Ph.D. in Mining Engineering

This course provides students with a practical understanding of the application of the fundamental principles governing the behavior of geo-materials (soil, soft and hard rock) in surface and underground mining environments. It covers: firstly a review of some fundaments of geomechanics; then basic and more advanced applications of geomechanics and finally discusses the implementation of computational tools including numerical modeling, artificial intelligence and data analytics in geomechanics.

Course learning outcomes
1. Recognize the major geotechnical applications and their significance within the mainstream mining systems and conditions.
2. Have a sound working knowledge of fundamental mechanisms and geotechnical principles within the context of practical mining applications.
3. Demonstrate the role and importance of these principles in a comprehensive range of mining applications, both from a technical perspective, and from the risk and operational management perspective.
4. Analyze data objectively using quantitative and mathematical methods.

A research plan is developed by the student in collaboration with the Program Advisor or Research Supervisor at the start of the semester outlining the research goals to be accomplished. At the end of the semester the student files a research report which is graded (P/F) by the Program Advisor or Research Mentor (when selected). The “in-progress” grade is submitted and maintained on the student’s transcript; credit is awarded on successful completion of thesis requirements.

Course learning outcomes
1. Prepare and design research framework.

Advanced Mining Systems is a high level discussion of mining systems in a Systems Engineering context. The course is focused on facilitating critical thinking in how various mining systems should be applied to challenging orebodies for safe and profitable extraction of such orebodies. The course will be started with an introduction to Systems Engineering and why systems thinking in mining engineering is critical. Further discussions will include design of unconventional pillars in room-and pillar mining, innovative approaches to the extraction thick and low grade orebodies and coal seams, application of block caving mining to inclined orebodies and super caves, longwall top coal caving (LTCC), transition from open pit to underground mining strategies, super pits, complex orebodies, strategies for mining in burst-prone ground conditions and at ultra-depths and high temperatures, recovery of remnant pillars and multi-seam and multiple lenses, extraction of ultra-narrow orebodies.

Course learning outcomes
1. Undertake tasks on the design of complex orebodies for their safe and economic extraction.
2. Apply mining systems/methods selecting and designing a mine.
3. Apply critical thinking to optimize the extraction of difficult orebodies.
4. Demonstrate their familiarity with state of the art mining systems and the options often available to them in the decision making process.

This course will help PhD students to become more familiar with the literature of the research direction and research topic they choose as their PhD thesis. Main outcomes in the field, research methodology, and gaps in the literature will be studied and analyzed by each PhD student. This course will help students to prepare their research proposal. Each student will work under the supervision of an expert faculty in the research area of the student. At the end of the course, a report will be submitted by the student to the supervising faculty. 

Course learning outcomes
1. Evaluate and critique existing research sources and materials in their field.
2. Construct a coherent literature review organized in themes and appropriate sub-topics.
3. Articulate a clear and focused research question.
4. Present a well-argued rationale for the selection of a particular methodology or a combination of methods.

The “Doctoral Thesis” course fulfills the four-year research/thesis work of the student. A research plan developed by the student in collaboration with the Program Advisor or Research Supervisor at the start of the studies should be accomplished by the end of the semester. Within the end of the course, the student will be expected to be able to: 1. defend his/her Doctoral Thesis topic; 2. show designed and conducted original research project; 3. Prove the developed skills in designing a discipline-specific research methodology. By the end of the successful defense, a student will be awarded a Doctoral degree.

Course learning outcomes
1. Discover and pursue a unique topic of research in order to construct new knowledge.
2. Design and conduct an original research project.
3. Develop skills in designing a discipline specific research methodology.
4. Develop a working knowledge of relevant literature in the thesis discipline.
5. Practice academic writing appropriate to the discipline and learn how to participate in the peer review process.
6. Plan research activities.
7. Prepare accurate research progress reports.
8. Discuss research and other topics with academics in the thesis discipline.