About Tech's Mineral Engineering Department About Tech's Mineral Engineering Department Mineral Engineering maintains its own homepage. The Department of Mineral and Environmental Engineering also administers the Environmental Engineering Program . Mineral engineering is concerned with the exploration for and development of minerals and earth materials in the most efficient manner while protecting the environment. The undergraduate program is oriented toward developing the student's sense for and skill in engineering design. The objective of the department is to provide the student with an education in the fundamentals of engineering that will allow immediate entry into industry or research work while providing a good opportunity for continued professional growth.
Emphasis is placed on developing a responsible professional with a sense of social awareness.
The curriculum includes basic engineering principles that provide the foundation for applied engineering design concepts. The program provides a concentrated study in mechanics, mineral evaluation and economics, ground and environmental control, environmental issues, and project management. Engineering design is introduced in courses covering surface and underground mining, ventilation, mineral processing, equipment selection, drilling and blasting, soil and rock mechanics, hydraulic structures, and geomechanics. Instruction in the environmental aspects of minerals development and production include mine permitting and reclamation, extending to the legal issues and concerns in natural resources development. A large-scale design project is undertaken in the senior year.