Course Descriptions

The following are abbreviated course descriptions. Please click on the title of the course for a more detailed description.

101 MINING ENGINEERING I (1+3) 2 credits
Freshman year experience course to include: Introduction to mining industry, mining engineering discipline, carrer paths, CAD and basic mapping concepts. Field trip required. Taylor
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102 MINING ENGINEERING II (1+3) 2 credits
Continuation of Mine 101 to include: Introduction to mining industry, mining engineering discipline, carrer paths, 3D computer graphics and basic programming concepts. field trip required. Prerequisite: MINE101

210 MINING METHODS (2+0) 2 credits
Introduction to mining systems with emphasis on methods, equipment and terminology of surface and underground mine operations. Prerequisite: MINE 101 and 102 or equivalent. Daemen

218 MINING ENGINEERING LABORATORY (0+3) 1 credit
Application of unit operations in underground mining. Field evaluation of blasting patterns, support methods and materials handling. Fulfills MSHA training requirement. Prerequisite: MINE 210. Maximum of 4 credits. Taylor

242 INTRODUCTION TO MINERAL MAP MAKING AND MINE SURVEYING (2+3) 3 credits
Theory and practice of mapping and surveying in the mineral industries. Prerequisite: MINE 210. Taylor

243 APPLIED MINE SURVEYING (0+6) 2 credits
Surface and underground surveying techniques in exploration and mining operations. A charge is made for field expenses. Prerequisite: MINE 242. Taylor

295 SPECIAL PROBLEMS 1 to 3 credits
Indidual projects in mining engineering. Maximum of 6 credits.

300 MINERAL INDUSTRY PRACTICUM 1 credit
Mineral industry employment for one summer and attendance on senior field trip.

301 COAL MINING (2+0) 2 credits
Geology of coal, its constitution and uses. Underground and surface mining of coal including mining methods and equipment. Prerequisite: MINE 210. Daemen
Introduction to Underground Mining Tutorial

310 MATERIALS HANDLING (3+0) 3 credits
Design and evaluation of materials handling systems in surface and underground mines. Hoisting, conveyors, track and rubber-tired haulage, load-haul systems. Prerequisite: MECH 241, 242, MINE 210. Danko

324 COMPUTER APPLICATIONS (1+3 or 6) 2 or 3 credits
Use of digital computers in the earth sciences, with emphasis on developing students ability to use computers in industry or research. Prerequisite: C S 103.

344 MINE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL (2+3) 3 credits
Theory, and practice of creating safe, healthy, and efficient working environments underground. Mine ventilation techniques. Prerequisite: MINE 350. Corequisite: MECH 371. Mousset-Jones

350 APPLIED FLUIDS, PUMPING AND DRAINAGE (3+0) 3 credits
Hydrostatic and fluid mechanics principles, and basic design elements for water drainage and pumping systems in mining and civil construction or environmental applications. Prerequisite: MATH 285 or equivalent. Danko

361 OPERATIONS RESEARCH METHODS (2+0) 2 credits
Introduction to the theory of operations research and its application in the mining industry. Prerequisite: G E 385. Taylor

395 SPECIAL PROBLEMS 1 to 3 credits each
Individual projects in mining engineering. Maximum of 6 credits.

400 MINE MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION (1+0) 1 credit
Principles of management applied to an operating mine. Including: ethics, health and safety, environmental responsibilities, and communication skills. Senior field trip report required. Taylor

406 SENIOR REPORT 1 to 3 credits
Formal, comprehensive report on a subject approved by the student?s adviser and department chair.

411, 611 MINE ECONOMICS (2+0) 2 credits
Introduction to management accounting principles, balance sheet and income statement, depreciation, depletion and cash flow. Financial evaluation using present value theory, equipment evaluation and replacement. Risk and sensitivity analysis. Prerequisite: G E 385; MINE 210; MINE 361 or equivalent. Mousset-Jones

413, 613 MINERAL RESERVE ESTIMATION (3+0) 3 credits
Principles of sampling and the study of the major methods for mineral reserve estimation including polygonal, inverse distance squared and geostatistical. Grade tonnage curves for normal and log normal distribution. Variograms and kriging of mineral reserves. Prerequisite: C S 103 or equivalent; G E 385. Mousset-Jones

415, 615 SURFACE MINE DESIGN (1+3) 2 credits
Design surface mining operations including optimization techniques. Lab uses integrated mine design software packages for layout and drawing of concepts covered in lecture. Prerequisite: MINE 210, 242.

416, 616 UNDERGROUND MINE DESIGN (1+3) 2 credits
Design of underground mining operations include selection of mining methods. Lab uses integrated mine design software for layout and drawing of concept covered in lecture. Prerequisite: MINE 210, 242.

