Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mining)

Mining Engineering studies the safe, economic and environmentally responsible recovery, processing, marketing and financial management of mineral resources. Mining Engineering is about the extraction of natural minerals from the earth and the processing of those minerals into more user-friendly forms with minimal environmental impact.

At UNSW, we focus on the long-term health of the sector through research in Sustainable Mining Practices. Our school produces internationally acclaimed research, working closely with industry to provide innovative solutions. This research feeds directly into our degrees to maintain the Australian mining industry’s comparative advantage of cost-competitive, safe and environmentally responsible operations.

This degree provides a comprehensive understanding of how complex mining systems work together to service the global need for minerals. It will give you a solid foundation in fundamental engineering principles and essential elements of mining, like geomechanics, ventilation, mine planning and mineral processing. To get you work ready, you'll apply these skills through 60 days of approved industry training.

A Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mining) at UNSW is a four-year, full-time degree that welcomes domestic and international students. 

The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mining) degree is globally recognised and is accredited by Engineers Australia and acknowledged by the Washington Accord. This undergraduate degree is also recognised by the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM).   

Electives in this degree include:

• Ecology, Sustainability and Environmental Science

• Grand Challenges for Engineering

• Fundamentals of Geology

• Mineral Resources Engineering

• Advanced Mine Ventilation

• Reservoir Engineering

• Surface Mining Systems

Part of the degree involves applying your skills through 60 days of approved industrial training in Australia or overseas. Your industrial training will give you a taste of a real-world professional engineering setting and the hands-on experience to become career-ready. 

You can complete a Flexible First Year when you study this degree. Flexible First Year allows you to explore different engineering fields before choosing your specialisation. The first year of engineering study has a core of common subjects, plus a wide choice of electives, so you can figure out which one is right for you.

The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mining) is taught by the UNSW School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, a leading provider of world-class education and research in mining engineering. We’re ranked 1st In Australia and 3rd in the world for Mineral & Mining Engineering according to QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024.

UNSW is known for its graduate employability, with UNSW awarded the Most Employable Students Award in the AFR Top100 Future Leaders Awards for 5 consecutive years (2020-2024).*

With state-of-the-art facilities, world-class researchers and some of the brightest engineering students from across the world, we’re a great place to start your mining engineering career journey. You’ll have access to leading technology such as our Virtual Reality (VR) Simulator. Developed for student use and industry training, our simulator has floor-to-ceiling screens and casts 360-degree, 3D images with cinematic clarity. 

You’ll experience realistic underground mines and scenarios that go beyond traditional education into experiential learning. The VR Simulator offers a range of modules from open cut to underground, which is used across all mining sectors. 

Take part in interactive learning through the ChallEng program. The ChallENG program connects students, academics and companies to exciting, real-world projects and learning-based initiatives. The program will prepare you for your future career by helping develop technical and design skills and expanding your professional expertise.

This degree includes 60 days Industrial Training which provides a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) experience. WIL allows you to engage in work learning experiences that integrate academic learning with its application in the workplace, connecting you directly with industry and community partners.

^{*AFR Top100 Future Leaders 2024}