Mining 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.
Mining Engineering Master’s Non-Thesis
The Mining Engineering Master of Science Non-Thesis (MS-NT) option must complete a minimum of 24-30 credit hours of coursework, of which 0-6 credit hours may be applied towards the analytical report writing, if required.
Students in the Mining Engineering MS-NT program must take a minimum of 21 credits of coursework from within the Mining Engineering Department. These must include the core requirement courses.
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation (2 letters)
- Letters are not required for current Mines students
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Statement of Purpose
- Transcripts
- International students please review the English proficiency requirements
Mining Engineering Master’s Thesis
The Master’s Thesis (MS-T) degree in Mining Engineering requires a minimum of 21 semester credit hours of coursework and 6 semester credits of research, approved by the student’s graduate committee, plus a master’s thesis. Students in the Mining Engineering MS-T degree program must take a minimum of 12 course credits of the 21-credit requirement from within the Mining Engineering Department. These must include the core requirement courses, unless waived by the master’s thesis committee.
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
Mining Engineering Online Professional Master’s Non-Thesis
Mining Industry Management Professional Master’s
Our Professional Master’s in Mining Industry Management (MP-MIM) is an online graduate degree program focused on the practical application of technical, financial, management and other linked disciplines that make up the mining industry today. It is unique to our program.
The MP-MIM was developed on the premise that, in addition to technical capacity, future mining industry leaders will need to:
- Identify and mitigate mining-related risks and decide when to make decisions with uncertain and incomplete information.
- Incorporate best practices and invest in new mining technologies that will bring the highest benefits.
- Communicate, work and lead teams to solve complex problems requiring many domains of expertise.
- Build effective reciprocal relationships with local communities.
- Integrate social, environmental, health, safety, security and life-of-mine considerations into sustainable decisions for the mining industry
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation (2 letters).
- No letters are required for current Mines students or Mines alumni.
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Statement of Purpose
- Transcripts
- International students please review the English proficiency requirements
NOTE: Admission into this program requires an undergraduate degree in some discipline of engineering and at least five years of experience in the mining sector.
Mining Engineering Doctorate
The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Mining and Earth Systems Engineering requires a total of 72 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. A maximum of 48 credit hours of coursework and a minimum of 24 hours of research credit are required. Those with an MSc in an appropriate field may transfer a maximum of 30 credit hours of coursework towards the 48 credit hour requirement upon the approval of the advisor and thesis committee. The thesis must be successfully defended before a doctoral committee.
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
Mining Engineering Certificates
Graduate Certificate in Tailings Engineering
Our Tailings Engineering Graduate Certificate is for those who wish to specialize in interdisciplinary fields that include understanding emerging technical and social issues in this discipline. This certificate 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, geology, geotechnical engineering, water, soil mechanics, tailing valorization, mineral processing and extractive metallurgy, environmental engineering and social governance.
The Tailings Center was created in 2020 to perform research and educate students, individuals in the mining industry, and regulators from the US and foreign countries. The center has provided many short courses to various audiences and will play a key role in supporting students pursuing the Tailings Engineering Graduate Certificate.
Tailings and the proper management of them are essential, and the mining industry has acknowledged this through dedicating time and atttention towards them. However, the effort from each company cannot be comprehensive or educational, but limited to their individual and immediate needs. The Tailings Engineering Graduate Certificate Program at Mines addresses this and provides a semi-comprehensive curriculum that can be beneficial to engineers and other professionals who are involved in the mining business.
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Statement of Purpose
- Suggested if GPA is below 3.0/4.0
- Transcripts
- International students please review the English proficiency requirements
Department of Mining Engineering
Colorado School of Mines is the top-ranked university to study Mining Engineering. Our dynamic Mining Engineering graduate program is internationally recognized as a leading center for education and applied research in the diverse fields of mining and underground construction and tunneling.
By combining classroom instruction, hands-on research and project-based learning, graduates in our Mining Engineering program will be prepared to achieve their highest goals in a number of mining-related fields. Additionally, through our job fairs (featuring hundreds of potential employers) and other campus events, students come face-to-face with top industry recruiters eager to hire from the exceptional pool of Mines grads.
With an eye on the future, we pride ourselves on preparing our graduates for the next step in their careers. Whether that leads them to industry or academics, our graduates have the tools and experience to thrive. Our Career Center at Mines is also available to support students and grads with a number of helpful services from resume creation and interview preparation to job searches and career path development.
If you’re interested in exploring the world of underground construction and mining, why look anywhere else than Colorado School of Mines? After all, it’s in our name.
A Top Tier University
#1 Mining school in the world
7 Research centers covering a variety of technologies
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 2025 Deadlines | Fall 2025 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, 2024 | March 1, 2025 |
| Domestic U.S. Students | December 15, 2024 | August 1, 2025 |
| 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, 2025 |
| Spring III*** (March 10 start) | February 17, 2025 |
| Fall I & II (August 19 start) | August 1, 2025 |
| Fall III*** (March 10 start) | October 1, 2025 |
| **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. Rostami is the Hadden/Alacer Gold Endowed Chair and Director of the Excavation Engineering and Earth Mechanics Institute (EMI) at Colorado School of Mines. Dr. 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
- Mineral engineer
- Mining safety engineer
- Seismic engineer
- Geological engineer
- Mining engineer
- Environmental consultant
Visit the Mines Career Center website for additional career resources and information.
Where to find our alumni
- Antero Resources
- Kiewit
- Maptek
- Newmont Mining Corp
- North American Coal Corporation
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