About the Department | Mining Engineering | SIU

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Mining and Mineral Resources Engineering

College of Engineering

minerals

About The Department

The Department is one of the five departments in the College of Engineering and presently offers a B.S. in Mining Engineering, M.S. in Mining Engineering, and Ph.D. in Engineering Science degrees.

The undergraduate program is the only accredited Mining Engineering program offered in Illinois. The undergraduate curriculum is very strong in the fundamentals of science and engineering and emphasizes coal mining and the aggregates industry. The undergraduate and graduate programs, because of strong departmental research emphasis, have special strengths in rock mechanics and ground control, coal processing, surface coal mining, environmental problems related to mining and processing, and systems analysis with recent increasing emphasis on management (disposal/utilization) of coal combustion by-products.  Currently, the Department has more than 50 undergraduate and graduate students specializing in various disciplines. More information about the degrees can be found on the Undergraduate Programs and Graduate Programs pages.

Each year, the Department awards more than $75,000 in continuing and endowed scholarships with the help from industries and other agencies.  For transfer students entering the program with a cumulative GPA above 3.4, the College of Engineering normally provides a $1,000 scholarship and the Department provides another $1,000 scholarship.  For transfer students with a cumulative GPA from 3.0 to 3.4, the Department typically provides a $1,000 scholarship.

The Department has five well qualified faculty members and twelve staff members primarily engaged in research.  The Department manages about $1,000,000 in external research funding annually.  The research focuses on overcoming technical problems relating to the production and utilization of coal from the surrounding coal basin, such as sulfur content of typical Illinois coals, subsidence of undermined lands, utilization of coal combustion by-products such as fly ash, bottom ash, scrubber sludge, etc.  The research activities of the faculty ensure that students are taught current, state-of-the-art mining engineering, science, and design.  An Industrial Leadership Board and alumni group provide guidance to the Department and its mission of teaching, research, and service.

Most of the research projects are externally funded by industry, federal or state agencies. The Department has well equipped laboratories in the areas of geo-mechanics, mine ventilation, gas flow characterization, mining environment, coal and mineral processing covering over 9,000 sq. ft. of space in campus. In addition, the Department faculties and graduate students get to use a unique pilot-scale research facility out campus, which provides over 17,000 sq. ft of well equipped high-bay space. The laboratories and pilot-scale research facilities are used for undergraduate and graduate instruction, as well as, research.  The faculties and students also have access to one of the nation's finest libraries (Morris Library) which houses over 1.6 million volumes and subscribes to 14,800 current periodicals. The library also provides direct access to the other libraries in the State of Illinois, as well as Internet access to libraries and other resources throughout the world.