Recommendation Report on Integrating Field

Experience into the Petroleum Engineering

Curriculum at Texas A&M University at Qatar

By Laith Abughaush Petroleum Engineering Student at

Texas A&M at Qatar

April 26th, 2016

Table of Contents

Introduction ......................................................................................................
.................. 3

Background ......................................................................................................
.................. 3

Argument: Field Experience and

Internships..................................................................... 3

Obstacles of Attaining
Internships ..................................................................................... 4

Student
Feedback ..........................................................................................................
..... 4

Discussion ........................................................................................................
.................. 8

Conclusion ........................................................................................................
................. 8

References .......................................................................................................
.................. 9

Introduction
Texas A&M ranks as the top 98th college/university in the world and
the 11th in the world in engineering. It also ranks 1st on this planet for its
petroleum engineering program. Similarly, Texas A&M at Qatar is ranked
number one in engineering in the Middle East region. This is an amazing feat
for a public school; however the questions lies whether the current four year
Petroleum Engineering program prepares students for the future or not. What
are factors that prevent students from doing well after graduating. Is theory
without experimentation sufficient enough for the graduates majoring in
petroleum that are going to the workplace? I recommend that field
experience, since it is crucial for students majoring in petroleum, be
integrated into the petroleum engineering program, starting in the
sophomore year.

Background
Many students in all majors at Texas A&M at Qatar have certain
expectations before going to the workplace. Little do they know, however,
that these expectations are not the same as a real, professional workplace.
Omar Al-Ani, Engineering 112 TA and a Mechanical Engineering graduate
stated, "What I expected when I graduated is completely different than what
I experienced and observed in the work place. There are specialized majors
under mechanical engineering that I have never heard of before back when I
studied in Texas A&M at Qatar." Although students are receiving a good
education, they do not have the insight or the right guidance that leads them
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to what they need to know about the work place and what they need to be in
the future. Here is where field experience comes into play.

Argument: Field Experience and Internships

Field experience, on the contrary to internships, are trips to companies
or work sites where students observe what is happening in the work place.
Students view and get a glimpse on what they are theoretically learning in
class. In contrast to field experience, "PETE (Petroleum Engineering) students
are required to attain internships in order for them to graduate," according
to Dr McLeroy, Petroleum Professor in A&M College Station. The problem is
that not all students can obtain good internships or any internship at all. Not
only that, but interns may not gain concrete experience from those
internships as well. While conducting an interview with the Chair of the
Petroleum Engineering Department, Professor Michael Bowman, he stated: "
Internships cannot cover for field experience for they are not the same."
Since internships are not field experience, petroleum engineering students
need more of field experience to cover for the lack of internships.

Obstacles of Attaining Internships

Although attaining internships are mandatory for petroleum
engineering students, there are obstacles that students face when applying
for internships.
One of the major factors that defies a student's fate from receiving an
internship is his or her Grade Point Average, also known as the GPA. An ideal
cumulative GPA for good students studying engineering whether in Texas
A&M University at Qatar, Texas A&M at College Station or any other
university or college, is a cumulative GPA of 3.6 and above. Although it is not
solely true, the GPA can identify perseverance, intelligence, and hard work.
It also might differentiate well-educated students from those who are illeducated students.
Another important factor that can deprive a student from attaining an
internship is gender. A survey conducted by the Centre for International
Labor Market Studies shows that female workers make up just 4% of the total
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oil and gas workforce in the UK(thegulfintelligence.com). You can rarely find
a team of women that are working on a pipeline in the street or working on a
rig offshore. In addition, the Arabian culture and traditions as well as the
stereotypes create this non-existing blockage in front of women; however
this issue is being resolved slowly since more women are applying for
internships and jobs that are suitable for men.
The final and last factor that might deny a student from attaining an
internship is Qatarization. Qatarization is the movement where Qatari
citizens, whether males or females, are only hired for a certain job or field.
Applications can be thrown away almost immediately in certain companies if
you are not a Qatari citizen. There are many capable students that are not
given a chance to prove themselves.
It is not impossible to attain an internship but it is not as easy as it
seems. Students need to prove to the companies that they are good enough
to become interns. Not only that, but they need to prove that they are willing
to work in any position, where experience is the only limitation.

