Mining Engineering Bachelor's Degree

Mining brings natural earth minerals to the surface. We can do this in a safe, efficient, and responsible way.

Mining is necessary to meet societal and industrial needs. Mining activity brings significant contributions to the economy. Our goal is to engage in mining without causing undue disturbance to the environment. We aim to make mine operations productive, safe, and cheap. Modern mining employs sophisticated equipment methodologies. The industry needs intelligent, responsible, creative, and skillful practitioners to keep these goals.

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
  • 12
    out of 20 universities with the greatest salary impact
  • 2
    out of 38 best colleges in Michigan
  • A
    for value and professors
  • 2x2
    double wage, double growth for STEM occupations

Tomorrow Needs Innovation and Sustainability

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

To become good decision makers, mining engineers need sound technical expertise. They must exercise multi-disciplinary knowledge across the sciences. Mining engineers need practical experience as well as communication skills. It is critical to be able to work in multidisciplinary teams.

Multidisciplinary Approach

The Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences hosts this program. We rely on courses and faculty from several engineering departments.

Core Course Areas

  • Mining engineering
  • Geological engineering

Multidisciplinary Course Areas

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

Get a degree in mining engineering. Address the challenges of modern mining practices. Take on 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.

Emily Street is Connected to Mining

I am proud to be a student here, at what was originally the Michigan Mining School, and to be able to work as a miner in the industry that brought my family to the Keweenaw nearly one hundred years ago!

Emily Street
Emily Street
mining engineering

Be Career-Ready

Discover a world of opportunity. Graduate with a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering. It will prepare you for a career in mining and aggregate industries or graduate study. Mining engineers work in all aspects of exploring, planning, extracting, and processing minerals.

Explore career opportunities for mining engineers.

  • 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

$55,481 mean entry-level salary
Figures from payscale.com, accessed May 2024.

Ready to take the next step?

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

 

Connected, innovative.

Build real skills at Michigan Tech. Become an engineer.

Gain diverse experience.

Engage in design and research.

Leap forward in your program.

Connect with students and industry.

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

Be an MTUengineer

Join the LEAP leaders, wow the elementary students, and attend the AIPG National Conference.

Teach coding and circuitry. Research combustion and nanotechnology. Do a co-op with Kimberly-Clark. Show us how to slurry sand and complete miners training.

Tell us how important wetland mitigation is to you.

This is what we're all about.

Read our student stories.

 

A Professional Start

Mining engineering majors have great peers.

  • American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG)
  • MTU Society of Women Engineers
  • Geology Club
  • Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration
  • Sigma Rho

Compete in Enterprise. Visit mining operations.

Begin your networking journey here.

Join clubs and groups.

 

Beyond Engineering

Engineering majors cultivate their interests and talents at Michigan Tech. Join Superior Wind Symphony, follow military service, and be active in local politics.

Dive into Yucatan Culture.

Attend GeekU.P., become a lifeguard, and do a Canal Run. Be a musher. Set a Guinness World Record. Take part in Parade of Nations.

Let yourself shine.

Go beyond.

The GMES Department

We provide advanced technology for your hands-on learning.

Our locale is Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, with its geological riches, rocky Lake Superior shoreline, and acres of forestland.

We offer field studies to classic and novel sites in Michigan and beyond.

Travel with our faculty to do research locally or abroad.

Practice communication and community involvement through geophysics, social geology, and mitigation of natural hazards.

Learn from faculty who understand the value of our Earth.

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