Mining and Minerals Engineering

Study mode:On campus Study type:Full-time Languages: English
Foreign:$ 45.8 k / Year(s) Deadline: Jan 15, 2025
201–250 place StudyQA ranking:2771 Duration:4 years

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The Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering offers an engineering program containing aspects of mineral science, engineering, and technology that is professionally related to the minerals industry. Graduates of this program find domestic and international employment opportunities with hardrock, coal, industrial minerals, and construction aggregates producers, as well as with government agencies and equipment vendors.

The mission of the department is to produce high quality, rigorously trained mining engineers, whose background and education reflect the current level of technology and thought of the profession, and who can enter directly into engineering practice or, alternatively, graduate school for further study. Specifically, the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering seeks, as its educational objectives, to prepare alumni within a few years of graduation to possess:

  • the intellectual ability to critically assess and tackle any engineering problem they may encounter;
  • the communication skills to communicate technical information to a variety of audiences including technically trained supervisors and subordinates as well as non-technical members of the work force and the general public;
  • the leadership and team building skills to lead projects and function as entry-level managers as well as work productively as members of a team;
  • an understanding of the practical aspects of the mining industry and an appreciation for mining as a business; and
  • an awareness of societal issues and how these issues affect their role as future professional engineers working for the general benefit of society.

The mining engineering curriculum utilizes the basic and engineering sciences to develop the various areas of activity of the mining engineer: mineral exploration, evaluation, development, extraction, mineral processing, conservation, protection of the environment, and mineral economics. Course work in these areas provides a unique background for engineering and management positions in industry and government, as well as for continuation of specialized graduate studies.

Intrinsic to the curriculum is the development of a meaningful, major engineering design experience that builds upon the fundamental concepts of mathematics, basic sciences, the humanities and social sciences, engineering topics, and communication skills. This design experience is stressed within the major and grows with the development and progression of the student. Ethical, social, safety, economic, and environmental considerations are emphasized in the design experience throughout many courses, including the capstone senior design course. Finally, the major engineering design experience is a focal point of the mining engineering curriculum and is consistent with the objectives and goals of the program.

The program has an emphasis on the application of computers to mining and minerals processing operations. Furthermore, it exposes students to laboratory courses which focus on conducting experiments, understanding the principles involved in each experiment, and analyzing and interpreting experimental data. Information on the mission, goals, and curriculum of the program is continuously updated on the departmental website.

The Cooperative Education Program, as well as opportunities for financial support in the form of scholarships, loans, awards, and summer employment, are available to undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate programs are available leading to the M.S., M. Eng., and Ph.D.

The B.S. degree program in Mining Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

  • 2504: INTRODUCTION TO MINING ENGINEERING
  • 2514: MINING SURVEYING
  • 2524: ELEMENTS OF MINE DESIGN
  • 2534: MINE SURVEYING AND MAPPING
  • 2974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
  • 2984: SPECIAL STUDY
  • 2994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
  • 3504: ROCK MECHANICS AND GROUND CONTROL
  • 3514: ROCK MECHANICS LABORATORY
  • 3524: EXCAVATION ENGINEERING
  • 3534: MINERAL PROCESSING
  • 3544: MINERAL PROCESSING LABORATORY
  • 3554: RESOURCE RECOVERY
  • 3564: UNDERGROUND MINE DESIGN
  • 3574: SURFACE MINE AND QUARRY DESIGN
  • 3584: VENTILATION ENGINEERING
  • 4504: MATERIALS HANDLING AND POWER SYSTEMS
  • 4514: HEALTH, SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT
  • 4524: PROJECT ENGINEERING AND MINE MANAGEMENT
  • 4535-4536: SENIOR DESIGN PROJECT
  • 4544: MINE RECLAMATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
  • 4554: MINING ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP SEMINAR
  • 4974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
  • 4984: SPECIAL STUDY
  • 4994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
  1. Application Fee: A non-refundable fee of $70 for all international students applying for admission must be submitted. The check must be written on a U.S. bank, a foreign bank with a U.S. correspondent, or a U.S. money order. Your application will not be processed without this fee. Students who apply online are required to pay the application fee electronically with either a debit or credit card (MasterCard or VISA), or an electronic check.
  2. SAT Reasoning Test or ACT Scores (Optional for international applicants): Virginia Tech’s CEEB code is 5859; the ACT code is 4420. 
  3. InitialView Interview (Optional for international applicants): You may learn more about InitialView at www.initialview.com. Please arrange to have your interview completed as early as possible. The deadline for completing the interview is February 15, 2017. For additional details, see the requirements page.
  4. TOEFL/IELTS/PTE: Applicants whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Pearson Test for English (PTE). Scores should be received on or before March 1. To have your TOEFL score automatically sent to Virginia Tech, please specify Virginia Tech’s CEEB code (5859) on the test form. 
  5. Educational Documents: All documents in a language other than English must be accompanied by certified English translations. Notarized translations alone will not be accepted. Translations supplement, but do not replace original documents. Remember to send both.
    • Diplomas/Certificates: Students who have completed secondary school or high school must submit copies of their diplomas or school leaving certificates. Report of scores on school leaving examinations must also be submitted.
    • Transcript/Statement of Marks: This contains the record of courses studied, marks (grades) awarded, length of class periods, and grading scale with minimum passing mark. These must be submitted for upper secondary or high school years and must be complete for applicants who have graduated from school. For those applicants who are still enrolled in school, the transcript, or statement of marks, must show the most current term of grades to date. The transcript must be an original copy, certified by the sending institution.
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