FAQs
Q. Who do I contact for more information?
A. Department of Applied Sciences
Nicholls State University
P.O. Box 2148
Thibodaux, LA 70310
Phone: 985.448.4692
Fax: 985.448.4475
E-mail: doas@nicholls.edu
Q. What salary can I expect upon graduating with a two- or four-year degree?
A. A petroleum services degree prevents what many have found, which is that after only eight years of experience they reach a ceiling where advancement is very difficult. A college degree is now required for many promotions.
Q. Do I need an offshore job to enroll in the program?
A. No, however, all students are expected to locate such a job eventually in their college career.
Q. Will my employer reimburse me for tuition?
A. Some employers reimburse their employees and do so on a sliding scale reflective of the grade received in courses. Some that do reimburse are Devon Energy, Ensco Offshore, Tetra, Shell, Parkway Machine, Barker Energy, Air Logistics, Halliburton and Hilcorp Energy. In a survey conducted in October 2006, these employers did not reimburse: Grey Wolf Drilling, Danos & Curole, Blake Offshore, Pride, Transocean, Edison Chouest, Axxis, EPS, C&D Production and McDermott International.
Q. Can I get a degree while working on a 14/14 day rotational basis?
A. The program is best suited for the 7/7 worker who crew changes on Wednesday. The 14/14 worker can be accommodated but the student must be diligent and work far ahead on assignments.
Q. What is the best day for scheduling my crew change?
A. Wednesday. We almost never have Wednesday classes.
Q. I’m from out of state. Can I qualify to pay the reduced in-state tuition?
A. Students from other states can attend Nicholls and pay resident fees by qualifying
- through the Academic Common Market (Learn more at www.sreb.org.) or
- through receiving an out-of-state fee waiver (To qualify, students must either transfer to Nicholls with at least 12 hours, a 2.5 GPA and no developmental classes needed or be a first-time freshman with a composite ACT score of 21, no developmental classes needed and a 2.25 high school GPA. Learn more at www.nicholls.edu/admission.)
Q. What job can I expect upon graduation?
A. Historically, we train the leaders of the offshore environment. As such, typical jobs are rig superintendent, offshore installation manager, safety supervisor and field foreman.