Careers in Mining Engineering

Mining engineering, also referred as mineral engineering, is a branch of engineering that deals with the study of the application, techniques to extract and process minerals from their natural surroundings. A mining engineer has to study various aspects related to the process of mining, such as drilling, blasting, mine ventilation, materials handling, mine cost engineering, rock mechanics, ore reserve analysis, operations analysis, mine health and safety, and mine planning. The mining engineer also needs to have thorough knowledge of proper utilization of equipments. He/she should be able to manage procedure followed in underground and opencast coal or ore mining. The job also includes the formulation of proper plan and design to extract resources safely from under the earth.

Course Details
Many engineering colleges in India offer undergraduate as well as postgraduate level course in the field of mining engineering. Requirement for under graduate program is 10+2 in science stream and minimum eligibility for post graduate program is a Bachelor’s degree in mining engineering. The curriculum of the program is designed such a way that it covers various phases of mining engineering, metallurgy and geology.

Career Prospects
A person who has pursued course in the field of mining engineering can be employed in various departments of the mining industry, including engineering, operations, sales and management. Mines, Minerals Development Corporation and Mining Department of Union and State Government are always in need of skilled mining engineers. One can even work as mining manager, mine designer, rock engineering, mining economics, geology project design or consulting engineer. Mining engineers can also opt to work with geologists in order to explore and assess new ore deposits or conduct research to create new and effective mining procedures and techniques.

Top Colleges Offering UG/PG/Other Courses
With the increasing opportunities in the field of mining engineering, numerous institutions all over India have come up with specialized programs in the field. Some of the prominent institutions are Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad (Jharkhand), Government Engineering College, (Gujarat), Regional Engineering College, (Haryana), IIT Delhi, (New Delhi), Bokaro Institute of Technology, (Jharkhand), Golden Valley Institute of Technology, (Karnataka), RD Kamala Nehru Engineering College, (Maharashtra), Orissa School of Mines, (Orissa), MBM Engineering College, (Rajasthan), Bengal Engineering College, (West Bengal), Chandrapur Engineering College, (Maharashtra), IIT Roorkee, (Uttaranchal), MG Institute of Technology, (Andhra Pradesh) and Vinoba Bhave Institute of Technology, (Bihar).

Remuneration
Remuneration is made as per the knowledge, skills and experience of the aspirants. A beginner can earn up to Rs. 20000-Rs25000 per month. A person with higher qualification degree or two to three years of experience can expect higher salary.