Master of Engineering in Mining, Geological and Geophysical Engineering Overview
Mining and material production provides the building blocks for products and technologies that are essential to industries and the global economy. This field offers some of the highest earning engineering careers, as well as opportunities to develop sustainable solutions that will power our future.
The University of Arizona online Master of Engineering in Mining, Geological and Geophysical Engineering is one of the only online programs of its kind, featuring courses taught by our faculty of groundbreaking researchers in mineral engineering and the science of non-renewable resources. You’ll gain an advanced understanding of core technical principles while also pursuing coursework in finance and management, natural resource law, and other administrative concerns. Armed with this focused skill set, you’ll be well prepared to pursue mining and geological engineering roles as well as other opportunities in the field.
Customizable Options for Your Online Mining Engineering Degree
Mining, geological, and geophysical engineering encompass a wide range of tools and techniques that professionals use to overcome the challenges involved in resource extraction and processing. In our flexible mining engineering online degree program, you can choose from a variety of electives and select an emphasis area that fits your career goals. The available emphasis areas include (but are not limited to):
- Geomechanics
- Mine Information and Production Technology
- Mine Health and Safety
- Mineral Processing
- Sustainable Resource Development
Each mining engineering online course is led by expert researchers and industry executives and features a curriculum that blends live instruction with a convenient, asynchronous online format. Earning a mining and geology master’s online empowers working professionals to enhance their career prospects, with most part-time students completing the program in 18-24 months. The program is a perfect fit for aspiring and practicing engineers, those looking to make a career change to mining or a related field, and others with an interest in mining.
Join a Boundless Tradition of Innovation and Achievement
Arizona is the top state in the US for value of non-fuel mineral production, leading the nation in copper and also serving as a major source of crude perlite, molybdenum, silver, and zeolites. Since 1885, the University of Arizona Department of Mining and Geological Engineering has offered the state’s only university-level educational and research programs devoted to the engineering of minerals and nonrenewable resources.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top employers for engineers in this field are:
- Engineering services
- Metal ore mining
- Coal mining
- Government
- Oil and gas extraction
These organizations and industries need capable professionals to take the lead and set the framework for a sustainable future. Our mission is to prepare University of Arizona mining engineering students to pursue boundless innovation through individualized faculty attention, hands-on courses, and practical internship opportunities. We strive to encourage lifelong learning and leadership, prompting new discoveries in how we harvest resources and put them to use.
The Master of Engineering (ME) program is designed to be flexible and dynamic. We strive to accommodate aspiring and practicing engineers, those looking to make a career change to mining or a related field, and those with an interest in mining. Some courses in the online Master of Engineering in Mining, Geological and Geophysical Engineering are in a live, interactive format, while others are offered in an asynchronous, on-demand structure. Additionally, some courses will run for the entire duration of a semester, but some short, intensive courses may last as little as two-three days or two weeks of class time. See the course descriptions for details.
Prerequisite Courses: (1 unit each)
Students who have not previously completed coursework in calculus, statistics, and strengths and materials may be required to take prerequisite courses. These courses will be part of the student’s study plan and are available online through the Mining Department. They will be counted toward the 30 total required units.
Core Courses: 17 units
- At least 9 units in an emphasis area
- 5-8 units of electives (including up to 6 units of one-unit short courses)
- These courses are subject to the approval of the advisory committee. Up to 6 units of short courses (696x, 697x, etc.) may be used as elective credit.
- 0-3 units of independent study or report
- MNE 599 or MNE 909. The project or independent study must be appropriate to the student’s plan of study, and is subject to approval, in advance, by the student’s advisory committee.
The following electives are suggestions. Course substitutions or changes in electives are allowed with the approval of the program advisor.