418, 618 MINE FEASIBILITY (3) 3 credits
Data, techniques and layout required for a formal mine feasibility report to be prepared on a given mineral deposit. Prerequisite: MINE 411, 413, 415. (Major capstone course.) Mousset-Jones

425, 625 ENGINEERING POWER ( 3+0) 3 credits
Fundamental and basic design elements for power conversion, distribution and transmission systems using electrical, hydraulic or compressed air power. Prerequisite: E E 201; MECH 371. Danko

435, 635 AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS IN MINING ( 3) 3 credits
Sensors and actuator elements related to controlling of process, ground movement, and environmental parameters, robotization and remote manipulation in subsurface openings. Prerequisite: E E 201; MATH 283; MATH 285 or MECH 299. Danko

442, 642 FUNDAMENTALS OF GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING (3+0 or 3) 3 or 4 credits
Weight-volume relationships and soil compactio;permeability and seepage;consolidation and settlement;shear strength and applicaation to lateral earth pressure,bearing capacity and slope stability. Prerequisite: CE 372 Daemen

445, 645 ROCK EXCAVATION (3+0)3 credits
Current theory and practice in drilling and blasting. Prerequisite: MINE 210. Daemen

448, 648 ROCK MECHANICS (3+3) 4 credits
Mechanical behavior of rock; response to load changes; deformation, failure, discontinuity slip; rock testing. Engineering applications: slopes, pillars, tunnels; reinforcement design. Prerequisite: C E 372; GEOL 332 or equivalent. Daemen

451, 651 MINING LAW (3+0) 3 credits
United States and foreign, federal and state laws affecting the mineral industry and pertaining to mineral land acquisition, corporations, ethics, mining, taxation, water, environment, labor, safety and welfare. Prerequisite: WT 203. Taylor

454, 654 MINING AND SURFACE ENVIRONMENT (2+0) 2 credits
Effects of mining, milling, and smelting on the surface environment, and their control to allow maximum conservation and minimum waste of natural resources. Field trip. Mousset-Jones

456, 656 MINING AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (3+0) 3 credits
Defining and applying the four critical elements of sustainable development: environment, economics, community and governance to the development, operations and design of mining projects. Prerequisite: Senior Standing. van Zyl

458, 658 ROCK MECHANICS FOR UNDERGROUND MINING AND CONSTRUCTION (2 or 3+0) 2 or 3 credits
Empirical and mechanistic stability analysis and design of underground excavations in rock. Rock mass classifications. Continuum mechanics stress analyses. Influence of discontinuities on stability. Prerequisite: MINE 448 or equivalent. Daemen

468, 668 BLOCK THEORY IN ROCK ENGINEERING (2+0 or 3+0) 2 or 3 credits
Geometry of blocks in jointed rock masses. Influence of block geometry on rock mass stability. Stability analyses of underground and surface excavations in jointed rock. Daemen

472, 672 WORLD MINERAL ECONOMICS(3+0) 3 credits
Minerals in world affairs. Interdependence of nations on minerals and the economic and political problems caused by their unequal geographic distribution and divided political control. Prerequisite: WT 201, 202. (General capstone and diversity course.) Taylor

482, 682 ECONOMICS OF THE BASE METALS (3+0) 3 credits
Systematic treatment of current aspects of international production and trade in base metals.

495, 695 SPECIAL PROBLEMS 1 to 3 credits each
Individual research problems in mining engineering. Maximum of 6 credits.

701-702 ADVANCED MINING ENGINEERING 1 to 5 credits each 1 to 3 credits each
(a) General Mining, (b) excavation, (c) drilling, (d) blasting, (e) equipment, (f) transportation, (g) design, (h) surface mining, (j) underground mining, (k) safety, (m) ventilation, (n) mining economics, (p)mine administration, (r) mining law, (s) mineral economics, (t) history of mining, (u) mineral explorations, (v) rock mechanics, (w) mining conservation, (x) nonmetallic mining. These courses consist of either lectures, periodic conferances, supervised reading, laboratory or fieldwork. May be repeated more than once to pursue different studies.

725 HEAT MASS TRANSFORT (3+0) 3 credits
Analytical and munerical models relevant to heat and mass transport problems in hot underground openings and geothermal systems.

729 ADVANCED COMPUTER APPLICATION 1 to 3 credits
Computer Systems, languages, and economics. Major individual earth science project on computer. Prerequisite: C S 103 or MINE 324.

745 ADVANCED ROCK MECHANICS (2+3) 3 credits
Field and laboratory studies of applied rock mechanics. Prerequisite: MINE 448.

748 ADVANCED GEOTECH LABORATORY (1+6) 4 credits
Laboratory testing of soil and soil rock mixtures as related to civil, geological, and mining engineering projects. Tests will demonstrate geotechnical material properties and behavior. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

749 ADVANCED BLASTING METHODS DESIGN 1 to 3 credits
Modern theories in the use of explosives and the design of blasting systems. Prerequisite: MINE 445

790 MINERAL INDUSTRY SEMINAR 1 to 3 credits
Weekly lecture and discussions with invited speakers about their current research in chemical engineering.

795 COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION 1 to 3 credits S/U only
course is used by graduate programs to administer comprehensive examinations either as end of program comprehensive examinations or as qualifying examinations for doctoral candidates prior to being advanced to candidacy. Credits determined by each individual program.

796 PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1 to 3 credits S/U only
Report of an independant study of a mining engineering problem.

797 THESIS 1 to 6 credits

799 DISSERTATION 1 to 24 credits