Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences

Mining Engineering Bachelor's Degree

Mining brings natural earth minerals to the surface in a safe, efficient, and responsible way without causing undue disturbance to the environment.

Mining is necessary to satisfy societal and industrial needs and to promote significant contributions to the economy. The goal is to make mine operations more productive, safe, and economical using modern technology and highly sophisticated equipment methodologies. To accomplish this, the industry needs intelligent, responsible, creative, and skillful practitioners.

The job responsibilities of mining engineers include:

  • designing layouts for both surface and underground mines
  • preparation of short- and long-range mine plans and production sequences
  • selection and scheduling of equipment
  • designing blast patterns for rock fragmentation and excavation
  • designing ventilation plans for underground mines
  • monitoring safety of personnel and equipment
  • optimizing processes

Our ABET accredited BS in Mining Engineering prepares students to create the future.

  • 18
    students for average class size
  • 14
    schools nationally offering geological or mining engineering programs
  • 8th
    highest paying college major in 2022 (Payscale) 

Tomorrow Needs Innovation and Sustainability

Mining engineers plan, design, and supervise the exploitation of both the surface and underground mining operations for safe and profitable extraction. Market conditions can be difficult and the environment challenging. The creation of a sustainable mining operation must involve innovative decision-making.

To become a good decision maker, mining engineers require sound technical expertise and multi-disciplinary knowledge across the sciences. Practical experience, communication skills, and the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams are also critical.

Multidisciplinary Approach

This program is hosted by the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, yet relies on courses and faculty from several departments within the College of Engineering.

Core Course Areas

  • Mining engineering
  • Geological engineering

Multidisciplinary Course Areas

  • Civil engineering
  • Environmental engineering
  • Chemical engineering
  • Mechanical engineering

The mining engineering degree prepares students to address the challenges of modern mining practices and positions them for a leadership role in the mining industry.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering degree program is to continue to improve and maintain quality undergraduate and graduate programs supported by an up-to-date curriculum and innovative research, and to produce technically competent mining engineers who possess team skills and are cognizant of the changing needs of an environmentally sensitive society.

Be Career-ready

A bachelor’s degree in mining engineering will prepare you for a career in mining and aggregate industries or graduate study. As a mining engineer, you will be able to work in all aspects of exploring, planning, extracting, and processing minerals.

Each year, more than 400 employers come to campus to recruit Huskies at our career fairs and our business grads go on to work at Fortune 500 companies, tech startups, small businesses, and everything in between.

Career Opportunities for Mining Engineering

  • Mining engineer
  • Mining geostatistician
  • Mine planning engineer
  • Mine manager
  • Consulting engineer
  • Mining company director
  • Mining law enforcement officer
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Graduate studies
  • Geotechnical engineer
  • Research and development

Ready to take the next step?

Learn more about studying mining engineering at Michigan's flagship technological university.

 

Two people drilling inside a mine.
Michigan Tech’s mining engineering program is one of only 13 such degree programs across the nation to earn ABET accreditation.
"ABET accreditation is a significant achievement. We have worked hard to ensure that our program meets the quality standards set by the profession"Aleksey Smirnov, professor and chair of geological and mining engineering sciences

Earn an ABET Accredited Engineering Degree

With ABET accreditation, you can be sure that your Michigan Tech degree meets the quality standards that prepares you to enter a global workforce.

And, because it requires comprehensive, periodic evaluations, ABET accreditation demonstrates our continuing commitment to the quality of your program—both now and in the future.

Sought Worldwide

ABET's voluntary peer-review process is highly respected. Its criteria are developed by technical professionals and focuses on what you, as a student, experience and learn. It adds critical value to academic programs in technical disciplines—where quality, precision, and safety are of the utmost importance.

The GMES Department

  • Our facilities allow students to experiment with advanced geologic technology. The department maintains labs dedicated to the study of remote sensing and volcanology, geographic information systems (GIS), subsurface remediation and visualization, and seismic petrophysics, among other areas.
  • Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula offers beautiful outdoor facilities. The area surrounding campus is ideal for a wide variety of geologic studies. You don’t have to drive far to find miles of rocky Lake Superior shoreline and acres of forestland.
  • Our curriculum focuses intensely on field studies; we teach two field courses in the summer but also provide plenty of opportunities for students to see classic and novel field sites in Michigan and beyond. Students have traveled to sites in Alaska, Canada, Florida, Guatemala, Mexico, Montana, Newfoundland, Nicaragua, and Utah.
  • Undergraduate research opportunities are plentiful. Our faculty conduct research abroad, and students often accompany them on field trips. You might study volcanoes in South America, Precambrian rocks in Australia (or right here in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula), or the Bering Glacier’s melt rate in Alaska.
  • Our well-rounded curriculum emphasizes the study of geophysics and social geology, or methods for mitigating natural hazards through effective communication and community involvement.
  • Faculty and staff focus on giving students the personal attention and support necessary for not only academic success, but also a positive undergraduate experience overall. Learn from faculty who understand responsible utilization of our Earth.
  • Opportunities for intercultural exchange abound at Michigan Tech. The Study Abroad Program sends students to countries around the world for stints ranging from two weeks to one year. D80 allows students to apply their studies to the problems facing economically disadvantaged communities.
  • Students are encouraged to join the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, Materials United, the Geology Club, the Society of Women Engineers, or one of many other organizations for opportunities to get involved, invested, explore new horizons, and meet fellow students who share a similar interest.

Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences Programs

Or, start with our General Engineering option and give yourself time to decide.

MTU engineering

Real Engineering. Meaningful Work.

We are committed to inspiring students, advancing knowledge, and innovating technological solutions to create a sustainable, just, and prosperous world. With an entering engineering class of about 1,000 students, 17 degrees to choose from, and 160 faculty in the College of Engineering alone, we provide a world-class education with the trusted reputation of Michigan Tech.

As a student at Michigan Tech you’ll work closely with faculty mentors, immerse yourself in experience-powered learning, and gain a thorough understanding of engineering practice. Collaborate and innovate in laboratories, coursework, Enterprise, and Senior Design—you'll work with industry partners on real engineering projects and develop strong skill sets for your future.

You could study abroad, with engineering opportunities ranging from a few weeks to one full year. Or focus on problems facing disadvantaged communities in countries around the world. Michigan Tech’s Global and Community Engagement program offers you a range of options.

More than 400 employers regularly recruit our students for internships, co-ops, and full-time employment. Engineering students average seven interviews, and 98 percent are employed within their field of study, enlist in the military, or enroll in a graduate school within six months of graduation. A degree in engineering from Michigan Tech can take you anywhere.

Tomorrow Needs You

Engineers do a lot of things, but there's one thing we do first and foremost: we help people. We use creative ideas and technologies to solve problems in health care, energy, transportation, hunger, space exploration, climate change, and more—much more. Become an engineer who is ready for what tomorrow needs.

Student Stories

"The other big change is keeping up with the technology. A lot of courses now will do modeling, mapping ore bodies and drill holes, things like that. We can get really accurate mapping of a mine and what we’re going to be digging."Shawn vanDoorn, mining engineering alumna