Business/Engineering Management (at least): 3 units
- Take one of the following courses: SIE 557, MNE 530
Applied Engineering/Mathematics (at least): 3 units
- Take one of the following courses: SIE 530, BE 513, MNE 520
Entrepreneurship/Innovation/Design (at least): 3 units
- Take one of the following courses: SIE 567, MNE 536, MNE 515
Advanced Engineering Science (at least): 3 units
- Take one of the following courses: MNE 527, MNE 511, MNE 507
Research Seminar: 1 unit
- MNE 696A
Total: 30 units
Example Emphasis Areas (at least 9 units, not including short courses)
Geomechanics
Mechanical behavior of rock and rock masses; lab testing and intact rock failure criteria; rock discontinuities and rock mass classification; modern rock mass characterization tools; rock mass strength criteria; in-situ stress state; induced stresses due to underground excavations; numerical stress and discontinuity characterization software; rock slope stability; engineering applications including highway and mining slopes, tunnels and underground mining, dam foundations, national monuments. Graduate-level requirements include either a research project or a research paper and a presentation, at the discretion of the instructor.
Offered in the fall semester only.
Geomechanical aspects of underground excavation in rock. Empirical and mechanistic stability evaluation and design. Graduate-level requirements include an independent design/analysis project.
Offered in the spring semester only.
Fracture mechanics theory applied to the deformation and failure of rock; numerical techniques; micromechanical damage models; flow through fractures; the mechanics of faulting and earthquake rupture.
Offered in the spring semester only.
Methods of excavation of rock in surface and underground mines and construction, ranging from the empiricism of conventional blasting practice to the application of the fundamental mechanics of rock fracture. Graduate-level requirements include a research project.
Offered in the fall semester only.
Tailings Storage Facility design (operation) is a multidisciplinary enterprise which requires broad background knowledge in many diverse fields: geotechnical engineering, mining engineering, and mineral processing engineering. The responsibility for tailings disposal operation is usually given to mill superintendent or metallurgical engineer, and mining engineers are sometimes confronted with the problems of embankment slope stability and seepage. Thus, it is required for mine operators/engineers to have (preparatory) background knowledge related to Tailings Storage Facility design and operation. This course provides a link between the various technical disciplines. The course includes engineering behavior of tailings, various tailings disposal methods, impoundment water control, and embankment slope stability/seepage analysis using the computational modeling software. Graduate level students will have additional assignments and projects (presentations and technical reports) assigned.
Offered in the spring semester only.
Mine Information and Production Technology
Ideal for mining, civil, and industrial engineers to learn the processes of designing, justifying, implementing, operating, and maintaining large-scale heavy equipment based earthmoving systems. Trucks, Shovels, Front End Loaders, Scrapers, Draglines, Dozers and Rippers, Conveyor Belts, Crushers, Bins, Hoppers. What do all have in common? They are machines. They help us to do a safer, faster, and more efficient work at a mine. The course will focus on methods of materials movement and transportation for both surface and underground including technological developments in areas such as automation, tele-remote operations, performance analysis, equipment productivity and selection, maintenance, and operations research. Graduate-level requirements include an individual graduate project.
Offered in the fall semester only.
This course will provide the student with a fundamental understanding of the methodology and process by which mines are designed using modern software tools. Topics covered include compositing drill hole data, creating 3D block models, geologic interpretation, pit limit optimization, and underground models. Course may be taught at an off campus location. Graduate-level requirements include a more in-depth work in the area of 3-D block models, interpolation, and constraints on mine design. Grading percentages will remain the same but more extensive homework and projects will be assigned.
Offered in the spring semester only.
A senior-level course in open pit mine design and planning, incorporating the principles from prior mining and engineering courses. Functions of mine engineering covered include the mine development process, resource and reserve analysis, economic pit limit determination, pit and phase design, production planning, cash flow analyses, and social and environmental considerations. Laboratory design problems and work are associated with typical mine design and planning functions, utilizing MineSight software. Graduate-level requirements include an additional project.
Offered in the spring semester only.
Understand and apply concepts and problem-solving methods for the design of underground facilities, and operation of underground mines for ores, evaporites, and coal. Topics will include design and layout of excavations, including adits, shafts and slopes, stopes, undercuts, and vehicular roadways; mining methods for various geological conditions, sequence of operations (cyclic and continuous), basic design of mine services and equipment selection including ventilation, material-handling, hoisting, electric distribution, and dewatering. Safety considerations will be paramount. At the conclusion of the course, participants will be able to select a mining method based on geologic conditions, and perform mine layout, equipment selection, and services determination for a target underground production rate. Graduate-level requirements include a Critical Topic Analysis worth 15% of grade.
