MASTER OF PETROCHEMICALS ENGINEERING

The world is increasingly moving to using conventional energy sources as feedstock to petrochemical materials, rather than just burning them as fuels. This multidisciplinary program prepares professionals for this highly demanded sector, especially with the rapid growth of petrochemical industries in the region.

This is a specialized program that provides a thorough understanding of the direct and indirect routes for converting oils to chemicals, macular theories of adsorption and catalysis, type of polymerization reaction, and the principle of material processing with focus on polymers. The program also covers industrial fluidized bed reactors coupled with risk assessment methods, performance assessment, human reliability modeling, and SHARP method with quantitative models. Crude oil characterization and PVT analysis, asphaltene instability, and hydrate formation are discussed as well. Other topics include key concepts on sequential modular and equation-oriented simulators, construction and convergence of petrochemical processes, tearing and convergence algorithms.

Program Requirement:
  • BSc in chemical engineering, process engineering, or equivalent
Degree Plan:
Semester 1 (Fall)
  • CHE 555: Industrial Fluidized Bed Chemical Reactor Design
  • CHE 532: Heterogeneous Catalysis
Semester 2 (Spring)
  • CHEM 537: Polymer Synthesis
  • CHE 541: Polymer Processing
Semester 3 (Fall)
  • CHE 528: Crude Oil to Chemicals
  • CHE 565: Modeling of Petroleum and Petrochemical Fluids
  • CHE 619: Project
Semester 4 (Spring)
  • CHE 568: Petrochemical Processes Design & Simulation
  • CHE 558: Quantitative Process Risk Analysis
  • CHE 619: Project
Program Tuition Fee: Base SR 50,000 - As low as SR 12,000 after discount
Duration: 2 Years
Delivery Mode: In-Person

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for the Master's program in Petrochemicals Engineering, applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, equivalent to at least four years of higher education, from an accredited institution. A minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale or its equivalent is required for admission. Alternatively, candidates with a Bachelor's degree in other scientific disciplines may also be considered, provided they have substantial industrial experience in the petroleum and petrochemical sectors. Such candidates will be subject to an interview to assess their suitability for the program.

University Requirements

  • A recognized Bachelor's degree
  • GPA of 2.5+ out of 4.0 or equivalent
  • IELTS score of 6+ or TOEFL of 70+ (waived for KFUPM graduates)
  • Two recommendation letters

  • Non-refundable processing fee of SR100 

Program Education Objectives (PEOs)

The professional graduate program in Petrochemical Engineering will enable young professionals and recent graduates to:

  • Pursue a professional career in the areas of refining and petrochemicals.
  • Integrate science and engineering knowledge to address the technological challenges of the refining and petrochemicals industry in a safe, environment-friendly, and efficient manner.
  • Pursue leadership roles in the areas of refining and petrochemicals.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

  • Identify the fundamental scientific and engineering principles to solve the problems relevant to the refinery and petrochemical industry.
  • Analyze the technologies involved in the refining and petrochemical industry.
  • Evaluate the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, and societal context.
  • Apply the best practices in safety, health, and environment.
  • Apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
  • Demonstrate the skills of scientific research writing and presentation.

More details are available at https://mx.kfupm.edu.sa/