Metallurgical engineers have the responsibility of accepting ore as it is mined from the earth, removing the valuable minerals in the form of concentrates, extracting the valuable metals from these concentrates, and finally alloying, heat treating, fabricating, casting, or rolling these metals into useful products. Programs Graduate students must demonstrate competence in both oral and written communication, advanced mathematics, and use of computers.
Students have the choice of a thesis or non-thesis option.
Extractive Metallurgy- focuses on refining processes, such as pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, and eletrometallurgy, through which concentrates are refined into a pure metal form. Materials Science- emphasizes the study of physical and chemical properties associated with metals, ceramics, glasses, plastics, and slag. Placement Career opportunities and placement for graduate students in Metallurgical Engineering have been excellent. Mining Engineering Mining engineers analyze, design, construct, and manage economic mineral-producing systems. Hands-on laboratory experience is available for research projects.