University of Alberta (Canada) or University of Houston (USA)

[Steeley1]

Dear Members,

I would please appreciate your kind guidance.

My son wants to do Petroleum Engineering. He has been accepted to the University of Alberta in Canada and the University of Houston in the US.

Which university should we choose?

University of Alberta has common engineering in the first year. In the second year, depending on the grades, my son may or may not get Petroleum Engineering. University of Houston has given him guaranteed Petroleum Engineering from Year 1.

U of Alberta has a very seasoned program. It is almost 50 years old and is ABET accredited. U of Houston program is new. Just started in 2009. It is still not ABET accredited.

Job opportunities seem plentiful in Houston as compared to Alberta. I don't know. I am guessing.

After finishing his graduation, he wants to do his masters from the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals because he wants to work in the Middle East. Oh, by the way, he is born in Kuwait. But he is not Kuwaiti. We are Indian nationals.

Would really appreciate guidance. Thanking you all in advance and wishing you health and happiness.

Kind regards,
Steele

[9september]

I'd suggest that he do a B.Tech in Mechanical engineering from U.Houston and then join a Oil and Gas company. It gives him many more options in the near future if the Oil and Gas Industry goes down by the time he has completed his engineering. By the looks of the oil prices and with the lay offs in the recent past that is the best option.