Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details
Backed by an unparalleled reputation for expertise and innovation in mineral extraction, mineral processing and environmental protection, the graduate program in Mining Engineering has two types of students in mind:
In order to best meet the needs of these two groups, the program encourages interaction between universities in North America and other countries. In many cases, this collaborative outlook leads to joint research projects and student exchanges.
In keeping with the collaborative approach of the NBK Institute of Mining Engineering, one of the Department’s greatest strengths lies in its ties with Canada’s mining industry.
Most of our students have opportunities for industry employment and participation in research activity at working mines. This hands-on approach helps our students develop practical skills and gain exposure to valuable case histories. Also, many of our faculty members are active within industry through consulting activities and involvement in professional societies relating to mining.
The department provides opportunities for interdisciplinary work on social, economic as well as engineering research. Other advantages are international research and travel opportunities and connections to CIRDI. Vancouver is a centre for Mining Activity in Canada with its abundance of junior mining companies, finance for mining companies, and law for mining companies.
The end result is an innovative, industry-responsive and internationally recognized graduate program of the highest caliber.
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:
Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.
Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.
Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:
Overall score requirement: 90
Reading
22
Writing
21
Speaking
21
Listening
22
Overall score requirement: 6.5
Reading
6.0
Writing
6.0
Speaking
6.0
Listening
6.0
Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:
The GRE is not required.
All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.
A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.
Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.
All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.
1. Mining (mine ventilation and mine services, simulation and optimization, mining operations research, rock mechanics and geotechnics, mine valuation and production economics) 2. Mineral Processing (process control, modelling, simulation and optimization, fine particle technology, surface chemistry of flotation, plant design and economics, coal preparation technology) 3. Social-economic aspects and sustainability (mine waste management, environmental aspects of mining)
Our facilities are specifically designed to ensure that our faculty, staff and students are prepared to meet the demands on the mining industry. Our instructional building, the Frank Forward building and our research facility, the Coal & Mineral Processing Laboratory, are fully equipped to provide a positive research and educational framework. Much of the equipment has been obtained through the generosity of donors and the initiative of faculty who seek out and obtain research grants. As a result, the UBC Department of Mining Engineering is able to maintain its’ reputation for producing first rate mining engineers and research. In 2003 we underwent a major renovation that gave us a state-of-the-art classroom, a larger conference room, and a redesigned main office that includes more work space, quiet nooks, and a coffee room.
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $114.00 | $168.25 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $1,838.57 | $3,230.06 |
| Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,515.71 | $9,690.18 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | $3,200.00 (-) | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $1,116.60 (approx.) | |
| Costs of living | Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies. | |
Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.
Some types of financial assistance are available for the winter session and may be supplemented by summer research and/or teaching assistantships to the registered students.
Financial support for non-Canadian students is limited and high academic standings are required to obtain support [Grade Point Averages exceeding 3.7 (maximum 4)].
We suggest that you have financial support to finance at least the first year of studies. In the event that a sponsor is willing to provide you with financial support, we will require a letter from him/her noting the amount of financial aid available and its duration.
We regret that we cannot process your application without this document. The department will not be responsible for foreign students’ financial.
The University of British Columbia may offer a Partial Tuition Scholarship up to $3,200 each year.
From September 2024 all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $24,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.
All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.
Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.
Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union.
Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.
Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.
All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.
Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.
The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.
International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.
A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.
Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.
Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.
Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.
Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.
31 students graduated between 2005 and 2013: 1 is in a non-salaried situation; for 6 we have no data (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016). For the remaining 24 graduates:
These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 11 | 13 | 17 | 11 | 22 |
| Offers | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 10 |
| New Registrations | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 10 |
| Total Enrolment | 35 | 41 | 39 | 39 | 40 |
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.
This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Dr. Li studied the overall segregation and settling behavior of mine tailings suspension, illustrating various settling modes and revealing the mechanisms behind particle segregation in the sedimentation process. His findings can assist mining industries in developing advanced techniques for tailings dewatering. |
| 2023 | Dr. Kalantari proposed a heat recovery system for mine intake air heating. Conducting experimental and numerical studies he has proven that implementation of the proposed heat recovery system results in significant carbon footprint reduction and energy cost savings. |
| 2023 | Dr. Torkaman studied eco-conscious gold extraction for artisanal mining, aiming for cleaner, more efficient methods and a mercury-free future. Her work offers site-specific, cost-effective alternatives that can reshape the industry, benefit miners, and safeguard the environment. |
| 2023 | Dr. Kuppusamy developed a process of extracting rare earth elements from waste material. These elements are essential for the manufacturing of EV motors & wind turbines and are critical for the transition to green energy-economy. Because of Dr. Kuppusamy's work, these elements can be co-produced from BC coal deposits in a sustainable manner. |
| 2023 | Dr. Seiler developed novel flotation conditions for the selective separation of a nickel mineral, named awaruite, from ultramafic rocks. Awaruite deposits are a promising nickel feedstock to support the transformation to clean low carbon technologies. His research contributes to the development of awaruite deposits into nickel mines. |
| 2023 | Dr. Kuyuk investigated cooling systems used in deep underground mines. His research offered renewable alternatives to energy-intensive conventional approaches. He also explored numerical and experimental methods to model these systems for better performance. His work has implications that will advance and improve current mine cooling practices. |
| 2023 | Dr. Xie studied the geochemical processes in the rhizosphere during the successful establishment of phytostabilization at sulfidic mine tailings. This work reveals the role of soil acidification and neutralization affecting the metal mobility for the phytostabilization, and how amendments can be combined to increase neutralization capacity and enhance the metal stabilization. |
| 2023 | Dewatering of slurries and sludge is a critical industrial process. Dr. MacIver's research developed an approach to analyzing 3D X-ray images of flocs and sediments to provide new insights into how floc structure and composition change during the dewatering proces. |
| 2022 | Dr. Castillo Devoto designed a novel framework to assess climate risk in the mining industry. With a holistic sense of climate hazards, vulnerabilities, and exposures in the watershed, the framework supports land restoration design with ecosystem-based adaptation strategies, coping with climate change and contributing to sustainable development. |
| 2021 | Dr. Rice explored risk and decision analysis in mining capital projects, showing how an adaptive approach to risk response can improve risk management outcomes. This research demonstrates that flexible and adaptive approaches can be used to manage risks characterized by high uncertainty in mining project development. |
Mining Engineering offers opportunity for study in the fields of mining and mineral processing, including mine environment and coal preparation. Areas of research interest are:
Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.
Take a break from studying with opportunities at your fingertips. Whether you want to settle down in a café or take your research outdoors, we have a place for you.
