Petroleum Data Management, _MSc

Programme Fees

Fee information

Fee category	Cost
EU / International students	£22,000
Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year
UK	£10,000
Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year

Stage 1

Compulsory Courses

Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD5006)

This course, which is prescribed for all taught postgraduate students, is studied entirely online, takes approximately 5-6 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks.

Topics include orientation overview, equality and diversity, health, safety and cyber security and how to make the most of your time at university in relation to careers and employability.

Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’.

Detailed course information

Database Systems and Big Data (CS5097)

15 Credit Points

This course will be of interest to anyone who wishes to learn to design and query databases. The course aims to teach the material using case studies from real-world applications. You will develop a critical understanding of the principal theories, principles and concepts, such as modelling techniques used in the design, administration and security of database systems. You will also learn core theoretical concepts such as relational algebra, file organisation and indexing. At the end of this course you will be able to design and build Web and cloud-based databases and have a critical understanding of how database-driven applications operate.

Detailed course information

Fundamentals of Petroleum Geoscience (GL5033)

15 Credit Points

The course covers aspects of geology, geophysics and prospect evaluation to illustrate how geologists deal with uncertainty and risk during the exploration process. It will look at the place of the geoscientist during the productive life of an oilfield. Another key aspect of this course will be the issue of communication between geoscientists and engineers. By the end of this course students should understand how geologists explore for oil and gas, and the main tools at their disposal; the role of the geophysicist; how to make prospect maps; petroleum volumetrics; subsurface fluid flow; and the creation of static reservoir models.

Detailed course information

The Nature of Geological and Geographical Data (GL5206)

15 Credit Points

This course introduces students to the fundamental types of geographical, geological, offshore survey, and geophysical data used within the Oil and Gas and related industries, with special emphasis on those types of data where the spatial position is crucial to the significance of the measurements. Attention will be given to the common sources of data, acquisition and capture, storage, processing, quality control, and analysis, and representation through mapping and visualisation.

Detailed course information

Petroleum Data Governance (GL5310)

15 Credit Points

The course will provide an understanding of: data governance issues and how they impact on business workflows; data management organisation models and structures, data roles and responsibilities; legal issues relating to data governance, and a more detailed exploration of data protection law; data policies, strategies, standards and procedures; the relation between data governance and data quality, security, entitlements and obligations; and data management maturity and impact.

Detailed course information

Stage 2

Compulsory Courses

Data Science: from Data to Insight (CS5703)

15 Credit Points

Data Science is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to identify and understand phenomena captured in structured or unstructured data, extract insights, and add value by generating predictions that aid optimization of processes and equipment. These techniques show considerable promise for bringing about a revolution, increasing the significance and value of owning and collecting data of all types. This course introduces the common techniques and considers the implications for data managers.

Detailed course information

Service and Project Management for Petroleum Data Managers (GL5542)

15 Credit Points

This course covers basic areas of service operations management and project management applied to the context of managing petroleum data. It examines service design, service quality and improvement processes, capacity management in service operations, and service projects. It also covers the main areas of project management (scope, quality, cost, time, and risk) and standard planning techniques with particular emphasis on the importance of quality, scope and risk within data management projects.

Detailed course information

Petroleum Data Quality Management (GL5544)

15 Credit Points

The course will provide an understanding of: the value of data quality, the importance of data quality management and the consequences of poor data quality management. It will cover common data quality issues, and inherent uncertainty in data values, and demonstrate the need for data quality standards, business rules, policies and procedures, and how these are used to lead compliance activities. It will also show the relation between data governance and data quality.

Detailed course information

Law, Business, Security: Petroleum Data Management (LS5811)

15 Credit Points

The course will provide an understanding for petroleum data managers from legal, commercial and security standpoints of contemporary legal challenges involving data protection and privacy from commercial, state and activist perspectives such as big data and data mining; intellectual property; regulatory frameworks; competition law.

Detailed course information

Stage 3

Compulsory Courses

Assessment: By written examination and course work as prescribed for each course. In addition, MSc candidates must submit a dissertation on their project.

Individual Project In Petroleum Data Management (GL5911)

60 Credit Points

This project is an extended, independent, self-directed, piece of practical work integrating and reinforcing the material taught on the rest of the Petroleum Data Management MSc programme, and giving a detailed insight into the demands of, and ways of carrying out, data management in the oil and gas industry. Under guidance, the student will be responsible for the project design and execution.

