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Master of Science in Subsea Engineering

The Nation’s First Graduate​ Subsea Engineering Program

The Master of Science in Subsea Engineering at the University of Houston is a non-thesis,10 course graduate curriculum program. A four-year bachelor's degree in engineering or engineering related field is required in order to apply for the Subsea Engineering program. The curriculum is comprised of three primary categories. The Subsea Engineering courses are available online and face-to-face in a classroom setting.

 

Degree Plan

Leveling courses:

Up to 3 courses may be required for students who are admitted conditionally into the program or who did not take these courses in their previous education:

  • MATH 3321 - Engineering Mathematics (or equivalent)
    OR
    MATH 3363 - Introduction to Partial Differential Equations (or equivalent)
  • MECE 3363 - Introduction to Fluid Dynamics (or equivalent)
  • MECE 4364 - Heat Transfer (or equivalent)

 

Category 1: Required Co​urses (3 courses)

Every student must take this required three-course sequence. These courses serve as the foundation of the engineering science knowledgebase needed for the remaining graduate curriculum.

Required Courses SCH
MECE 6384 - Methods of Applied Mathematics I, or MECE 6385 - Methods of Applied Mathematics II   3
SUBS 6310 - Flow Assurance   3
SUBS 6397 - Subsea Structures and Design   3

 

Category 2: Restricted Electives (6 courses)

The courses listed below have been specifically developed for the Subsea Engineering Graduate Program. Every student must take at least six of the courses from this prescribed elective list. Additional Subsea Engineering courses are currently being developed and will be added to this list. Students may submit a graduate petition if deviations from this requirement makes sense for individual career paths.

Subsea Elective Courses SCH
SUBS 6320 Riser Design   3
SUBS 6330 Pipeline Design   3
SUBS 6340 Subsea Processing and Artificial Lift   3
SUBS 6350 Subsea Controls and Systems Engineering   3
SUBS 6351 Design of Blowout Preventers   3
SUBS 6360 Materials and Corrosion   3
SUBS 6370 Computational Methods and Design Experiments   3
SUBS 6380 Subsea Systems   3
SUBS 6397 Subsea Control Theory   3
SUBS 6397 Digital Approach to Oil and Gas Applications   3
SUBS 6397 Advanced Flow Assurance   3

 

Category 3: Suggested Electives (1 course)

Categories 1 and 2 have prescribed 9 of the 10 mandatory courses that are required for the MS in Subsea Engineering. This leaves 1 course that can be selected by the student subject to approval by the Director, through a graduate petition form, prior to taking the course(s). Subsea Engineering is an interdisciplinary engineering field, so students are strongly encouraged to take at least one course from another department or program within the Cullen College of Engineering. However, students may take a Subsea Engineering course as their final elective. The Mechanical Engineering and Petroleum Engineering graduate courses applicable to MS in Subsea Engineering include:

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING COURSES SCH
MECE 6335 Heat Transfer with Phase Change   3
MECE 6341 Viscous Flow Theory   3
MECE 6353 Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics   3
MECE 6361 Mechanical Behavior of Materials   3
MECE 6397 Feedback Control Systems   3
MECE 63XX Selected Courses require approval from Program Director   3
PETROLEUM ENGINEERING COURSES SCH
PETR 6328 Petroleum Fluid Properties and Phase Equilibria   3
PETR 6368 Well Drilling & Completion I   3
PETR 6372 Petroleum Production Operations   3
PETR 6306 Oil Field Facilities Design and Operation   3
PETR 6336 Petroleum Energy Markets   3
PETR 6312 Well Logging: Evaluation of Petroleum Formations   3

 

Academic Requirements

For each graduate program offered, students must have an overall G.P.A. of a 3.0 or higher. Any graduate student who receives a grade of C+ or lower in four graduate courses (whether or not in repeated courses) is ineligible to receive an advanced degree at the university.

Each student assumes responsibility for being familiar with the academic program requirements as stated in the current catalogs of the college, university and this website.