Offered in the spring semester only.
Discrete event simulation, model development, statistical design and analysis of simulation experiments, variance reduction, random variate generation, Monte Carlo simulation. Graduate-level requirements include a library research report.
Offered in both the fall and spring semesters.
Process and tools for systems engineering of large-scale, complex systems: requirements, performance measures, concept exploration, multi-criteria tradeoff studies, life cycle models, system modeling, etc. Graduate-level requirements include extensive sensitivity analysis of their final projects. May be convened with SIE 454A.
Offered in the fall semester only.
Mine Health and Safety
Course will introduce students to the basic concepts and principles of epidemiology and how these concepts are applicable for their own particular interests and careers in epidemiology related fields.
Offered in the fall semester only.
Management processes/roles of public health professionals; health service organization; policy issues and resource utilization/control; human resources management; public health trends.
Offered in both the fall and spring semesters.
Course emphasizes health hazard sources, methods to identify and evaluate them, and framework used to effect hazard control. Students will evaluate public health issues, understand research designs, identify and evaluate factors important to the development of monitoring programs.
Offered in both the fall and spring semesters.
This course introduces biostatistical methods and applications, and will cover descriptive statistics, probability theory, and a wide variety of inferential statistical techniques that can be used to make practical conclusions about empirical data. Students will also be learning to use a statistical software package (STATA or SAS).
Offered in the spring semester only.
This course is an overview of significant social, cultural, and behavioral issues related to public health. Major public health problems and the influences of sociocultural issues are analyzed in relation to health behavior. Readings, discussions, films, and class experiences/assignments focus on understanding the social and cultural issues that influence health-related behavior among specific populations in the southwestern US, North America, and internationally.
Offered in both the fall and spring semesters.
This course is for students who wish to learn and engage in modern sustainable development practices with respect to engineering projects that have three areas of impact: economic, environmental, and societal. The course will provide background for an understanding of the complexities and inter-relations of sustainable development issues. Although the primary focus will be on the minerals development industry and the impacts in industrialized and developing nations, communities and the environment, the course will also relate to other industries. Graduate-level requirements include an additional independent research project and class presentation.
Offered in the fall semester only.
Occupational and environmental federal regulatory agencies affect how we work and influence our environment. This course delves into the history of Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA), the Mining Safety and Health Agency (MSHA), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the major events that have resulted in contemporary impacts these organizations, and the respective laws, have on our lives, economics, and businesses.
Mitigating mining-related disease risks requires a spectrum of tools ranging from hazard identification and exposure measurement to control validation and measuring employee fitness-for-duty. From the context of real-life mining scenarios and business cases, the course will cover mining-related diseases, industrial hygiene, and occupational medicine approaches for anticipating, recognizing, evaluating, and controlling mining hazards and measuring miner fitness-for-duty; with the primary focus on recognizing and evaluating hazards and managing risk through controls and regulatory compliance. The course will dive deeply into the cause-effect of miner health and diseases while emphasizing the qualitative and quantitative assessment tools to validate controls and mitigate health risks. Techniques will be applied for hazard identification, quantification of risk, and appropriate application of the hierarchy of controls.
Effective and efficient prevention, response, and recovery from emergencies and disasters is a business necessity for every mine operation. Prevention relies on risk management and safety systems built on risk identification, root cause delineation, measurement, and monitoring which are strengthened and optimized by regular evaluation using exercises. Disaster response that mitigates the severity of the actual emergency requires tools and specialized training that help bring calm during chaos with tangible results (e.g., saved lives, saved environment, saved infrastructure, and saved equipment). The infrastructure needed for effective mine disaster response includes components ranging from incident command, miner self-escape, aided escape, and mine rescue. Following mitigation of the most severe aspects of the emergency, the organization begins the process of recovery that returns the mine to a safer operation than before the event. Recovery considers a spectrum of impacts to personnel (physical and psychological trauma), the environment (contamination), infrastructure (damage to ground control, ventilation, and data systems), and equipment (cost and length of time to replace/repair damaged machinery). This course will dive deeply into the history of major mine disasters and resultant federal regulatory responses, best practices in risk management and safety systems, incident command systems including self-escape and mine rescue, and application of business continuity plans to efficiently and effectively return the mine to a state of safe operation.
