Become a professional petroleum data manager, studying online in your spare time.
If you’re a data manager working in the petroleum industry or want to make the move into this sector, MSc Petroleum Data Management is designed for you.
Study the vital data management skills demanded of petroleum data managers. Gain the job-ready expertise you need to move into advanced data management roles around the world.
You’ll learn to manage the physical and digital data used across the oil and gas industry, to understand and evaluate the subsurface and petroleum reserves located there. Areas you’ll cover include:
- data governance
- data quality management
- information security management
- legal aspects related to data entitlements and obligations
- service and project management.
You can also study this degree full-time on campus.
Industry collaboration
This online degree was designed in partnership with:
- Shell
- Total
- Chevron
- Common Data Access (CDA), a not-for-profit subsidiary of Oil & Gas UK.
This collaboration ensures your MSc delivers sought-after skills and prepares you to make a real difference in industry.
What you’ll study
You’ll study the following courses that make up the 180 credits of this Masters degree.
You can also choose to exit early, earning a:
- Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits), or
- Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits).
How you’ll study
Online learning
Our distance-learning MSc Petroleum Data Management is delivered flexibly, 100% online. You can study with us anywhere in the world, with no need for a study visa.
Your teaching
Your teaching is delivered through MyAberdeen, our online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It holds all the materials, tools and support you’ll need in your studies. Take a look around MyAberdeen.
You can access your learning materials on computer, smartphone and laptop, 24 hours a day. You’ll find a range of resources at your fingertips, including online access to our award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library.
Your tutors
You’ll learn from internationally experienced academics from our departments of Law, Engineering, Business, Geography, Geology, and Computing Science.
Assessments
This degree is assessed entirely online.
Hours for taught courses
You’ll study part-time, taking 30 credits per term.
30 credits
- Around 300 hours of study and assessment time to complete.
- You’ll study 15 – 20 hours per week per term, plus more at assessment times.
This is an indicative guide to the time required for a student at this level to achieve the learning outcomes. This includes time for independent study, as well as teaching and assessments.
You can largely set your own study hours each week to cover the materials. MyAberdeen is available 24/7, so you can log in and study when it suits you.
Activities at fixed times
There will be some activities scheduled at fixed times each term. These include online meetings with your tutor and assessments with deadlines.
Hours for 60-credit projects
A 60-credit project is around 600 hours of study time.
You’ll carry out your project part-time, spreading the hours you dedicate to it over two terms.
When you study with us, you can expect a first-class support structure so that you’re never alone in your studies.
But learning online does mean you have to motivate yourself and manage your own time.
Your most important commitment will be time – the time to work through, reflect on and understand your teaching materials.
Before you start a course that involves a high degree of independent study, we recommend looking at the time you will be able to devote to your studies each week:
- Be realistic
- Create a weekly schedule as a guide
If you have any questions about studying online, get in touch with our friendly team. We’re here to help.
Our first-class support structure will ensure that you aren’t alone in your studies. You’ll have contact with your tutors via MyAberdeen and email. You can use social media and discussion boards to chat with your fellow students too.
We provide a wide range of services to support you in your studies and beyond:
- Careers and Employability Service – including one-to-one advice sessions
- Disability support
- IT support
- Library support
- Student Support Service – help with finances, stress, wellbeing and non-academic issues
- Student Learning Service – study support, with advice sessions available via phone or Skype
- Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) – run by students for students
- Toolkit – clever apps and free training that can make your study life easier
Wherever you are in the world, you’ll feel part of our very special Aberdeen learning community.
We’re a member of the Access scheme run by the Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL).
Access study spaces, books and journals in your area
The SCONUL Access scheme allows you, as a University of Aberdeen student, to access books and resources at university libraries across the UK and Ireland, or visit them for a quiet place to study.
You’ll be able to use study spaces, books and journals at over 150 university libraries which belong to the scheme.
Your support team
Our friendly team are here to answer any queries you have before, during and after your studies.
Dr Iraklis Giannakis
Iraklis is the degree coordinator. He’ll be on hand to answer any questions about degree content before you start and to help you throughout your studies.
Deniz Gulen
Deniz is part of the School’s support team. They’ll be there throughout your studies to answer any of your non-academic queries.
Get in touch
The online education team is here to answer any questions you have right now about this qualification, or about studying online.
Ask us a questionWhere this will take you
Careers
You’ll graduate from this Masters degree prepared for advanced data management roles within the oil industry.
The content of your degree has been designed in collaboration with major industry organisations to answer the specific skills shortages they face in this area.
We are delighted to support the development of the Petroleum Data Management MSc from Aberdeen University. Shell recognises technical information and data as a discipline within our company, and we play an active role in promoting the professionalisation of these skills across the industry. Courses such as this provide a strong academic foundation for the data management professionals that we need today and in the future.
George Rorie, Operational Lead for Technical Data Management, Shell
Fees and funding
The fee quoted above is based on you starting your studies with us in the 2025/26 academic year.
Our indicative cost includes a 5% fee rise each year.
Pay as you go
This is a pay-as-you-go degree.
You do not have to pay the full tuition fee upfront.
You can spread the cost and pay as you go, term by term.
How it works
- You decide how many credits to study for each term.
- At the start of term, you pay only for the credits you’re taking that term.
- This gives you control over your costs and workload for each term of your degree.
Your personalised cost breakdown
Use the degree scheduler to plan your studies and see your cost breakdown, term by term.
