Petroleum engineering is the field of engineering that deals with the exploration, extraction, production, and management of oil and natural gas resources.

Petroleum engineers are responsible for

• production of hydrocarbon resources from oil and gas reservoirs while ensuring environmental sustainability
• designing optimal drilling, completion, production, and reservoir management methods to maximize efficiency and minimize environmental impact
• developing oil and gas fields, improving production, and managing hydrocarbon resources
• leading the design and management of new developments in the energy sector

Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering is designed to provide students with a scientific background in hydrocarbon exploration, reservoir management, productions, and skills in the practical aspects of petroleum engineering. This program aims at training engineering professionals who can design, operate and manage petroleum operations as well as developing research skills and knowledge to provide support to the oil and gas industry to have sound, safe, and sustainable petroleum operations.

STEP 1. Create your personal account
Go to admissions.nu.edu.kz portal, press the «Sign up» button and fill out the required information in English. Please select the «Master's degree/Residency» program during choosing the Academic level.

After completing the registration, confirm it by clicking on the link sent to your email.

Be sure to read the instructions about the application procedure given in your Personal account.

STEP 2. Fill out the application form
In the «My Application Forms» section of your Personal Account, open the link Step 1. Fill out the Application Form online and Consent form for personal data processing according to the online form. Make sure you have entered all the required information in the correct manner and press the «Upload» button.

STEP 3. Submit the required documents

After filling out the application form, in the Step 2 section, you need to upload the required documents.
The format of requested documents is available in a Personal account.
Upload a 3*4 photo for documents to the «Profile» section in your Personal account.

Step 4. Pay the application fee

The application fee shall be paid online in your Personal account at the «My Application Forms» section with a bank card.
The application fee is 10 000 tenge and it is increased 3 times from the established amount when paid within the last two weeks before the first officially approved deadline and/or during the extension period for accepting applications for participation in the admission process (except for the Graduate School of Business). This amount is non-refundable.
The payment of the application fee by transferring money through the bank is not acceptable. Applicants can apply for no more than 2 Master's / Ph.D. programs at Nazarbayev University. In this regard, please do not make the payment more than 2 times. In case of admission to both programs, the applicant must choose only one.
If you have no personal card you may use the card of another person.

Step 5. Finish the application process

After completing all above-mentioned steps please press the «PAY AND SUBMIT APPLICATION». Now the application is considered completed.
After submission applicants cannot make any changes in their applications and submitted documents.
Admissions Department will check your application and contact you by email specifying which documents and when are to be resubmitted, in case of need. Incomplete or incorrect (uncorrected) applications will not be considered in the competition.


Step 6. Submit IELTS/ TOEFL certificate

In order to provide IELTS/TOEFL certificates, applicants should fulfill the following requirements:

1. To send an official electronic report of valid IELTS/TOEFL certificate via the Test administrator directly to Nazarbayev University;
2. To upload its scanned copy and insert its data to the «Upload IELTS/TOEFL results» section of a Personal account. Applicants can submit any number of certificates for the competition, but the last certificate uploaded to their Personal account will be considered.

Carefully consider the information regarding codes for a test certificate submission via the Test Administrator or the Test Center. See below:

• Code for IELTS: Nazarbayev University
• Code for TOEFL iBT: 6762
• Code for GRE: 6496
• Code for GMAT: H6m-R7-93

Detailed Instruction on the provision of IELTS/TOEFL certificates is available in applicants’ Personal account.
The results of IELTS Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition and TOEFL PDT are not considered in the competition.
All certificates provided must be valid at the time of submission of documents.
Please note that submission of IELTS/TOEFL certificates in the electronic database of Nazarbayev University is not within the competence of the University. You should independently contact the Test center and make sure that your certificate has been sent. Please note that this action takes at least 7-10 working days. If the certificate is received after the deadline, specified by the Admissions Department, results will not be considered in the competition.
Applicants, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, can be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report in one of the following documented cases:

• one of their earlier academic degrees was earned in a country with English as the language of official communication, academic instruction and daily life;
• an undergraduate and/or graduate degree was earned in a program which was officially taught in English;
• if the applicant is a graduate of Nazarbayev University.

Further steps
An automatic email notification will be sent to your referrers asking them to provide them with letters of recommendation in accordance with the electronic form sent to their email addresses.
Check your email for notifications from Nazarbayev University and your Personal Account to find out about the status of your application. ​​Please keep in mind that sometimes letters from the University may go to the spam box.
In case of an invitation to an interview, go through an interview with the Admissions Committee. Interviews are conducted in English.

Applicants applying to the program are expected to have:

• An undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent). During the application period, final year students may submit the official current transcript for consideration
• A minimum CGPA of 2.75 out of 4.00; or a minimum CGPA of 2,5 out of 4,00 for professionals with at least 2 (two) years of relevant experience;
• High level of English proficiency. The absolute minimum requirement for English language proficiency test reports for admission to the program is:

1. Overall IELTS test score (except Home edition) of 6.5 (with sub-scores no less than 6.0) or the equivalent TOEFL score as posted on the ETS website;
2. The absolute minimum requirement for the English language proficiency test report for conditional admission (NUZYP) is an overall IELTS test score of 5.5, with no more than one sub-score of 5.0, or the equivalent TOEFL scores (except Home edition) as posted on the ETS website;
3. Applicants, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, can be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report if:

– one of their earlier academic degrees was earned in a country with English as the language of official communication, academic instruction and daily life;
– an undergraduate and/or graduate degree was earned in a program which was officially taught in English;
– the applicant is a graduate of Nazarbayev University

• Strong reading, analytical, and mathematical skills as demonstrated by GRE test (optional). Although an official GRE score is not an essential requirement, an applicant can enhance her/his application with a competitive GRE score;
• High motivation and a strong interest in the program as outlined in a statement of purpose.

Important dates for those who are applying for the 2024-2025 academic year
Online application deadlines for PhD program:

• for International applicants: December 2023 – March 4, 2024 (1 p.m./13:00 Astana time)
• for the citizens of Kazakhstan: December 2023 – April 25, 2024 (1 p.m./13:00 Astana time)

Deadline for submission of IELTS/TOEFL, GRE/GMAT certificates:

• for International applicants: March 18, 2024
• for the citizens of Kazakhstan: May 10, 2024

Sending notifications about admission:

• for International applicants: from April 22, 2024
• for the citizens of Kazakhstan: from June 17, 2024

The start of orientation week (for newly enrolled students): August, 2024
First day of classes: August, 2024