Fundamental concepts in the recognition, evaluation, and control of health and safety hazards encountered in mining operations; includes a review of engineering management responsibilities to control accidents, a review of federal regulations and standards affecting the industrial workplace, and instruction regarding the interaction of industrial hygiene, safety, fire protection, and workers' compensation to control losses resulting from industrial accidents. Graduate-level requirements include a term paper.
Offered in the fall semester only.
The purpose of this course is to introduce mining engineering students to the principles, applications, analysis, and design of subsurface ventilation systems. Topics covered include: thermodynamics properties of air, ventilation planning, design, survey and network analysis, fan types, impeller theory, fan laws and ventilation (fan) economics, mine heat, gasses and dust, governing regulations, and environmental consideration. Computer applications, laboratory work, and an intensive field trip further enhance the understanding of the fundamental concepts. Graduate-level requirements include a research project.
Offered in the spring semester only.
Mineral Processing
The course covers the principles, methods, and equipment of diverse beneficiation processes to separate and recover the economic minerals and metals from their ores. Major mining operations in AZ are introduced with the flowsheets being analyzed. The modern scientific and engineering background for the operations are presented as well as the mitigation of mining activities impact on the environment. Graduate-level requirements include an advanced understanding of the fundamentals and solutions.
Offered in the fall semester only.
The course is to deliver the fundamentals of surface chemistry of flotation in mineral processing. It covers the concepts and principles of the thermodynamics (wetting and adsorption) at the interface, the definition and measurement of surface force in flotation, the DLVO theory and colloid stability, the methods and techniques for surface analysis, and finally the chemistry and mechanism of the chemicals (collector, frother, and modifier) applied in flotation. Graduate-level requirements include deriving and defining some fundamentals and principles; review applications of chemicals and surface chemistry in flotation; propose possible methods and solve practical problems.
Offered in the spring semester only.
This course will provide a basic understanding of fundamental and practical aspects of solution mining. Graduate-level requirements include more rigorous and analytical homework.
Offered in the spring semester only.
This course will provide the student with a basic understanding of fundamental and practical aspects of hydrometallurgy processes used to extract and recover mineral and metal values. Unit processes where aqueous solutions play a major role will be examined in detail. The course will focus on the basic processes of leaching, solution concentration and purification, and metal recovery. Graduate-level requirements include a separate exam that will require more rigor and analysis. In addition, all students will be assigned a semester project and oral presentation covering a thematic area of hydrometallurgy of current interest.
Offered in the fall semester only.
This course is intended for both majors in engineering and the physical sciences who seek an in-depth introduction to pyrometallurgy, and for technical employees working in the mining and extractive metallurgical industries who want to refresh and extend their knowledge of the field and its application to industrial processes.
Offered in the spring semester only.
Sustainable Resource Development
Design of waterways, erosion control structures, and small dams. Methods for frequency analysis and synthetic time distribution of rainfall. Methods for estimating infiltration and runoff from small watersheds, flow routing, and storm water management. Estimating erosion using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation. Graduate-level requirements include a special project.
Offered in the fall semester only.
Advanced economic and legal analysis of environmental and natural resource policies.
Offered in the spring semester only.
This course is for students who wish to learn and engage in modern sustainable development practices with respect to engineering projects that have three areas of impact: economic, environmental, and societal. The course will provide background for an understanding of the complexities and inter-relations of sustainable development issues. Although the primary focus will be on the minerals development industry and the impacts in industrialized and developing nations, communities and the environment, the course will also relate to other industries. Graduate-level requirements include an additional independent research project and class presentation.
Offered in the fall semester only.
Principles and practices of mine environmental management and reclamation; pre-mining assessment. Design of water management systems (contaminant removal, settling ponds, groundwater protection); recontouring and revegetation; air quality management; noise and seismic mitigation. Monitoring methods for tailings, slopes, and water. Maintaining permits; closure and bond release and ultimate land use. Best management practices. Graduate-level requirements include additional assignments and a research paper or presentation on a specific environmental management topic.
Offered in the fall semester only.
Course substitutions or changes in electives are allowed with the approval of the program advisor.
*Contact department for enrollment
