Program Educational Objectives
The undergraduate curriculum in mining engineering has been designed to enable students to apply the fundamentals necessary to achieve lifelong professional growth. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to pursue employment opportunities in both the private and public sectors as mining engineers, or will be able to pursue advanced education.
The courses are sequenced so that an appropriate blend of theory, applications and project design is achieved. This enables the mining engineering student to appreciate and comprehend that a successful engineering design project requires a sound theoretical foundation, supported by experimentation and good engineering judgment. The program is designed such that the fundamentals of mathematics, earth, and engineering sciences are integrated into traditional mining engineering topics. Design projects, culminating in the capstone design project, are required throughout the curriculum. The proper execution of these projects requires an awareness of acceptable problem-formulation strategies, the testing of alternative design methodologies, feasibility studies, environmental impacts, and overall economic considerations.
Graduates of the program will be prepared to perform in the various steps of mineral extraction, including exploration, evaluation, development, recovery, and processing. The mining engineering faculty is committed to an interactive teaching and learning environment to ensure that the student plays an active role in the learning process. The general education opportunities are sufficiently broad and diverse in nature and scope to enable the student to tailor the educational experience to particular interests, backgrounds, and expected roles in society.
During the course of study, in order to achieve integration of knowledge and skills that will enable the students and, ultimately, the graduates of Mining Engineering to have a high level of professional competency, the following Program Objectives are pursued:
- To deliver curriculum material that is of sufficient science and engineering rigor to ensure that students have the basis for entering the private or public sectors as mining engineers, or higher education.
- To enable students to comprehend interrelationships among geology, exploration, evaluation, development, exploitation, and processing of mineral deposits in a coordinated manner, from the introductory mining courses to the capstone mine-design course.
- To encourage student use of computer and information technology, in a comprehensive manner, as it relates to engineering applications for mineral resources.
- To stimulate student awareness, appreciation, and communication capabilities to address societal concerns with regard to the total environment, health and safety, sustainable development, and the conservation of our natural resources.
- To promote the concepts of teamwork, lifelong learning, and effective and ethical leadership.
ABET Accreditation
The Mining Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012, telephone: (410) 347-7700.