Mining Engineering
A per semester student computing facility user fee is assessed for CEM engineering courses. This fee is in addition to any lab/material fees. Please see the class schedule for details.
MIN F101 Minerals, Man and the Environment
3 Credits
A general survey of the impact of the mineral industries on man's economic, political and environmental systems. Special fees apply. (3+0)
MIN F103 Introduction to Mining Engineering
1 Credit
Concepts and methods utilized in mining engineering and mining unit operations. Special fees apply. (1+0)
MIN F104 Mining Safety and Operations Laboratory
1 Credit
Practical training at the Silver Fox Mine in mining operations and safety. Course complies with Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) 40 hour new miner training. Special fees apply. (0+3)
MIN F106 Mining Operations I
1 Credit Offered Spring
Feasibility studies, exploration methods and economic criteria in mining operations. Includes ore body delineation and mapping, preliminary mining methods and options, surface mine design and equipment, and case studies. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: MIN F103. Recommended: MATH F200X. (1+0)
MIN F202 Mine Surveying
3 Credits Offered Fall
Surveying principles for surface and underground control of mining properties. Field and office procedures for preparation of maps and engineering data. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: MATH F107X, MATH F108 or equivalents. (2+3)
MIN F206 Mining Operations II
1 Credit
Continuation of MIN F106: Underground methods selection criteria, underground mine layout, services and equipment in mining operations. Includes surface and underground health and safety requirements, environmental management, reclamation and closure, and case studies. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: MIN F106. Recommended: MATH F200X. (1+0)
MIN F301 Mine Plant Design
3 Credits
Quantitative study and design of various systems and equipment used in haulage, hoisting, drainage, pumping and power (compressed air and electricity). Importance of the natural conditions and production level in the equipment selection procedure emphasized. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: ES F208 and ES F307. Recommended: ES F341. (3+0)
MIN F302 Underground Mine Environmental Engineering
3 Credits
Analysis of underground mine ventilation systems, ventilation planning, design and engineering control, mine ventilation network. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: MIN F103. (2+3)
MIN F304 Introduction to Metallurgy
3 Credits
Overview of the extractive metallurgy of gold, silver and platinum group metals; from gravity concentration to cyanidation and smelting. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: PHYS F212X. (3+0)
MIN F313 Introduction to Mineral Preparation
3 Credits
Elementary theory and principles of unit processes of liberation, concentration and solid-fluid separation as applied to mineral beneficiations. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: Junior standing or permission of instructor. (2+3)
MIN F370 Rock Mechanics
3 Credits
Physical and mechanical properties of rock; rock mass classification systems; stress distribution in the vicinity of mining openings, design criteria and support for structures in rock mass, instrumentation and monitoring of opening's stability as well as strata control and surface subsidence. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: ES F331 or permission of instructor. (2+3)
MIN F401 Mine Site Field Trips
2 Credits
Field trips to active surface and underground mines to gain perceptual knowledge of modern mining systems by observation. Includes a systematic summarization and analysis of the mine after each visit to gain an in-depth understanding of mining engineering principles. Graded Pass/Fail. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: MIN F202; MIN F301; MIN F302; MIN F370. (0.5+6)
MIN F407W Mine Reclamation and Environmental Management
2 Credits
Principles and practices of mine reclamation and waste disposal. Pre-mining assessments and plans. Design of settling and tailings ponds and waste impoundments. Stream bed restoration and revegetation. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: CHEM F106X; ENGL F111X; ENGL F211X or ENGL F213X or permission of instructor. Recommended: ES F341. (2+0)
MIN F408O Mineral Valuation and Economics
3 Credits
Introduction to engineering economics, ore sampling and reserve calculations, and mine feasibility studies. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: COMM F131X or COMM F141X; GE F375 or MIN F301. (3+0)
MIN F409 Operations Research and Computer Applications in Mineral Industry
3 Credits
Fundamental concepts of probability and statistics and the use of operations research and computer techniques for understanding, analysis, forecasting and optimization of mining operations and systems. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: Junior standing. (3+0)