Students Feedback
I targeted petroleum sophomores, juniors and seniors; however I
excluded petroleum freshmen because in general, most freshmen from all
majors- mechanical, electrical, chemical, and petroleum- undergo the same
or similar courses such as math, chemistry, physics and engineering. They
do not undergo the petroleum courses just yet. I divided the data into four
parts:

Part One: Sophomores classes 2014, 2015, and 2016 in Texas A&M at
Qatar
Part Two: Sophomores classes 2014, 2015, and 2016 in Texas A&M at
College Station
Part Three: Classes of 2016 and 2017 in Texas A&M at Qatar
Part Four: Total amount of field experience from 2013-2016 in Texas
A&M

In Texas A&M College Station, Sophomores usually are taken for field
experience with faculty and researchers. They usually have these field
experience in the break between the spring and summer semesters. In the
past three years, an average of 50 students went for field experience. Figure
1 shows clearly that there is consistency in field experience per class of
Sophomores.
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Amount of Field Experience Per Class

1.2

0.8
Sophomores at Texas A&M College Station
0.6

0.4

0.2

0
2014

2015

2016

Figure 1 shows the amount of field experience sophomores had in Texas A&M College
Station classes of 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Similar results can be witnessed with sophomores classes of 2014, 2015,

2016 in the Qatar campus, but there was a drop in the year of 2016. However, these
field experiences are held during the semester but most probably during the
weekends. Figure 2 shows a constant rate of field experience per class.

Amount of Field Experience Per Class

1.2

0.8
Sophomores at Texas A&M at Qatar
0.6

0.4

0.2

0
2014

2015

2016

Figure 2 shows the amount of field experience sophomores had in Texas A&M at
Qatar classes of 2014, 2015, and 2016.

As the years pass by, the materials and courses get harder and
students have more responsibilities. Naturally, you need to restore
equilibrium by conducting more field experience. After the survey I
conducted, it turns out that the seniors class of 2016 in the Qatar campus
had an increase in the amount of field experience from their sophomore year
up to their senior year. On the other hand, there were inconsistencies with
the amount of field experience juniors class of 2016 had from their
sophomore year going to their junior year. Figure 3 shows the number of field
experience Classes of 2016 and 2017 from the 2013 to 2016.

Amount of Field Experience Per Academic Year

2.5

1.5

Class of 2017

Class of 2016

0.5

0
2013/2014

2014/2015

2015/2016

Figure 3 shows the amount of field experience Classes of 2016 and 2017 had in Texas A&M
at Qatar in the academic years 2013/2014, 2014/2015, and 2015/2016.

Total Amount of Field Experience Per Academic Year

6
5
4
Total Amount of Field Experience
3
2
1
0
2013/2014

2014/2015

2015/2016

To tell whether if truly the amount of field experience is dropping, figure 4

summarizes the total amount of field experience in the academic years
2013/2014 through 2015/2016.
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Figure 4 shows the total amount of field experience from the academic year 2013/2014 to
2015/2016.

Discussion
It is observable that in Texas A&M College Station the amount of field
experience although is consistent, it is too low. Not only that, but the total
amount of field experience is dropping annually in Texas A&M at Qatar. The
total amount of field experience in the academic year 2013/2014 was 5 in
contrast to the academic year 2015/2016 where the total field experience
was 3. This is a sign that the program is not having a permanent plan where
field experience is part of the curriculum. When Professor Fraim was asked
whether he was satisfied with the amount of field experience the petroleum
program is having, he answered, " Oh Hell no, absolutely not! Sophomores
need to go out to the field.... sophomores need to be doing manual labor in
the oil field and observe what's going on."

Conclusion
The petroleum engineering in Texas A&M at Qatar is acknowledged by
the Society of Petroleum Engineers International (SPEI) and Accreditation
Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET); however it is rated a "B as a
program not an A just yet" (Dr Fraim). One of our greatest assets- field
experience- are dropping annually. Professor Fraim was the only one taking
care of field experience in Texas A&M at Qatar, who is leaving in the Spring of
2016. If students are not prepared enough industrial wise, they will have a
hard time in the future because the transition or the catalyst is lost. That's
why I believe that field experience should be implemented as part of the
petroleum curriculum.

References

http://www.thebestschools.org/features/100-best-universities-in-world-today/
http://justengineeringschools.com/top-petroleum-engineering-schools-in-theworld/
http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduateschools/top-engineering-schools/eng-rankings
http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?
OrganizationID=121
http://www.thegulfintelligence.com/uploads/Publications/IPTC%20Shell
%20Final%20PDF%20White%20Paper_final.pdf

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