Mining Engineering Courses overview
Mining engineering is concerned with the most efficient ways of extracting minerals from the earth. It requires a sound understanding of engineering practice, which is made up of creativity, problem solving and knowledge. Postgraduate study consists of ore body modelling, exploration geology, basin analysis, geophysical signal processing and a great deal more.
Mining has been of importance to humans since the advent of tools. Two eras of our history, the Bronze and Iron Ages, are named after improvements in mining. The ancient Romans were far ahead of their contemporaries in the centuries to come, using aqueducts and hydraulic mining for large-scale operations. This speaks to the fact that mining and creativity go hand-in-hand. 17th century Hungarian mining engineers used black powder to dislodge rocks. Miners from the industrial revolution continued to innovate through the use of drills and improved explosives.
Modern mining engineers are leagues ahead of their ancestors. They utilise better safety precautions, equipment and knowledge to not only work more efficiently, but safer too.
Is mining engineering for me?
Mining engineering requires the powerful combination of creativity and mathematical prowess. It’s a highly analytical discipline, but can lead to a fascinating and rewarding career that could help change the way companies harvest mineral resources.
Study pathway
Postgraduate mining engineering can be taken up to master level. Graduate certificates and diplomas are available for shorter levels of commitment or alternate entry pathways into master programs.
Graduate certificates are programs that take six months of full time study to complete, or up to one year part time. The University of Queensland and other institutions offer these to accomplished graduates from geological science or geological engineering, requiring a credit GPA to enter (65%). Students can expect to learn about fundamental mining practices, such as exploration seismology, the industrial applications of exploration geophysics, gravity and magnetic exploration, advanced field geology and more.
Graduate diplomas are twice as long, taking one year of full time study to complete or up to two years part time. Federation University and others cover the same material as in graduate certificates, only with some noteworthy additions. For instance, some diplomas contain units in hydrogeology and engineering geology, applied geomechanics for mining, mine design and optimisation, underground mine ventilation and all manner of other useful things.
Master degrees provide comprehensive knowledge of the field, taking two years of full time study to complete or up to four years part time. They’re offered by institutions like James Cook University to those with backgrounds in cognate disciplines, similar to the preceding courses. In addition to what’s learned in diplomas and certificates, master degree students learn more about hazard identification, mining analysis, mining resources and law, mine feasibility and more. They also undergo a research project design to benefit the field in a manner of the student’s choosing.
Employment options
Mining engineering can be both highly lucrative and rewarding, with most mining engineers in some states earning at least $83,424 AUD per year. They use their skills to design safe and effective mines to maximise yield. Revered institutions like BHP and Rio Tinto are ideal examples of employers for aspiring mining engineers.