This summer, Penn State DuBois will offer the class Geology of Oil and Natural Gas at the Clearfield Outreach Center, and through video conference on campus in DuBois.
This for-credit course is an introduction to the geology of oil and natural gas in Pennsylvania, which will cover topics such as the origin, geologic distribution, exploration, and exploitation of oil and natural gas; the credits earned will count toward a Penn State degree.
"This is a great introductory course for students interested in pursuing careers in the oil and gas industry. The course will also benefit incumbent workers in the industry who are not familiar with Pennsylvania geology," said Jeannine Hanes, assistant director of Continuing Education at Penn State DuBois.
Hanes explained that the course can also benefit those who work in fields that may have connections to gas and oil such as banking and financial services, engineering, legal, health care, construction and more. She said the course would also offer advantages to students already enrolled at the campus. Hanes said, "Students in several of our degree programs will have the opportunity to seek employment in the natural gas industry and should consider taking this course. This obviously includes students majoring in Earth Sciences and Engineering, but the industry also hires graduates with degrees in Business, Wildlife Technology, Information Sciences and Technology, and Letters, Arts and Sciences."
Classes will begin with the first summer session on May 13. They will be held as a combination of face-to-face sessions and Web-based instruction. The four live classes will be teleconferenced from Clearfield to DuBois so that students can choose the location most convenient for them. Those live sessions are scheduled from 5:15 to 8:15 Wednesday evenings. Web-based portions may be completed independently.
For more information or to sign up for the Geology of Oil and Natural Gas course, call Jeannine Hanes at 814-375-4836 or visit http://dubois.psu.edu/shale