MIN F415 Coal Preparation
3 Credits
Unit operations, flowsheets, washability characteristics and control by sink-float methods for coal preparation plants. Market requirements and economics of preparation. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: MIN F313 or graduate standing. (2+3)
MIN F433 Mining Access, Safety and Environmental Law
3 Credits
History of mining law. Laws and regulations governing access to property, safety and environmental control as they pertain to mining. Special fees apply. (3+0)
MIN F443 Principles and Applications of Industrial Explosives
3 Credits
Types and properties of industrial explosives; systems of initiation; theories of blasting; designs of open pit bench blasting; designs of underground blasting/rounds; applications in mining, civil construction and other fields; blasting vibration, structural damage and their control; overbreak control; safe practices; safety regulations; blast hole drilling and drilling equipment. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: MIN F370 or permission of instructor. (3+0)
MIN F447 Placer Mining
3 Credits
Placer formation and identification, reserve estimation, mine and wash plant design. Includes surface and underground mining methods, equipment specification, environmental compliance and reclamation. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: MIN F301; MIN F313. (3+0)
MIN F454 Underground Mining Methods
3 Credits
Underground mining methods for coal and non-coal deposits. Includes design parameters, selection of mining methods, mine planning process, auxiliary operations and various underground mining methods. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: MIN F301; MIN F302; MIN F370. (3+0)
MIN F481 Computer-Aided Mine Design-TECHBASE
3 Credits Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
Familiarization with TECHBASE to store, manage, model and display exploration data. Includes creating a database; loading, editing and reporting data; calculating summary statistics; and constructing base and contour maps. Use of TECHBASE tools for two- and three- dimensional estimation methods, mine design and scheduling, production grade-tonnage curve using a range of cutoff grades and generation of outlines for pit design. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: Junior, senior or graduate standing in Mining Engineering, Geological Engineering, or permission of instructor. (2+3)
MIN F482 Computer-Aided Mine Design-VULCAN
3 Credits Offered Fall
Familiarization with VULCAN mine design software to store, manage, model and display exploration data. Estimate volume, tonnage and quality of reserve, design declines and development drives in underground and surface coal and hardrock mines, design underground and surface coal mine plans and design of underground stopes, perform underground and surface grade control. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: Junior, senior or graduate standing in Mining Engineering, Geological Engineering, or permission of instructor. (Stacked with MIN F682.) (2+3)
MIN F484 Surface Mining Methods
2 Credits
Modern methods of surface mine design. Strip and open pit optimization techniques. Production planning and scheduling. Use of mine design software. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: Senior standing, concurrent enrollment in MIN F409 or permission of instructor. (2+0)
MIN F485 Mining Engineering Exit Exam
0 Credits
Exam is designed to evaluate overall performance as mining engineering graduates. Covers various topics that students have learned in the field of mining engineering and related fields. Graded Pass/Fail. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: Senior standing in mining engineering. (0+0)
MIN F489 Mining Design Project I
1 Credit Offered Fall
This course is a pre-cursor to MIN F490. The student is expected to meet with the instructor to finalize the senior design project topic, lay out a project plan, gather data and prepare as necessary for the successful execution of the project in MIN F490. Note: Both MIN F489 and MIN F490 must be completed to fulfill the writing intensive requirement. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: ENGL F111X; ENGL F211X or ENGL F213X or permission of instructor; MIN F301; MIN F302; MIN F370. (1+0)
MIN F490W Mining Design Project II
2 Credits Offered Spring
Design of mine layout including extraction and beneficiation, and economic evaluation of a mining project. A comprehensive written report of the design and analysis is required. Note: Both MIN F489 and MIN F490 must be completed to fulfill the writing intensive requirement. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: ENGL F111X; ENGL F211X or ENGL F213X or permission of instructor; MIN F301; MIN F302; MIN F370; MIN F454; MIN F489. (1+4)
