Oil and Gas Innovation MSc

The Scottish Funding Council will fund a total of 6 places for this programme. The fully funded places are available to applicants permanently resident in Scotland. To apply, download an application form and submit it to

The Oil and Gas Innovation MSc is a project-led masters programme which will equip students with the skills and competencies to generate and commercialise innovations for the oil and gas industry.

The programme is a collaboration between the Oil & Gas Innovation Centre (OGIC) and a range of Scottish Universities, including the University of Aberdeen (lead), Heriot-Watt, Strathclyde University, University of St Andrews, Glasgow Caledonian University, University of the Highlands and Islands and Robert Gordon University to develop new technologies in exploration, production and decommissioning.

The collaborative nature of this programme means that in addition to courses at Heriot-Watt's Institute of Petroleum Engineering, students will also take modules at the University of Aberdeen and the University of Strathclyde giving them the unique opportunity to benefit from the oil and gas expertise available at each of these three institutions.

The innovation project is a unique part of the Oil and Gas Innovation MSc and comprises 75% of the programme. The project gives students the opportunity to use their acquired knowledge and skills in a practical application.

Please visit the Programme content tab to view our available projects.

The Oil and Gas Innovation MSc by Research is aimed at:

• Technical staff who have identified an innovation or have expertise likely to yield innovative solutions and want to learn how to commercialise these.
• Business developers who have identified an opportunity to innovate in the oil and gas sector and seek to understand the framework of the industry and its supply chain.
• Managers or technical staff who are seeking innovative solutions for their challenges and want to equip themselves with the knowledge and leadership skills to enable their companies to identify, validate and commercialise possible solutions.
• Graduates in engineering or science, who have the qualities and ideas required to become leaders in innovation.

This programme is available as a one-year full-time degree or part-time over two or three years.