Earth Resources Science and Engineering
Graduate program at Colorado School of Mines
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Select a program type below to learn more. What’s the difference? Read more about program types.
Earth Resources Science and Engineering Master’s Non-Thesis
The Earth Resources Science and Engineering (ERSE) specialty is for those who wish to specialize in interdisciplinary fields that include understanding emerging technical and social issues in Earth Resources Development Engineering.
Students in the ERSE MS-NT program must complete 30 total credits, with a minimum of 15 credits of coursework from within the Mining Engineering Department.
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE: Not Required
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Letters of Recommendation (2 letters)
- Letters are not required for current Mines students
- Statement of Purpose
- Transcripts
- International students please review the English proficiency requirements
Earth Resources Science and Engineering Master’s Thesis
Students in the ERSE MS-T program must take a minimum of 30 credits to earn the degree.
The Earth Resources Science and Engineering (ERSE) specialty is for those who wish to specialize in interdisciplinary fields that include understanding emerging technical and social issues in Earth Resources Development Engineering. This specialty is open to students with mining or non-mining engineering undergraduate degrees who are interested in scholarship and research on topics including, but not limited to, mining and sustainability, mine closure and reclamation engineering, corporate social responsibility, artisanal and small-scale mining, underground construction and tunneling engineering, mining and the environment, modeling and design in earth systems and processes, geothermal, explosive engineering, mine and construction management, mining-related data science, earth observation for mine environmental monitoring and design and application of sensor networks, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for autonomous mine systems.
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation (3 letters).
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Statement of Purpose
- Transcripts
- International students please review the English proficiency requirements
Earth Resources Science and Engineering Doctorate
The PhD degree in Electrical Engineering requires 72 credits of coursework and research credits. A minimum of 36 credits of coursework and a minimum of 24 credits of research is required. The remaining 12 credits required can be earned through research or coursework and students should consult with their advisor and/or thesis committee. There are three tracks in Electrical Engineering: 1) Antennas and Wireless Communications (AWC), 2) Power and Energy Systems (PES), and 3) Information and Systems Sciences (ISS). Students are encouraged to decide between tracks before pursuing an advanced degree.
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation (3 letters).
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Statement of Purpose
- Transcripts
- International students please review the English proficiency requirements
Department of Mining Engineering
The internationally recognized Mining Engineering Department at Mines is the world’s premier center for education and applied research in the diverse mining and underground construction and tunneling fields.
Understanding emerging technical and social issues in earth resources development is an important challenge when navigating subsurface work. But the Earth Resources Development Engineering graduate program within the Mining Engineering Department at Mines will help professionals develop skills and expertise related to mining sustainability, reclamation, Earth observation, modeling and more to ensure success in the field. The interdisciplinary nature of this graduate program prepares graduates for any problem they may face and become leaders beyond the classroom.
A Top Tier University
#1 Mineral and Mining Program, QS World University Rankings
5 Mining-related research center
Campus-owned Edgar Mine provides experiential educational opportunities
Credits and Deadlines
View the academic catalog to see the courses and credit requirements for this program.
