Mining Engineering

The course in Mining Engineering is aimed at providing broad based knowledge, training, skills and experience in the areas required in mining engineering. The normal period of full time study is four years. However, the course can be taken on a part-time basis over a longer period of time, normally six years.

Upon satisfactory completion of the course, students should be able to practise in areas requiring skills for mine planning and design, rock excavation, water and gas drainage and mine environment control. Graduates, therefore, will be able to integrate technical, planning, organisational, management and financial skills with an emphasis on those areas as their talents allow.

The structure of the course is such that the first year largely concerns basic subjects, such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, computing, and introductory engineering subjects. The second year is primarily devoted to engineering science subjects, but areas such as surveying, mining and design are introduced. The latter subjects are developed further in third year, where more time is devoted to engineering subjects, such as mining methods, both surface and underground methods, geology and mine transport and mine ventilation.

At the end of the third year, students are required, as a condition for graduation; to undertake at least twelve weeks of approved work in industry, whether for mining, or mining related companies, mining consultants, state or federal government agencies. For part-time students, each year of appropriate full time employment may be credited as one professional option elective.

In the final year, emphasis is given to professional orientation, with subjects covering project management, mine planning, mine geomechanics and minerals beneficiation. Some elective subjects are available for those students wishing to specialise further. Attention is given to a teamwork approach in a design that requires integration of all aspects of the course. Each student must prepare a substantial project thesis on a research or design topic under the supervision of a staff member.

The course has been fully recognised by both The Institution of Engineers, Australia, and the Australasian Institute on Mining and Metallurgy which are the professional accrediting bodies. This recognition ensures that graduates from this course are admitted, on application, to the grade of Graduate for both professional bodies.

Honours are awarded at the end of the course on the basis of overall performance throughout the course.

All students must take particular notice of the Course Rules regarding minimum rate of progress.

Students should attend all classes including lectures, tutorials and laboratory classes. The Director of Studies in Mining Engineering may refuse to certify that students have satisfactorily completed a subject unless they have attended at least 80 percent of the classes scheduled.


THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS MUST BE COMPLETED TO QUALIFY FOR THE MINING ENGINEERING DEGREE.