Department Overview
Mining Engineering Department offers a number of programmes which include Diploma in Mining Engineering, Diploma in Mine Ventilation, Small Scale Mining, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Mining Engineering. The Bachelor of Engineering in Mining Engineering was introduced in 2001. The Department, through the School of Graduate Studies, also offers postgraduate programmes both by taught and research work. These include MSc (Mine Planning and Design), MSc (Rock Mechanics), MSc (Mining), MPhil (Mine Planning and Design), MPhil (Rock Mechanics), MPhil (Mining) and PhD (Mining Engineering).
Tailor made courses in mining related subjects such as drilling and blasting techniques, mine planning & design, rock mechanics, mine geotechnical engineering, occupational health and safety, mine safety health and environment (MSHE), ventilation monitoring at work places, dust and noise monitoring, mine management, equipment and production scheduling, etc. Programmes Offered
Our Mission
Objectives
The programmes have been designed to:
- Train mining engineering professionals in order to address the current and future labour shortages and technological requirements by the mining industry and other related industries.
- Develop a pool of teaching staff and researchers not only for the Mining Engineering Department at Copperbelt University but also for other universities and colleges in the country and beyond.
- Offer tailor made courses in mining related subjects such as drilling and blasting techniques, mine planning and design, rock mechanics, mine geotechnical engineering, open pit slope design, small scale mining, Quarrying, mine safety health and environment (MSHE), ventilation monitoring at work places, mineral project evaluations, etc.
The Role of Mining to Society
Mining is the process of extracting minerals (metallic or non-metallic) from the earth’s crust. The mining industry forms the backbone of all industries world over. Unbelievable as it may be, most of the raw ingredients (other than agricultural products) used in our everyday lives come from mining. Think of the salt on your dinner table, the equipment used to shape your tooth picks for your dinner table, or the equipment that a carpenter uses for your furniture in your home, what about the hoe or axe needed by a farmer, the gold circuits in your computer, the metal frame of your automobile and even the road itself, the silver chain around your neck and the filament in your electric bulb!
As people strive to improve their standards of living, there is also a growing demand for different kinds of minerals required to meet this need. In a quest to meet the demand for different kinds of mineral products, one has to decide on the value of the mineral deposit and how best it can be mined. This noble cause is achieved by applying both scientific and engineering knowledge in the planning, design and operation of mines for the extraction of the respective minerals from the earth’s crust. Driven by the demand for minerals is also the demand for specialised mining engineers to operate mining operations. The Mining Engineering Department thus produces mining engineers, mining technologists and mine ventilation officers capable of planning, designing, operating and managing mining operations from commissioning to closure.
Career opportunities
Mining Engineering graduates work in different and exciting workplaces – not only in underground and surface mines but in other related industries such as oil marketing companies, construction companies and mining equipment manufacturing and selling companies. Others do find themselves running their own consultancy businesses.
Entry requirements
The general requirements are five GCE ‘O’ Level credits or better in the Zambian School Certification or its equivalent as follows: A Pass in English Language plus;
| Schedule A | Schedule B | Schedule C |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics Physics Chemistry | Physical Science Biology Sciences | Additional Maths Technical Drawing Metal/Wood Works Geography History |
Research Areas and Consultancy
The Mining Engineering Department has an established expertise which includes the following areas of research interest
- Mine method selection
- Slope stability
- Soil sampling and Bio-monitoring
- Geotechnical Rock Core Testing
- Mine Ventilation systems
- Environmental Management
- Asbestos sampling and analysis
- Small Scale mining
- Mine Taxation modelling