American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc.
Continuing Education for petroleum engineers and related professionals has increased significantly in scope and content during recent years. This activity is a response to the need for maintaining technical competence, and supplying new information, to practicing engineers during a period of rapid technological change. The Society of Petroleum Engineers established a standing committee in 1965 to develop programs for members of SPE. This program is discussed and current thinking about present and future programs explained. In addition, specialty programs presented by Universities, programs presented by Universities, consultants on a commercial basis, and by companies on an internal basis are reviewed.
Continuing Education is a term that means different things to different people, and is described by many different terms. Continuing Education, Continuing Engineering Studies, Life-time Learning, Post-degree, Non-traditional, Adult Education Post-degree, Non-traditional, Adult Education and others are common terms, and used sometimes interchangeably. It is thought of commonly as any educational activity that occurs after formal full-time education ends.
In this paper, the term Continuing Education refers mostly to non-credit technical programs in the form of short courses and packaged programs for technical professionals in the oil and gas producing industry. And these professionals producing industry. And these professionals include the majority of the 23,000 members of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. These professionals have a variety of degrees, including non-engineering degrees, but in some cases can have extensive experience instead.
The scope of continuing education is large and growing. Because of diversity and a lack of structure, it is difficult to characterize, define, or describe. Continuing education is mobile.
