The master's degree program is designed for students who intend to hold management or analyst positions in industry or government.
Emphasis is on acquiring and learning to apply a range of analytical skills.
The master's program consists of seven courses in mineral economics and six credits of work on a thesis or professional paper. In addition, students are encouraged to take at least two courses in a minor filed that should bear some relations to the major field of specialization. Students may choose between completing a master's thesis that demonstrates the ability to do independent research, or a professional paper consisting of a compact research summary in a form suitable for publication, together with a background paper that reviews the relevant literature and discusses in more detail the data and theoretical aspects of the topic. A half-time assistantship will raise this to at least four semesters. The Ph.D Degree Doctoral candidates are considered an important part of the intellectual life of the department.