Mining Engineering, B.S.

Program Description

Mining contributes to nearly 15 percent of the U.S. and 25 percent of the global economy. Mined products are significant and critical inputs to food production, manufacturing, construction, and electricity supply, and each year every person in the U.S. requires an average of 38,500 pounds of new minerals to equip and power their day-to-day activities. Over 14,000 mines distributed throughout the U.S. supply the majority of these mined products.

The Penn State Mining Engineering program prepares students for a career in the industrial minerals, metals, and energy industries that sustain the domestic and global economies. Importantly, the program provides an emphasis on sustainable mining through integration of environmental health and safety, and societal responsibility principles in the design and operation of mineral enterprises.

Graduates of the program will be prepared to work domestically or internationally to develop and operate mines; or to work in supporting activities including engineering consulting, banking, equipment development and supply, regulatory enforcement, and research. This is accomplished primarily through the curriculum, but is enhanced by an internship program, which allows qualified students to obtain practical experience through structured employment opportunities in the private and public sectors. 

The curriculum is built on the foundation of mathematics, science, and general education common to engineering majors at Penn State. The courses specific to this major are designed and sequenced to provide an appropriate blend of theory, application, and design. The required courses help to provide the enabling skills for graduates to work in any facet of the vast minerals industry, and technical electives allow for in-depth study of more specialized topics. The general education opportunities are sufficiently broad and diverse in nature and scope to enable the student to tailor the educational experience to particular interests, backgrounds, and expected roles in society.

Student-Trainee Program

An internship program and a five-year work-study plan are available to incoming students in Mining Engineering. Numerous mining and manufacturing companies, as well as government agencies, cooperate with the University to offer structured employment opportunities during the student’s academic career. In addition to earning significant funds to help finance their education, these opportunities provide valuable practical and professional experience prior to graduation. The internships normally take place in the summer, and the B.S. degree can be earned in four years. The work-study plan consists of alternating six-month periods of employment and schooling, and requires five years to earn the B.S. degree. Additional information can be obtained from the department.

What is Mining Engineering?

Mining today means computer design and automation, surveying and monitoring with drones, developing and refining our resources for critical metals and fuels, improving health and safety, and promoting sustainability principles. The supply chain for transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, energy, and defense relies on mining. Mining engineers touch all aspects of resource recovery from mine planning through production through refining to final reclamation of mined lands. They are found in mines, processing plants, engineering consulting companies, and corporate board rooms. Their job may see them in the field one day and engrossed in plans and designs in an office the next. They put all their engineering skills to use.

You Might Like This Program If...

• You want to join a high-tech industry that provides metals, fuels and materials for every industry.
• You want to face new opportunities and challenges every day.
• You want to be a problem solver.

Entrance to Major

In order to be eligible for entrance to this major, a student must:

1. attain at least a C (2.00) cumulative grade-point average for all courses taken at the University; and
2. have at least third-semester classification.

READ SENATE POLICY 37-30: ENTRANCE TO AND CHANGES IN MAJOR PROGRAMS OF STUDY

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering, a minimum of 131 credits is required:

27 of the 45 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes: 9 credits of GN courses; 6 credits of GQ courses; 3 credits of GS courses; 6 credits of GWS courses; 3 credits of GH courses.

Requirements for the Major

To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn a grade of C or better in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
CHEM 110	Chemical Principles I	3
CHEM 111	Experimental Chemistry I	1
ECON 102	Introductory Microeconomic Analysis and Policy	3
EDSGN 100	Cornerstone Engineering Design	3
EE 211	Electrical Circuits and Power Distribution	3
EMCH 210	Statics and Strength of Materials	5
EME 460	Geo-resource Evaluation and Investment Analysis	3
EMSC 100S	Earth and Mineral Sciences First-Year Seminar 1	3
GEOSC 201	Earth Materials	4
MATH 140	Calculus With Analytic Geometry I	4
MATH 141	Calculus with Analytic Geometry II	4
MATH 250	Ordinary Differential Equations	3
MNG 223		2
MNG 331	Rock Mechanics	3
MNG 404	Mine Materials Handling Systems	2
MNG 410	Underground Mining	3
MNG 411	Mine Systems Engineering	2
MNG 422	Mine Ventilation and Air Conditioning	3
PHYS 211	General Physics: Mechanics	4
PHYS 212	General Physics: Electricity and Magnetism	4
PHYS 213	General Physics: Fluids and Thermal Physics	2
STAT 301		3
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
GEOSC 1	Physical Geology	3
MNG 230	Introduction to Mining Engineering	3
MNG 441	Surface Mining Systems and Design	3
MNG 451W	Mining Engineering Project	4
MNPR 301	Elements of Mineral Processing	3
MNPR 413	Mineral Processing Laboratory	1
Additional Courses
Select 23 credits, one course from each category:		23
A.
ENGL 15	Rhetoric and Composition
ENGL 30H	Honors Rhetoric and Composition
B.
PHIL 103	Ethics
PHIL 106	Business Ethics
PHIL 107	Philosophy of Technology
PHIL/STS 233	Ethics and the Design of Technology
C.
CMPSC 201	Programming for Engineers with C++
CMPSC 202
D.
MATH 220	Matrices
MATH 231	Calculus of Several Variables
E.
EMCH 212	Dynamics
EMCH 212H	Dynamics
F.
EME 301	Thermodynamics in Energy and Mineral Engineering
ME 300	Engineering Thermodynamics I
G.
CE 360	Fluid Mechanics
EME 303	Fluid Mechanics in Energy and Mineral Engineering
H.
GEOSC 470W	Introduction to Field Geology
MNG 470
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Select 6 credits in consultation with adviser (students may apply 6 credits of ROTC)		6

¹

The following substitutions are allowed for students attending campuses where the indicated course is not offered: CAS 100 can be substituted for EMSC 100S.

