Mining Engineering and Management MS

The Master of Science degree in Mining Engineering and Management (MEM) is a flexible, user friendly, and affordable online master’s program that allows participants to maintain employment while advancing their knowledge and skills. Program coursework is designed with industry input and provides students with essential technical and management skills required by professionals in the industry today.

Students can enter the program at any one of the three semesters during the year, and choose core classes and electives to match their individual interests and career goals. You can take classes face-to-face, streamed live, or watch the recorded class when it works with your schedule.

Program Overview

Designed to meet the growing need for mining engineers, this program offers advanced study with emphasis in either management-oriented or technically-oriented disciplines for professionals in mining, mine management or underground construction.

The technical track emphasizes applied geomechanics, advanced rock mechanics, rock slope stability, tunneling, advanced mine ventilation, advanced geostatistics, and mine planning.

The management track focuses on mining engineering management, mineral economics and finance, mining business management and general mining engineering.

Accreditation

The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is accredited by the regional Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).

Tuition

The Mining Engineering and Management MS requires 32 credits. Click here for current costs.

Admission Requirements

Completed graduate application form
$35 application fee
Official transcript of prior academic work, sent directly to SD Mines by the issuing institution, showing the undergraduate degree awarded
1 page statement of purpose, describing your goals in the program
3 letters of recommendation
Official GRE scores (can be waived for online students with significant work experience)
Additional requirements exist for international students, including a third party foreign transcript evaluation and evidence of English proficiency

The mining engineering coursework is geared primarily toward the working professional in the mining industry who requires distance delivery of the courses, although students can be admitted to the on-campus program. In either case, the student should have completed an appropriate undergraduate engineering degree, and for those holding a non-mining engineering undergraduate degree the applicant should have significant experience in the mining or underground construction industry. Additionally, an undergraduate course in probability and statistics is highly recommended.

Mining Engineering & Management Program Requirements

The student selects one of two tracks, 1. technical or 2. management. The 32 credit hour non-thesis Master of Science in Mining Engineering includes 9 core credit hours in the select track (3 courses), 21 credit hours of elective courses, and 2 credit hours of Seminar (MEM 790).

Technical Track Course List

MEM 520: Advanced Tunneling and Underground Excavation
MEM 525: Advanced Rock Mechanics
MEM 533: Advanced Mine Planning & Design
MEM 540: Advanced Mine Ventilation and Environmental Engineering
MEM 545: Advanced Geostatistics and Grade Estimations
MEM 550: Rock Slope Engineering
MEM 580: Advanced Explosives and Blasting
MEM 650: Mine Systems Optimization

Management Track Course List

MEM 510: Advanced Mineral Economics for Managers
MEM 530: Resource Industry Mergers and Acquisitions
MEM 535: Resource Industry Finance and Accounting
MEM 560: Advanced Human Capital Management for the Mineral Industry
MEM 610: Topics in Mineral Economics, Sustainability, and Mine Regulation
MEM 620: Reputation Management for the Mineral Industry
MEM 630: Mining Law and Environment
MEM 640: Advanced Mine Management
MEM 660: Mediation and Negotiation for the Mineral Industry

Management Track Course List

Elective courses consist of additional MEM courses from either track along with courses offered in Engineering Management or Construction Engineering and Management Program.

pdf icon 35px Program Summary

Offered through the SD Mines Department of Mining Engineering and Management.
For more information, contact Dr. PT Tukkaraja, Graduate Program Coordinator of the Mining and Engineering Management Department: (605) 394-1267 or Purushotham.Tukkaraja@sdsmt.edu.

For admissions questions, contact the Office of Graduate Education: (605) 355-3468 or email Graduate.Admissions@sdsmt.edu.

Recognized in the Top Ten Nationally

SD Mines online engineering programs were ranked #1 in 2015 by bestmastersprograms.org and #7 for 2016 in the Value Colleges ranking. SD Mines online is listed as one of 2019's most affordable online colleges by onlineu.