2025-2026 Academic Catalog
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
The Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering offers an engineering program containing aspects of mineral science, engineering, and technology that is professionally related to the minerals industry. Graduates of this program find domestic and international employment opportunities with hardrock, coal, industrial minerals, and construction aggregates producers, as well as with government agencies and equipment vendors.
The mission of the department is to produce high quality, rigorously trained mining engineers, whose background and education reflect the current level of technology and thought of the profession, and who can enter directly into engineering practice or, alternatively, graduate school for further study.
The Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering (BSMNE) degree program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Mining and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.
The goal of the BSMNE program is to prepare alumni within a few years of completing their degree to posses:
Upon completion of the undergraduate program curriculum in Mining Engineering, students will attain the following outcomes:
The mining engineering curriculum utilizes the basic and engineering sciences to develop the various areas of activity of the mining engineer: mineral exploration, evaluation, development, extraction, mineral processing, conservation, protection of the environment, and mineral economics. Course work in these areas provides a unique background for engineering and management positions in industry and government, as well as for continuation of specialized graduate studies.
Intrinsic to the curriculum is the development of a meaningful, major engineering design experience that builds upon the fundamental concepts of mathematics, basic sciences, the humanities and social sciences, engineering topics, and communication skills. This design experience is stressed within the major and grows with the development and progression of the student. Ethical, social, safety, economic, and environmental considerations are emphasized in the design experience throughout many courses, including the capstone senior design course. Finally, the major engineering design experience is a focal point of the mining engineering curriculum and is consistent with the objectives and goals of the program.
The program has an emphasis on the application of computers to mining and minerals processing operations. Furthermore, it exposes students to laboratory courses which focus on conducting experiments, understanding the principles involved in each experiment, and analyzing and interpreting experimental data. Information on the mission, goals, and curriculum of the program is continuously updated on the departmental website.
The Cooperative Education Program, as well as opportunities for financial support in the form of scholarships, loans, awards, and summer employment, are available to undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate programs are available leading to the M.S., M. Eng., and Ph.D.
Head: A. Noble
University Distinguished Professor and Nicholas T. Camicia Professor: R.H. Yoon
Stonie Barker Professor: E.A. Sarver
Professor: A. Noble and E.C. Westman
Associate Professors: B. Nojabaei, N. Ripepi, and W. Zhang
Assistant Professors: R. Pandey
Professor of Practice: R. Bishop
Affiliated Faculty: R. Pollyea
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