Master's Thesis & Doctorate (PhD) Program Deadlines
Select a Term:
Spring Deadlines | Fall Deadlines
Spring Deadlines
Fall Deadlines
| Degree Program | Priority | International* | Domestic* | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Energy Systems | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Applied Chemistry | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Applied Mathematics & Statistics | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Applied Physics | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Chemical Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Chemistry | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Civil & Environmental Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Computer Science | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Earth Resources Development Engineering | January 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Electrical Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Engineering & Technology Management | January 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Environmental Engineering Science | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Geochemistry | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Geological Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Geology | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Geophysical Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Geophysics | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Humanitarian Engineering & Science | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Hydrology | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Materials Science | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Mechanical Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Metallurgical and Materials Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Mineral & Energy Economics | January 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Mining Engineering | January 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Nuclear Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Operations Research with Engineering | January 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Petroleum Engineering | March 1 | March 1 | ||
| Physics | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Quantitative Biosciences & Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Quantum Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Robotics | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Space Resources | March 1 (International on-campus) | July 1 (Domestic on-campus) | August 1 | |
| Underground Construction & Tunnel Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 |
Residential (on-campus) Master's Non-Thesis & Graduate Certificates Deadlines
| Spring Deadlines | Fall Deadlines | |
|---|---|---|
| International Students* | October 1 | March 1 |
| Domestic U.S. Students | December 15 | August 1 |
| International students are not eligible to apply for residential certificate programs. We encourage you to check out our online certificate options | ||
Online Master's Non-Thesis & Graduate Certificates Deadlines
| The following deadlines apply to online master's non-thesis and graduate certificate programs for domestic U.S. and International students. | |
| Spring I & II (January 6 start) | January 2 |
| Spring III*** (March 10 start) | February 17 |
| Fall I & II (August 19 start) | August 1 |
| Fall III*** (March 10 start) | October 1 |
| **The Fall III deadline is only available for the following programs: Additive Manufacturing; Business Analytics; Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage; Chemical Engineering Processes in Energy Transitions; Data Science: Computer Science; Data Science: Earth Resources; Electrical Engineering (Professional Master and Certificate Only); Engineering and Technology Management; GIS & Geoinformatics; Mechanical Engineering; Underground Construction and Tunnel Engineering | |
| ***The Spring III deadline is only available for the following programs: Additive Manufacturing; Business Analytics; Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage; Electrical Engineering (Professional Master and Certificate Only); Engineering and Technology Management; GIS & Geoinformatics; Mechanical Engineering; Product Management (Offered for only session III in spring); Underground Construction and Tunnel Engineering | |
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Faculty Spotlight
Jamal Rostami
Dr. Jamal Rostami is the Hadden/Alacer Gold Endowed Chair and Director of the Excavation Engineering and Earth Mechanics Institute (EMI) at Colorado School of Mines. Rostami has a BSc in Mining Engineering from the University of Tehran, Iran and his MSc and PhD in Mining Engineering from Mines. He is a member of SME, ASCE, ARMA, ISEE, IRSME, IRRMS, and TRB AFF-60 tunneling committee.
He is the current chair of the Research Committee and past chair of the faculty/student grant selection of SME. He has offered short courses on tunneling, shaft construction, and related topics for SME and other organizations. He has published over 80 Peer reviewed publications and ~150 conference papers, and over 100 technical reports and proposals, and reviews technical papers on a regular basis.
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Contact Us
(303) 273-3247
grad-admissions@mines.edu
Career Connections
At Mines, your career goals are the focus. You will connect with world-class faculty and industry experts in your field, all while enhancing your knowledge through hands-on learning and research.
Why study mining engineering at Mines?
When you study in the Mining Engineering Department at Mines, you will be part of highly regarded programs that are ranked among the very best. Our graduate programs each offer a unique mix of interdisciplinary opportunities. We offer flexible curriculums and study concentrations, allowing you to tailor your degree to your interests and your professional goals.
At Mines, we also believe that we best learn by doing. This is why we make hands-on research and lab work a core component of our graduate program. Most of our graduate students engage in hands-on research led by our esteemed faculty. Whether at our Edgar Mine or Explosive Research Lab, there are many opportunities for high-level research opportunities. Many of our students even travel for their research with opportunities for international travel. Many of our graduate students present their research at national and international conferences—an ideal way to sharpen your communication skills and begin building your network.
We have an excellent record of career placement. Most of our master’s students enter an industry, working for leading firms or building their own startups. Also, many of our master’s graduates enter elite PhD programs, including here at Mines.
Mining engineering careers
- Mining engineer
- Petroleum engineer
- Environmental engineer
- Geological engineer
- Natural resources engineer
For additional career services and resources, visit the Mines Career Services website.
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