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Breadth in the Knowledge Domains (Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Arts (GA): 3 credits
• Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 3 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Integrative Studies

• Inter-Domain Courses (Inter-Domain): 6 credits

Exploration

• GN, may be completed with Inter-Domain courses: 3 credits
• GA, GH, GN, GS, Inter-Domain courses. This may include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the 12th credit level or the requirements for the student’s degree program, whichever is higher: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

• United States Cultures: 3 credits
• International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Integrated B.S. in Mining Engineering and M.S. in Energy and Mineral Engineering

Requirements for the Integrated B.S. in Mining Engineering and M.S. in Energy and Mineral Engineering can be found in the Graduate Bulletin.

Program Educational Objectives

1. Within three to five years, graduates are expected to be advancing in their career in the minerals industry and adapting to new situations and emerging problems, through the application of general engineering-science skills and the core technical problem-solving and design practices of the mining engineering profession, with an understanding of the need for lifelong learning. 
2. Graduates should utilize and continue to develop skills in communication, technical writing, leadership, and working effectively in teams. 
3. Graduates are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of mining to society, realizing that, in contemporary society, attention to safety and health, responsibility to the environment, and ethical behavior are required without exception. 
4. Students are prepared to attain licensure as a Professional Engineer or to pursue other advanced degrees. 

Student Outcomes

Student outcomes describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. The Mining Engineering program is designed to enable students to:

1. Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3. Communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5. Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6. Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7. Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Barbara Arnold
Program Chair, Mining Engineering
152 Hosler Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-8823
bja4@psu.edu

Joanna Maatta
Academic Adviser
101 Hosler Building
University Park, PA 16802
jum27@psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2024-25 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition.

Mining Engineering, B.S. at University Park Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

¹

Students who begin their studies at non-UP locations and/or join the college after their first year should substitute CAS 100A, CAS 100B, or CAS 100C (GWS) for EMSC 100S (GWS). EMSC 100S Earth and Mineral Sciences First year Seminar (3) is a required course only for students who begin their studies at UP in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

²

Approved Technical Electives for the MNGE major can be found at the department website. Mining technical electives may be substitute with up to 6 credits ROTC.

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

All incoming Schreyer Honors College first-year students at University Park will take ENGL 137H/CAS 137H in the fall semester and ENGL 138T/CAS 138T in the spring semester. These courses carry the GWS designation and satisfy a portion of that General Education requirement. If the student’s program prescribes GWS these courses will replace both ENGL 15/ENGL 30H and CAS 100A/CAS 100B/CAS 100C. Each course is 3 credits.

Advising Notes:

To enter the major, students need a minimum 2.00 grade point average and third semester standing.  

Courses required for the major may be offered fall semester only, spring semester only, or both fall and spring semesters.  Consult with your adviser and department to discuss your academic progress and course sequencing.

Mining Engineering, B.S. at Commonwealth Campuses

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

¹

Students who begin their studies at non-UP locations and/or join the college after their first year should substitute CAS 100A, CAS 100B, or CAS 100C (GWS) for EMSC 100S (GWS). EMSC 100S Earth and Mineral Sciences First year Seminar (3) is a required course only for students who begin their studies at UP in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

²

Approved Technical Electives for the MNGE major can be found at the department website. Mining technical electives may be substitute with up to 6 credits ROTC.

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Advising Notes:

To enter the major, students need a minimum 2.00 grade point average and third semester standing.  

Courses required for the major may be offered fall semester only, spring semester only, or both fall and spring semesters.  Consult with your adviser and department to discuss your academic progress and course sequencing. 

Commonwealth Campus students are strongly advised to successfully complete their EMCH, MATH, PHYS, and GWS requirements before transitioning to University Park.

Career Paths

Graduates will be prepared to work domestically or internationally to develop or operate mines or to work in supporting activities like engineering consulting, equipment development and supply, banking, regulatory enforcement, or research.

Careers

Companies that actively mine are the largest employer, and seek graduates for production, engineering, and management-trainee positions. Manufacturers of mining equipment employ design and application engineers from our program, as do consulting engineering firms. Government agencies focused on safety, the environment, and research employ many mining engineers. Some are employed in rather unexpected places including banks that finance mining projects and the military. Internships are an important part of the undergraduate program experience, and many of our students complete two or three summer internships with mining companies.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE MINING ENGINEERING PROGRAM

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

A relatively small number of mining engineering graduates pursue graduate education; but doing so adds additional career opportunities at government and private research labs, and in academia. Often underappreciated, however, is that broadening and deepening the level of technical skills is valuable in the engineering and production career paths in addition to the obvious value for a career in research. In this regard, developing specialties in a particular facet of mining engineering or expanding into interdisciplinary areas can be particularly rewarding. Some mining engineering graduates pursue graduate degrees in law or business administration.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

Professional Resources

• Mining Society Student Chapter
• International Society of Explosives Engineers Student Chapter
• The Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration
• National Mining Association
• The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers
• International Society of Explosives Engineers
• The National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association

Accreditation

The Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering at University Park is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Mining and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Professional Licensure/Certification

Many U.S. states and territories require professional licensure/certification to be employed. If you plan to pursue employment in a licensed profession after completing this program, please visit the Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures by State interactive map.

Contact

University Park

JOHN AND WILLIE LEONE FAMILY DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND MINERAL ENGINEERING
113 Hosler Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-3437
eme@ems.psu.edu

https://www.eme.psu.edu