Detailed course information

Programme Fees

Fee information

Fee category	Cost
All Students	£1,280
Modular fee programmes - Tuition fees for 2021/22 academic year. This programme is charged on a modular basis. The fee quoted is per 15 credit points. Fee does not apply to the Individual Project in Petroleum Data Management, which is quoted below.
All Students	£3,040
Project - Academic year 2022/23. This is the fee charged for the Individual Project in Petroleum Data Management (60 credits) which is taken at the end of the programme.
Indicative Programme Fee	£13,540
Indicative programme fee based on studies beginning in the 2021/22 academic year. Fees increment annually. This fee is calculated on the basis of part-time study of 180 credits of study over 3 years.

Year 1

Compulsory Courses

Fundamentals of Petroleum Geoscience (GL5054)

15 Credit Points

The course covers aspects of geology, geophysics and prospect evaluation to illustrate how geologists deal with uncertainty and risk during the exploration process. It will look at the place of the geoscientist during the productive life of an oilfield. Another key aspect of this course will be the issue of communication between geoscientists and engineers. By the end of this course students should understand how geologists explore for oil and gas, and the main tools at their disposal; the role of the geophysicist; how to make prospect maps; petroleum volumetrics; subsurface fluid flow; and the creation of static reservoir models.

Detailed course information

The Nature of Geological and Geographical Data (GL5207)

15 Credit Points

This course introduces students to the fundamental types of geographical, geological, offshore survey, and geophysical data used within the Oil and Gas and related industries, with special emphasis on those types of data where the spatial position is crucial to the significance of the measurements. Attention will be given to the common sources of data, acquisition and capture, storage, processing, quality control, and analysis, and representation through mapping and visualisation.

Detailed course information

Petroleum Data Quality Management (GL5707)

15 Credit Points

The course will provide an understanding of: the value of data quality, the importance of data quality management and the consequences of poor data quality management. It will cover common data quality issues, and inherent uncertainty in data values, and demonstrate the need for data quality standards, business rules, policies and procedures, and how these are used to lead compliance activities. It will also show the relation between data governance and data quality.

Detailed course information

Service and Project Management for Petroleum Data Managers (GL5708)

15 Credit Points

This course covers basic areas of service operations management and project management applied to the context of managing petroleum data. It examines service design, service quality and improvement processes, capacity management in service operations, and service projects. It also covers the main areas of project management (scope, quality, cost, time, and risk) and standard planning techniques with particular emphasis on the importance of quality, scope and risk within data management projects.

Detailed course information

Year 2

Compulsory Courses

Petroleum Data Governance (GL5057)

Database Systems and Big Data (CS5098)

15 Credit Points

This course will be of interest to anyone who wishes to learn to design and query databases. The course aims to teach the material using case studies from real-world applications. You will develop a critical understanding of the principal theories, principles and concepts, such as modelling techniques used in the design, administration and security of database systems. You will also learn core theoretical concepts such as relational algebra, file organisation and indexing. At the end of this course you will be able to design and build Web and cloud-based databases and have a critical understanding of how database-driven applications operate.

Detailed course information

Data Science: from Data to Insight (CS551L)

15 Credit Points

Data Science is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to identify and understand phenomena captured in structured or unstructured data, extract insights, and add value by generating predictions that aid optimization of processes and equipment. These techniques show considerable promise for bringing about a revolution, increasing the significance and value of owning and collecting data of all types. This course introduces the common techniques and considers the implications for data managers.

Detailed course information

Law, Business, Security: Petroleum Data Management (LS5812)

15 Credit Points

The course will provide an understanding for petroleum data managers from legal, commercial and security standpoints of contemporary legal challenges involving data protection and privacy from commercial, state and activist perspectives such as big data and data mining; intellectual property; regulatory frameworks; competition law.

Detailed course information

Year 3

Compulsory Courses

Individual Project In Petroleum Data Management (GL5912)

60 Credit Points

This project is an extended, independent, self-directed, piece of practical work integrating and reinforcing the material taught on the rest of the Petroleum Data Management MSc programme, and giving a detailed insight into the demands of, and ways of carrying out, data management in the oil and gas industry. Under guidance, the student will be responsible for the project design and execution.

Detailed course information