University of Calgary looks to relaunch oil engineering program after hiatus

The University of Calgary says it is planning a potential relaunch of its oil and gas engineering program, which it suspended three years ago due to dwindling student demand.

The university stopped admitting students to its petroleum engineering bachelor’s degree program in 2021, after a multi-year period of low oil prices, corporate consolidation and widespread energy sector layoffs.

At the time, U of C said it had seen a dramatic decline in student interest in the program, which also coincided with an uptick in interest in renewable technology and the energy transition.

But oil prices have since rebounded, and Canadian oil companies have been generating strong profits over the past two years.

The war in Ukraine has also put the issue of energy security in the spotlight, and global demand for fossil fuels continues to rise.

A university spokesperson did not say when the program may resume.