The API Engineering Partnership Program

Preparing Future Engineers the API Way.

Now, imagine the dismay of their new employer.

A Brief History

In 2004, a noticeable scenario that had been playing out for years at the nation’s oil and natural gas companies came to API’s attention.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) realized many undergraduate and graduate engineering students headed for careers in the oil and natural gas industry had never seen or heard of an API standard.

API believes that petroleum engineering students should not only recognize API standards, but be aware of their practical use in and importance to the worldwide oil and gas industry.

Engineering professors around the country also believe access to these standards is extremely important and valuable for students. The ability to print and distribute applicable sections of a standard makes the material more cohesive.

Discussions at various industry conferences, as well as with engineering professors, led to the launch of the API Engineering Partnership Program. Under the program, IHS and API make the standards accessible to engineering students by offering complimentary, internet-accessible subscriptions to the complete set of API standards to engineering schools.

Positive Reactions

Engineering professors enthusiastically embraced the program. As it turns out, many had been hoping for such a donation effort for some time. Participants in the program now include Texas A&M, University of Texas, Louisiana State University, and the Colorado School of Mines, to name a few.

The inclusion of the standards doesn’t so much change the curriculum as enhance it. By consistently implementing API standards into the material, students have a strong starting point for what they do and are able to see the practical application of what they learn from their textbooks.

The API Engineering Partnership Program also helps colleges and universities in earning and maintaining their accreditation status. The Engineering Accreditation Commission recognizes the importance of including industry standards in the curriculum. In its criteria, the Commission requires that engineering programs must prepare students for engineering practice through the curriculum, culminating in a major design experience based on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier coursework and incorporating engineering standards.

The Future of the Industry

The size and complexity of the oil and natural gas industry perpetuate a wide range of jobs and fields, all of which are touched by API standards. API publishes approximately 500 technical standards, which contain pertinent engineering and operating practices.

The API Engineering Partnership Program is unique in that API is the only standards developing organization that offers its complete collection of documents to college and university engineering programs.

The program ensures that students become comfortable not only with the information provided, but also with API. This aids in laying the foundation for a positive relationship with API, which will hopefully continue into the students’ professional careers. As the oil and natural gas industry develops and adapts to an ever-changing economic, political, and technological environment, API takes its position as a vital participant in the task of preparing new engineers for upcoming career and industry challenges.

The future oil and gas industry engineers will be referring to API standards virtually every day of their careers. It’s a win-win situation for everyone when they can learn from the very same standards they’ll be using throughout their working lives.

For more information about the API Engineering Partnership Program, contact Teresa Ambrosius at:

API Engineering Partnership Program
1220 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005-4070
Phone: 202-682-8162
Fax:  202-682-8154 
Email: ambrosiust@api.org