“If it can’t be grown, it must be mined.”
This is more than a motto. It is a fact. Put simply, the raw materials upon which everything else is built can only come from agriculture or mining. All of the conveniences of modern society which we now take for granted got their start when the silicon, iron and other minerals were extracted from the ground.
Mining engineers work to discover, evaluate, recover and process mineral deposits from the earth and ocean floor. The majority are employed in either the design or supervision of mineral extraction and processing systems. They may also go into such related work as environmental control, safety, research or education. Some mining engineers, along with geochemists, geophysicists and geologists, work in mineral exploration; others work with metallurgical and other engineers to appraise new ore deposits. They study rock formations and water, soil and plant characteristics for signs of mineral or ore deposits.
Students are encouraged to make the most of on-campus interviews. Primarily during the fall semester, industry companies visit our campus to interview and recruit mining students for profitable summer and full-time jobs. It’s like having a career fair come to you! Most of our mining students have summer or permanent employment locked up six months before their first day of work. In addition, many employers reimburse all travel and/or lodging expenses incurred during the internship.
Below are some of the careers which make all this possible.
- Vice-President, Engineering
- Vice-President, Operations
- Mine Superintendent – Supervises all activities at the mine site
- Underground Mine Foreman – In charge of underground mining operations
- Mineral Processing Plant Manager – In charge of mineral processing operations
- Mine Engineer – Long-term mine planning, mine ventilation, ground control and permitting
- Project Engineer – In charge of special engineering projects at the mine site
- Maintenance Supervisor – In charge of repairing and maintaining mining equipment
- Engineering Consultant – Provides various engineering services to mining companies
- Longwall Coordinator – In charge of scheduling and maintaining longwall coal mining system
- Quality Control Engineer – In charge of product quality control
- Field Engineer – Provides technical service for mining products
- Federal or State Safety Inspector – Inspect mines and mine sites and enforce regulations