Earn a Bachelor of Science in Geoenergy Engineering

A big step towards a sustainable energy future! As a Geoenergy Engineer, you will learn the science and technology for energetic usage of the underground to tackle the current energy supply challenges and global warming. You will study topics on fossil fuels and their decarbonization, geothermal energy as renewable energy source, and hydrogen as a future energy carrier.

The program is made for students seeking an environmentally responsible career centered on reliable and sustainable energy. It is suited for those who want to make environmental impact in a fossil-fuel-dominated world to meet the low carbon needs of the future – we engineer future energy!  

Applications for the upcoming winter term 2023/2024 need to be submitted by September 5, 2023 at 23:59.

6 semesters
Full-time program
German & English
Starts Oct 1, 2023

1st Year

2nd Year

3rd Year

1st Year

Introduction to Geoenergy Engineering

Virtual reality, field trips and more! Become a droplet and travel through rocks, visit a drilling rig and save your team from a gas leak in a real emergency situation! Visit top-notch energy companies to learn and get a feeling of your career prospects. You will meet the professors and PhD students that will supervise and guide you until the end of your studies. Don’t hesitate to ask all of your questions!

Montanuniversität & STEM

Want to know more about the studies at Montanuniversität Leoben and their career prospects? The Introduction to the studies at Montanuniversität course will help you define your future study path and make the right choice. In the lecture Tradable Skills we will teach you rhetoric and public speaking, presenting and visualizing, self-organization, ethics and Excel. Mathematics, physics, chemistry and mechanics will give you a strong scientific background and prepare you for the chosen major. All these skills are milestones for a successful university and professional life!

Do-it-Lab

The newly introduced interactive course Do-it-labs is a perfect opportunity for students to work on topics in the field of Geoenergy in groups and independently. By performing various experiments and submerging in virtual reality they will tackle issues related to energy supply as well as social, ecological and economic aspects of the energy field. Do-it-Labs will teach students how to work independently and creatively on fundamental problems in Geoenergy Engineering. In addition, the participants will learn to present and defend their ideas and results.

Geosciences’ Fundamentals

Have you ever thought about the Earth’s structure and how it was formed? An introduction to geology will lead you to understand the basics of the origin and historical development of our fascinating planet. Throughout this section, you will discover concepts of plate tectonics and the rock cycle, essential rock-forming minerals, and some basic principles of crystallography and crystal chemistry. During practical sessions you will learn to recognize and identify main types of rocks and draw tectonic symbols, geological maps and profiles.

Digital Skills & Statistics Basics

Want to learn another language? Maybe Spanish or French? Sure, but not in this lecture! Here you will master C++, Python, Matlab and more! You will also learn how to design database schemes and write queries in SQL, present practical problems in an ER diagram and describe static structures and processes using UML. All you need to succeed in this digital energy future! In the second semester, you will apply standard mathematical methods and implement algorithms in order to write programs for solving simple problems arising from economy and natural sciences. Statistics will be another fundamental subject you will tackle during your first year of studies.

2nd Year

Mechanics, Thermodynamics & Fluid Dynamics

Time to get to a more advanced level! Keep acquiring the basic knowledge and understand the rock-fluid system behavior and interaction. Thermodynamics, physical chemistry, fluid dynamics and petrophysics of reservoir rocks will help you transition from the scientific basics to the subject of Geoenergy Engineering. Electrical engineering comprising measurement techniques and electric machines will be a new subject.

Geophysics

Are you interested in the physics of the Earth and want to find out how to analyze the subsurface? Get an overview about geophysical methods and their theoretical foundations at the Geophysics course. You will learn about the theoretical basis and applied methods for subsurface exploration, such as refraction and reflection seismology, electric resistivity tomography, electromagnetic induction and reflection methods.

Climate Protection & Sustainability

Let´s save the Earth together! This modular, interdisciplinary course addresses the basics of climate protection and the concept of sustainability. You will understand the global context in terms of climate change and the sustainable transformation of industrial production and the energy system, mitigation scenarios as well as clean fossil fuels. This course is essential because of the global goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

Investment & Geoenergy Economics

Show me the money! Social sciences are also an important area that will be covered as a part of your education. Cost Accounting, Investment Calculation and Geoenergy Economics courses will teach you the basics of finance, marketing, accounting, and organizational studies, which are necessary for any technical profession.

3rd Year

Applied Geology & Geothermal Systems

Ready to expand your knowledge in geology? In this block, the sedimentology course will focus on how sedimentary rocks are formed, their properties and how those properties are measured and interpreted. Petroleum geology will provide you with skills in integrating geoscientific information and using the information for petroleum exploration and production. Lastly, hydrogeology and geothermal systems will give you an overview of subsurface water transport, hydraulic processes in various aquifer types and physical processes in hydrothermal systems.

Well Construction

Hit the target! Did you know that geothermal and oil wells are the conduits that connect the reservoir to the surface? For this reason, it’s time to embrace Well Design, Drilling and Completion Engineering. Both areas must be carefully analyzed and optimized to maximize the well’s productive life. You will learn what it takes to design a well and what considerations go into its production.

Reservoir Engineering

In and out! A challenge of a Geoenergy engineer is to utilize the potential of subsurface reservoirs for energy recovery or storage. The geological and physical understanding and modeling of reservoirs as a whole are key competencies that are covered in reservoir engineering. You will gain knowledge on the thermodynamic and flow properties of fluids in deep rock formations. The concepts learned you will apply to forecast, match and maximize geothermal energy and hydrocarbon recovery, or geological CO2 sequestration.

Geoenergy Production

Stream it up! It is essential to produce energy, oil and gas under safe and economic conditions. Understanding the conditions and processes in and around the wellbore is the key to your success! As preparation, you will gain knowledge in topics like designing proper well completions, performing perforation and well test jobs, analyzing the flow behavior of oil, gas and water from the reservoir through the well to the surface, and evaluating and optimizing the overall production performance of the well.