General Information

Mining Engineering was one of the first academic programs at Michigan Tech, beginning over a century ago. It is one of only 15 mining engineering programs in the U.S. that has been uninterrupted since the beginning of the century and has also held accreditation with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) since 1936. MTU's mining program is continually upgraded to keep pace with the ever-increasing complexity of modern mining by providing well-equipped labs for instruction in a variety of mining subjects. It emphasizes classroom instruction and practical experience through laboratory assignments and fieldwork.

The Michigan Tech Mining Engineering degree program offers advantages associated with a friendly learning environment and closely knit educational support group. These conditions allow students to interact more freely with other students and faculty, resulting in a more in-depth understanding of their prospective careers and better than average job placement.

The Industry

Mining is a technologically sophisticated and economically potent industry - a leading developer of innovations and new technologies. The scope of a mining engineer's work includes prospecting for mineral deposits; planning, designing, and operating profitable mines; processing and marketing the extracted minerals; insuring safe and healthy working conditions; and protecting and restoring the land during and after a mining project so that it may be utilized for other purposes. Mining engineers use technologically advanced equipment, machines, robotics, and computers every day. Mining engineers in charge of design plan and test mines using computer simulators before ever breaking ground. Mining engineers who hold managing positions use complex mine scheduling software to plan mining activity once operation is underway. Surface mining operations use larger mobile equipment than any other industry in the world. Mining methods and equipment are also applied to the removal of earth and rock outside the mining industry.

Each year, a single person requires an equivalent of 40,000 pounds of new minerals, and energy equal to that produced by 30,000 pounds of coal. With each different mineral comes a different mine site and a different location, giving the mining engineer a very diverse work environment, and limitless horizons to work anywhere in the world. So if you're looking for a top salary career with opportunities for advancement, then mining engineering could be the choice for you!

Employment Opportunity

Because of increased demand for mineral resources in today's global economy, the mining industry has seen a gradual but steady increase in job demand since 1989. Since the production of new graduates never seems to be in phase with the job demand, there is currently a shortage of mining engineers, which results in several job offers and competitive wages for graduates. One hundred percent of Michigan Tech's 1994-1995 graduates were successfully placed in jobs with annual salaries ranging from $34,000 to $60,000. The national average salary for mining engineers ranges from $30,000 to $39,000 per year.

Cooperative education or summer intern employment is also strongly encouraged. Many of the MTU mining students have accepted offers from all over the world. Coops/Interns help students gain valuable experience before graduation ad usually have a pay range of $8-$13 per hour.

Careers in Mining Engineering

• Mining - Mineral Exploration, Feasibility Studies, Mine Management, Production
• Consulting - Mine Design/Operations Planning, Research
• Environmental - Reclamation/Remediation, Land Permitting, Waste Control
• Construction - Tunnels, Underground Storage, Cement Industry
• Computers - Mine Design/Operations Software Development
• Business - Mineral Valuation, International Trade, Banking
• Government - Regulatory Oversight, International Agencies
• Other Areas - Agriculture, Energy, Manufacturing, National Defense
  

Mining Engineering has been a tradition at Michigan Tech for over 100 years. The university was founded as the Michigan Mining School in 1885, in response to the growing need for trained engineers to support the booming copper and iron industries in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum 

The initial program was restricted to mining engineering and metallurgy. Instruction focused on theoretical and practical training in ore extraction and processing. The earliest graduates, from the classes of 1888 and 1889, received a Bachelor of Science degree upon completing two years of study in geology, mining, math and chemistry. An Engineer of Mines degree was later granted following three years of study that included practical experience. As student enrollment and faculty increased, the curriculum and facilities continued to expand. Both the quality and level of education improved, providing an incentive for the Michigan Mining School to become the Michigan College of Mines in 1897.

Click here for more historical photos.

Additional engineering programs were incorporated into the college's curriculum by the mid-1920's, which were reflected in another change in name in 1927 from the Michigan College of Mines to the Michigan College of Mining and Technology. With these changes came authority from the state legislature and opportunities to conduct both research and graduate training. A Master of Science degree was added to the mining program that would attract students from other mining institutions as well as those from Michigan Tech.

Degree requirements and programs have continued to change throughout the history of Michigan Tech to meet changing technical and industrial needs. Once again, to convey the expanded engineering and technology focus of the college, the name was changed in 1963 to Michigan Technological University. The institution was to provide the inhabitants of the State of Michigan with the means of acquiring a thorough knowledge of the mineral industry in its various phases, the application of science to industry, and seek to promote the welfare of Michigan industries. Michigan Tech's role is an extractive industry (mining, metals, wood) engineering-focused university whose peer group is the top public American engineering and mining-focused institutions.

The Department of Mining has maintained its commitment to develop competent mining engineers who are prepared to face a broad range of technical, environmental, and economic challenges in the minerals industry. In 1986, the Ph.D. degree in Geotechnical Engineering was offered as an interdisciplinary degree in cooperation with other departments granting Ph.D.'s. In 1990, a Ph.D. degree in Mining Engineering was approved. The commitment of the State of Michigan to the minerals programs was also demonstrated by the appropriation of funds to construct a new Minerals and Materials Engineering building in 1990. The new facility houses classrooms, laboratories, and offices for the Departments of Mining Engineering, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, and the Institute of Materials Processing.

The goal of the degree programs is to provide instruction, practical training, and research in the fields which have become the domain of the mining engineer. They include mine planning and economics, rock mechanics and fragmentation, materials handling, and mine health and safety. Solution mining, including microbial-assisted extraction methods, is a new area of interest that has been integrated into the curriculum.

In response to the growing awareness of the impacts of mining on the environment, an environmental degree program has been established as an area of specialization under the Bachelor of Science in Engineering program. A certificate program in Mine Environmental Engineering has also been established. These programs focus not only on reclamation and remediation of existing or abandoned mine sites, but on prevention strategies to be incorporated in the planning and design of present and future operations.

As the only university in the State of Michigan with a mission addressing mining and minerals, and as one of four research universities in the state, Michigan Tech has an obligation to provide education in mining and its impacts on the environment in order to serve the minerals industry of the state and the nation.

Mission

The mission of the 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.

Educational Objectives

The educational objectives of the B.S. program require that graduates meet a large number of criteria including the following:

• Possession of a strong fundamental scientific and technical knowledge base, and critical thinking skills, which will serve as the foundation for life-long learning;
• The ability to apply science and engineering skills to the analysis and design of engineering projects;
• The ability to effectively communicate technical/professional information in written, oral, visual, and graphical formats; and
• An awareness and understanding of professional obligations to protect human health, human welfare, and the environment.

Vision Statement

The vision of the Mining Engineering degree program is to prepare men and women to assume active leadership roles in industry, satisfying present and future needs of a global society through the development and implementation of revolutionary technologies for the extraction of mineral resources, and construction of underground structures in a socially responsible, economically viable, and environmentally sound manner.