Mining Engineering & Management
Video
Mining engineers power modern life, providing materials for everything from smartphones to skyscrapers, and students in the Department of Mining Engineering & Management at South Dakota Mines learn to energize the world through innovation, technology, and real-world experience.
As one of only 14 in the nation, Mines' Mining Engineering program combines cutting-edge automation and technology with hands-on training. Students operate industry-grade equipment, work with professional mine rescue teams, and gain experience at sites like the Sanford Underground Research Facility, where they survey more than a mile underground.
With 100% job placement and starting salaries averaging $84,800, graduates are in high demand by global companies such as Kiewit, Cargill, and Freeport-McMoRan. Our program prepares students to lead in industries spanning automotive, energy, and aerospace, while advancing the sustainability of the mining industry.
Department Overview
Students in the Department of Mining Engineering & Management gain practical experience both in and out of the classroom. Through team competitions and student chapters associated with national societies, they develop technical and leadership skills while connecting with industry professionals. These groups provide opportunities for live mine rescue drills, international competitions, and hands-on training that prepare future mining engineers for real-world challenges.
The Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) is a national organization representing companies and individuals in mining, metallurgy, and exploration.
Student Organization: SME/Drill & Crucible
Email: SME@mines.sdsmt.edu
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Dr. Andrea Brickey (Andrea.Brickey@sdsmt.edu)
National Society: www.smenet.org
The International Society of Explosives Engineers (ISEE) was formed in 1974 as a professional society dedicated to promoting the safety, security, and controlled use of explosives in mining, construction, aerospace, avalanche control, special effects, seismology, law enforcement, and many other peaceful uses of explosives. With more than 4,600 members from 90 countries, the society is recognized as a global leader in providing expertise in explosives technology, education, and information, as well as promoting public understanding of the benefits of explosives. In addition, ISEE - with individual members acting as resources - has consistently been at the forefront of efforts to address legislation and regulation on the use of explosives at the international, federal, and state levels.
Email: ISEE@mines.sdsmt.edu
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Dr. Purushotham Tukkaraja (PT@sdsmt.edu)
Mines' Mining & Mucking teams consistently shine on the international stage – placing at or near the top of their respective divisions at the annual International Collegiate Mining Competition. The competition originated as a way to honor the lives of miners who died in the 1972 Sunshine Mine fire in Idaho, build camaraderie among mining students, and preserve old-fashioned mining methods.
The competition is made up of seven events:
- Jackleg: drilling into a vertical rock or concrete face using a pneumatic jackleg drill
- Handsteel: drilling a hole or holes into a 36″ thick block of concrete using a four-pound sledgehammer and a 7/8-inch-wide steel chisel
- Survey: reporting coordinates using an old-fashioned vernier transit, a plumb bob, and a 50-meter steel tape
- Gold Pan: panning five BBs from a one-pound coffee can of dirt and rock
- Swede Saw: sawing through a 6x6-inch piece of pine timber with a 36-inch bow saw
- Trackstand: setting up and tearing down a five-meter section of track, including sleepers, rail, connecting plates, and bolts
- Mucking: pushing an empty ore cart down a 75-foot section of track, down and back, then shoveling "muck" (rock, clay, sand, and mud) into the cart until full, then pushing the ore cart down and back again
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Dr. Ivy Allard (Ivy.Allard@sdsmt.edu)
Founded in 2013, the Mine Safety & Rescue group at South Dakota Mines trains off-site at a mine rescue chamber housed in partnership with industry leaders RESPEC and the Sanford Underground Research Facility rescue team in Lead, SD.
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Mr. Mark Bowron (Mark.Bowron@sdsmt.edu)
Have more questions?
Dr. Robert Hall