MIN F601 Application of Artificial Neural Networks
3 Credits
Basic neural network architectures, including rules, training methods and practical applications. Training and application issues typical of earth sciences problems. Some topics require mathematical analysis. Genetic algorithms and use of network ensembles will be briefly presented. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: Graduate standing in engineering; programming ability; knowledge of MATLAB, a plus. Recommended: MATH F202X, MATH F314; MIN F408; MIN F635. (3+0)
MIN F621 Advanced Mineral Economics
3 Credits
Economics of mineral exploitation and use. International trade, state and federal policies; financial control, and research methods. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: Admission by arrangement. (3+0)
MIN F631 Research Methods in Mineral Engineering
4 Credits
Research methods including problem definition and statement, designing experiments, collecting and interpreting data. Methods of theoretical and experimental analysis will be reviewed and examples given. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. (3+3)
MIN F635 Geostatistical Ore Reserve Estimation
3 Credits Offered Spring
Introduction to the theory and application of geostatistics. Review of classical statistics, continuous and discrete distributions, hypothesis testing and global estimation. Presentation of fundamental geostatistical concepts including: variogram, estimation variance, block variance, kriging, geostatistical simulation. Emphasis on the practical application of geostatistical techniques. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: MIN F408 or equivalent; graduate standing; or permission of instructor. (Cross-listed with GE F635.) (2+3)
MIN F637 Mine Systems Simulation
3 Credits
Application of computer simulation to the analysis of static and dynamic mine systems and the development of useful programs for mine operators. Design of simulation experiments in mining engineering. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: MIN F409 or equivalent; graduate standing. (2+3)
MIN F646 Mining Engineering in the Arctic
3 Credits
Mining engineering problems encountered in arctic conditions. Design and construction of mine openings in frozen ground, mechanical and thermal properties of rocks at subfreezing temperatures, fragmentation and excavation of frozen ground, surface mining problems in the arctic climate, equipment maintenance, mined-land reclamation and economic evaluation of mineral properties in arctic regions. Case studies also are presented. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. (3+0)
MIN F652 Numerical Methods in Mine Ventilation
3 Credits
Differencing schemes for the partial differential equations of flow in mine networks, typical boundary conditions for mine ventilation systems, computer-aided solution techniques. Application to flow of fluids through porous media is covered. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: MIN F302 or equivalent; graduate standing. (2+3)
MIN F670 Optimization Models in the Mineral Industry
3 Credits
Study of concepts and methods in analysis of systems involving single and multiple objectives, with applications to mining engineering and mine environmental systems. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: MIN F409 or equivalent, permission of instructor. (3+0)
MIN F673 Advanced Rock Mechanics
3 Credits
The study of theoretical and experimental methods in rock mechanics. State of stress and potential failure zone around two- and three-dimensional structures in rock based on theoretical, numerical and experimental techniques and failure criteria are presented. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: MIN F370 or equivalent or graduate standing. (2+3)
MIN F682 Computer-Aided Mine Design-VULCAN
3 Credits Offered Fall
Familiarization with VULCAN mine design software to store, manage, model and display exploration data. Estimate volume, tonnage and quality of reserve, design declines and development drives in underground coal and hardrock mines, design underground coal mine plans and design of underground stopes, perform underground grade control. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Mining Engineering or Geological Engineering; or permission of instructor. (Stacked with MIN F482.) (2+3)
MIN F688 Graduate Seminar I
1 Credit
Preparation and presentation of research outlines by graduate students and participation in regularly organized mineral engineering department seminars. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: Admission to graduate program. (Cross-listed with MPR F688.) (1+0)
MIN F689 Graduate Seminar II
1 Credit
Presentation of graduate research by graduate students and participation in regularly organized mineral engineering department seminars. Special fees apply. Prerequisites: Admission to graduate program. (1+0)