Natural resources are omnipresent – from civil engineering to optical fibres

Mineral resources are the basis of modern industrial society. The demand is constantly rising. The exploitation of mineral resources as well as their processing and subsequent treatment to building materials, metallic materials, refractory materials, ceramics and glass, for instance, are interesting challenges. The subsurface construction projects for an improvement of infrastructure (traffic, energy, supply and disposal...), especially in congested urban areas, are also of great importance.

Undergraduate program:

The undergraduate program Mineral Resources Engineering has a foreseen time span of 7 semesters and imparts efficient education in the fundamentals of natural sciences during the first 4 semesters. The next 3 semesters provide skills in the engineering basics of mining, mineral processing, building materials and ceramics and tunnelling.

Graduate program:

Having completed the undergraduate program students can continue their studies in the subsequent graduate programs Mining and Tunnelling and Raw Materials Engineering with different areas of concentration. The graduate program contain two semesters of specific lectures and a third semester for writing the diploma thesis.

Mining & Tunnelling

This graduate program offers a technical-scientific education in one of the following areas of concentration:

Mining:

Mining focuses mainly on surface and subsurface extraction of mineral resources, on mineral industry, land restoration after mining, and management of raw material projects.
Geotechnics and Tunnelling focuses on subsurface construction methods, the planning and implementation of tunnelling projects and also on construction project management. Surveying as well as geotechnical monitoring and analysis are an indispensable part of efficient and safe construction processes.
Raw Materials and Energy Systems focuses on the extraction of energy resources and the usage of energy, the production and supply. This area of concentration is a double degree program together with École Nationale Superieure des Mines de Paris.

Raw Materials Engineering

This graduate program offers a technical-scientific education in one of the following areas of concentration:

Mineral Processing focuses on the processing of mineral and secondary resources into merchantable products by using physical and chemical processes including comminution, sizing, separation processes, dewatering, dedusting, agglomeration and leaching.
Building Materials and Ceramics offers comprehensive education in the field of building materials, glass and ceramics (including refractory materials). Education focuses on the production, application, testing, and quality assurance of those materials.
Mineral Processing and Energy Systems focuses on the processing of energy resources and the usage of energy, the production and supply. This area of concentration is a double degree program together with École Nationale Superieure des Mines de Paris.

Typical fields of activities

The fundamentals in the field of engineering sciences, business administration and economics, as well as parts of jurisprudence open up a broad field of activities to the graduates. They work as executive engineers for mineral production industry, construction companies, supervisory authorities, suppliers, consulting engineers, public services, in research and development, marketing and controlling, or as self-employed engineers.

Infobox

Possible degrees: BSc., Dipl.-Ing./MSc., Dr.mont.

Duration: 7 semester undergraduate program, 3 semester graduate program, 6 semester PhD-program

Focus: mining, tunnelling, surveying, mineral processing, building materials and ceramics

Contact: Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.mont. Helmut Flachberger

E-Mail: birgit.knoll@unileoben.ac.at

Website: http://www.unileoben.ac.at/riw

Phone: +43 (0) 3842/402-6604