Learning resources
Access to all the books and resources you need are included in your tuition fee. They’ll be made available to you online and you do not have to buy your own copies.
Printing
You may wish to set aside a small budget for printing, depending on how you like to work.
There are several ways you may be able to get help funding your studies:
- Employer sponsorship – we accept full and partial fee payments from sponsors
- Student loans
- Scholarships – search our funding database for scholarships
Find out more about funding options.
Student card
All our students are entitled to a University of Aberdeen student card. This gives you access to a range of student discounts around the city and online.
20% Alumni discount
You’re entitled to 20% off our postgraduate taught degrees and short courses if you have a degree from the University of Aberdeen. View Alumni discount details.
How discounts work
Discounts are applied during your application process. You can only use one discount per application.
Entry requirements
MSc
- A 2:1 (upper-second) UK honours degree (or equivalent) in a science discipline.
You can also apply if you have:
- a 2:2 UK honours degree (or equivalent) in a science discipline and at least two years’ relevant professional experience. Please include an employer reference letter in this case.
- other qualifications and can demonstrate at least three years’ experience within data management in the petroleum industry. Please include an employer reference letter in this case.
These are our minimum entry requirements. They are given as a guide and do not guarantee entry.
Entry requirements
We welcome students from all over the world.
See the minimum entry requirements above. If you do not have qualifications from the UK, check equivalent qualifications from your country.
Visa requirements
You do not need a student visa to study online with us.
English language requirements
Teaching is delivered in English.
If English is not your first language, use our English requirements checklist to see if you need to provide evidence of your English language skills when you apply.
English language tests and scores
If you do need to provide English language test scores, these are the tests and minimum scores we accept for this course or degree.
These are our Postgraduate Standard requirements.
IELTS Academic, IELTS UKVI Academic, and IELTS Online (not IELTS Indicator or IELTS General Training)
- 6.5 overall
- 5.5 for listening, reading and speaking
- 6.0 for writing
TOEFL iBT and TOEFL iBT Home Edition
- 90 overall
- 17 for listening
- 18 for reading
- 20 for speaking
- 21 for writing
- TOEFL DI code is 0818
Cambridge English: B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency
- 176 overall
- 162 for listening, reading and speaking
- 169 for writing
LanguageCert Academic/LanguageCert Academic SELT
- 70 overall
- 60 for listening, reading and speaking
- 65 for writing
LanguageCert International ESOL B2 Communicator (Written and Spoken) – Online / In-centre
- Overall High Pass
- 33 for listening, reading and speaking
- 38 for writing
Oxford ELLT Digital – English Language Level Test Online
- 7.0 overall
- 5.0 for listening, reading and speaking
- 6.0 for writing
PTE Academic (online test not accepted)
- 62 overall
- 59 for listening, reading, speaking and writing
Duolingo – tests taken from 1 July 2024 onward
- 120 overall
- 95 for listening, reading and speaking
- 105 for writing
University of Aberdeen English Pre-sessional Programme (PSE)
- Pass
- Valid for one year. Refresher can be offered if out of date
Pre-sessional academic English preparation programmes undertaken at other UK universities
- Pass at an equivalent of 6.5 (C1)
- B2 in all four skills
- Certification must be within one year prior to the start of your course
For full information about language requirements, see our English Language Requirements page.
You apply through our online Applicant Portal. It allows you to upload relevant qualifications and documents.
What you need to apply for this degree
- Degree transcript
- Personal statement
- Degree certificate
- CV / Resume
Apply now
Start with our step-by-step guide. It explains degree transcripts, what to write in your personal statement and how to use our Applicant Portal.
Apply as early as you can. This is so we have time to review your application and get a decision to you. We also want to ensure you have time to enrol before teaching starts.
September 2025 intake
For our September 2025 intake, the application deadline is 8 September 2025.
You will need to accept your offer and provide any outstanding documents to meet the conditions of your offer by 15 September 2025.
Teaching starts on 22 September 2025.
Application deadlines will be announced in due course.
You will need access to:
A computer (PC, laptop or Mac) operating on either:
- Windows 10 or later
- macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later.
Most teaching materials are smartphone- and tablet-friendly. But we recommend a proper laptop or desktop for completing assignments comfortably.
Reliable internet access
We recommend:
- a wired connection
- a minimum download speed of 2 Mbps so you can take part fully in live sessions.
Speakers or headphones
- We recommend a headset with built-in microphone and earphones if you’re likely to study in an environment with background noise.
- A webcam is optional, but you may like to use one for some interactive sessions.
Software
We’ll give you access to Office365 applications. This means you can use online versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and install these programs on up to five personal devices.
If your course requires specialist software, we’ll provide you with access to this and a licence that lasts throughout your studies.
See our detailed IT requirements for more information.
Try our degree scheduler
Choose your courses
See all the courses that are part of this degree and choose what you want to study.
Manage your study schedule
Control the pace and cost of your degree. Decide how much you want to study each term.
Save to your wishlist
Save your schedule to your wishlist so you can view and edit anytime.
Master of Science
180 credits
£16,250
This indicative cost is based on 180 credits of study over three years, starting in September 2025.
Apply for this programme
- Start month
- September
- INDICATIVE COST
- £16,250
This indicative cost is based on 180 credits of study over three years, starting in September 2025.
Apply via our Applicant Portal
