Space Resources
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.
Space Resources Master’s Non-Thesis
The Master of Science program is intended to give the degree holder the knowledge and skills to make immediate contributions to any government agency or company pursuing technical activities related to space resources. The Master of Science degree program is exclusively non-thesis (MS-NT) and online. The MS-NT degree program coursework requires 31 credits – 13 credits from Space Resources core courses and 18 credits from elective courses.
For students coming into the program with previous Master’s or PhD degrees, up to 9 credits of relevant courses can be transferred after approval from the Space Resources program director in consultation with faculty members of the program.
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation (2 letters)
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Statement of Purpose
- Transcripts
- International students please review the English proficiency requirements
The Space Resources graduate admissions committee may consider exceptional candidates who do not meet all the above requirements.
Space Resources Doctorate
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is intended to provide the degree holders the necessary knowledge and research skills to pursue academic positions or contribute as a space-resources specialist in industry or government agencies. A student who completes a PhD in Space Resources will possess all the training of a Master’s degree holder with further specialization in one or more areas within the space resources field. The completed doctoral dissertation will make original contributions to the field.
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Space Resources requires 72 total credits, consisting of 36 credit hours of coursework, 36 credit hours of research and a doctoral dissertation. All Space Resources core courses and technical electives count toward the degree.
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE: Not Required
- Not required for Mines applicants.
- Letters of Recommendation (2 letters).
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Statement of Purpose
- Transcripts
- International students please review the English proficiency requirements
The Space Resources graduate admissions committee may consider exceptional candidates who do not meet all the above requirements.
Space Resources Certificate
The Graduate Certificate is intended to give the student a panoramic view of space resources to understand the role that scientific knowledge, engineering systems, economic analyses, business cases, and legal and policy aspects play in this field.
Complete 12 credit hours with 3 credit hours from Space Resources Fundamentals and 9 credit hours from any of the technical elective courses. Alternatively, the 9 credit hours can come from taking the following core courses: Space Systems Engineering, Space Resources Project I, and Space Resources Project II.
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Statement of Purpose
- Transcripts
- International students please review the English proficiency requirements
The Space Resources graduate admissions committee may consider exceptional candidates who do not meet all the above requirements.
Space Resources Program
Want to learn how to identify, extract, and utilize resources beyond our planet? Mines has a degree for that. With the world’s first Space Resources graduate program, Mines prepares scientists, engineers, economists, entrepreneurs and policymakers to set the stage for a new era in space exploration and economic development.
Graduates in this program take advantage of Mines’ world-renowned expertise in terrestrial resources and energy systems and learn how this knowledge can be applied outside Earth. With guidance from a multidisciplinary group of experts in academia, space agencies and private companies, students will become leaders in this emerging and exciting field.
A Top Tier University
Online degrees with students from all continents
First space resources program in the world
Research projects in all space resources disciplines
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 | |
Get Connected
You don’t have to decide right now, but let’s get you connected so we can stay in touch and keep you up-to-date. Fill out the quick information form below to get started.
Program Director
Angel Abbud-Madrid
Program Director, Space Resources
Professor of Practice, Mechanical Engineering
Research Areas:
- Space Resources
- Microgravity Science
- Aerospace Technology
- Combustion Phenomena
- Planetary Science
You Are Ready
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.
Space Resources careers
A degree in Space Resources prepares students to work for government agencies, the private sector, the military, public policy think tanks and to start their own companies on the following areas:
- Design and building of instruments for space resource identification
- Design and building of equipment for drilling, excavation, extraction and processing of resources on the Moon, asteroids and planetary bodies
- Design of space architectures and infrastructure incorporating the use of space resources
- Participate on space missions to remotely explore for resources and operate equipment to extract them
- Develop economic feasibility models for space resource utilization
- Formulate and advance policies for the fair, responsible and sustainable use of resources in space
Visit the Mines Career Center website for additional career resources and information.
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