVT4411 Geographic Information Systems Applications and ENVT5508 Advanced Spatial Analytics
N/AGEOS4413Environmental Geoscience
Prerequisites:
enrolment in the Master of Geoscience (72550) or the Master of Hydrogeology (72540) or the Master of Petroleum Geoscience (73540) or the Bachelor of Science (Honours) (BH004)
NSGEOS5505Multiscale Tectonic Systems
Prerequisites:
enrolment in Master of Geoscience (72550) or Master of Science (70630) or Master of Ore Deposit Geology (70590) or Master of Petroleum Geoscience (73540)
NSGEOS5507Analytical Techniques for the Geosciences
Prerequisites:
Bachelor of Science in Geoscience (or equivalent)
NSGEOS5510Applied Palynology
Prerequisites:
GEOS4412 Petroleum Systems
S1, S2GEOS5596Geoscience Internship
Prerequisites:
enrolment in Master of Geoscience (72550) or Master of Petroleum Geoscience (73540)

See also the rules for the course and the Student Rules.

Rules

Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures

1.(1) The http://handbooks.uwa.edu.au/postgraduate/student-procedures'>student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.

Academic Conduct Essentials module

2.(1) Except as stated in (2), a student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module).

(2) A student who has previously achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the ACE module is not required to repeat the module.

English Language competency requirements

3. To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework.

Admission requirements

4. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—

(a) a Bachelor of Science in Geology, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA;

and

(b) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 50 per cent

Admission ranking and selection

5. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.

Articulations and exit awards

6.(1) This course has the following exit awards:

  • 74240 Graduate Certificate in Petroleum Geoscience (24 points)
  • 74340 Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Geoscience (48 points)

(2) A student who withdraws from the Master of Petroleum Geoscience course before completing it, but after completing 24 points, at least 12 of which are core to the degree,, may apply to the Faculty to be awarded the Graduate Certificate in Petroleum Geoscience.

(3) A student who withdraws from the Master of Petroleum Geoscience course before completing it, but after completing 48 points, at least 24 of which are core to the degree, may apply to the Faculty to be awarded the Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Geoscience.

Course structure

7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 96 points.

(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.

Satisfactory progress

8. A student who does not pass units to a value of at least half the total points value of units for which they are enrolled, or who fails the same unit twice, will not have made satisfactory progress.

9. A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the ACE module when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in Rule 8.

Progress status

10. A student who fails to make satisfactory progress under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded' unless the Faculty decides otherwise in light of exceptional circumstances.

11. A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 9 is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to meet other satisfactory progress requirements in Rule 8.

Award with distinction

12. To be awarded the degree with distinction a student must achieve a course weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 80 per cent, which is calculated based on —

(a) all units above Level 3 attempted as part of the course that are awarded a final percentage mark;

(b) all relevant units above Level 3 undertaken in articulating courses of this University that are awarded a final percentage mark;

and

(c) all units above Level 3 completed at this University that are credited to the master's degree course.

Additional rules
Research Project

13. Students who request approval to undertake a research project as an optional unit in this course must have—

(a) a weighted average mark of at least 65 per cent in 48 points of the level of Level 4 and 5 units completed in the first year of the course;

and

(b) a supervisor, approved by the Faculty, must have confirmed their willingness and availability to supervise the project.