About the Certificate

The Mine Reclamation Certificate Program is designed to provide formalized education in mine reclamation. The program aims to equip students with skills that allow them to work as mine reclamation professionals and regulators on mine reclamation projects. The program is designed for engineers, geologists, and other scientists who find themselves working in mine reclamation without formal training.

Students admitted to this certificate program must take the four required courses (12 credit hours) outline in the curriculum section, and obtain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better to earn the certificate.

Curriculum

12 credit hours (four courses) required and must include at least two of the following courses:

MIN ENG 5742 Environmental Aspects of Mining Permitting: the legal environment of reclamation and environmental impact assessment; post-mining land-use selection and mine planning for optimum reclamation of all mines: metal, nonmetal, and coal; unit operations of reclamation: drainage, backfill, soil replacement, revegetation, maintenance, etc. Delivery: Main Campus & Online/Spring Semester

ENV ENG 5635 Phytoremediation and Natural Treatment Systems: Science and Design: Students learn the scientific basics of chemical transport in soil and groundwater and learn fundamental plant physiology and processes. Students then learn how these processes are utilized in design of phytoremediation and natural treatment systems, including the most up to date literature and design guidance available. Delivery: Main Campus & Online/Spring Semester

GEO ENG 5381 Intermediate Subsurface Hydrology and Contaminant Transport: A study of the physical/chemical properties of rocks and sediments in the subsurface environment. Emphasis is put on waterrock properties such as permeability, capillarity, and mechanical dispersion. Both microscopic and macroscopic approaches are used. Delivery: Main Campus & Online/Spring Semester

Select up to two more courses from the following courses:

ENV ENG 5630 Remediation of Contaminated Groundwater and Soil: Course covers current in-situ and ex-situ remediation technologies. Current literature and case studies are utilized to provide the focus for class discussions and projects. Delivery: Main Campus & Online/Summer Semester

ENV ENG 5640 Environmental Law and Regulations: This course provides comprehensive coverage of environmental laws and regulations dealing with air, water, wastewater, and other media. The primary focus is permitting, reporting, and
compliance protocols. The course topics include U.S. and international legal systems and judicial processes, liability, enforcement, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act (NPDES) permitting), Safe Drinking Water Act, OSGA, TSCA, RCRA, and CERCLA. Case studies will be emphasized. Delivery: Main Campus & Online/Spring Semester

ENV ENG 5642 Sustainability, Population, Energy, Water, and Materials: This course will examine the concepts regarding the continued advancement of humankind while maintaining our ecological niche on earth. Key topics include: population growth, poverty, and impacts of development; energy consumption, sources, storage, conservation and policy; water quality and quantity; materials and building; and policy implications. Delivery: Main Campus & Online/Fall Semester

GEO ENG 5235 Environmental Geological Engineering: Introduction to engineering geologic mapping for site selection for solid waste disposal facilities; landfill site selection, design, permitting, construction, operation, and closeout/reclamation. Delivery: Main Campus & Online/Fall Semester

GEO ENG 5331/5332 Fundamentals of Groundwater Hydrology: Focus on fundamental analysis and survey of groundwater hydrology with emphasis on practical geo-environmental and subsurface hydrology issues of interest to working professionals.
Topics will include general hydrology, surface and subsurface intercconnection, basic groundwater flow and well test analysis, and a brief intro to contaminant transport. Delivery: Main Campus & Online/Fall Semester

MIN ENG 6712 Managing Social and Environmental Risks in Mining (Intro to Responsible Mining): This course is an introduction to responsible mining. It focuses on industry and NGO programs around sustainability and reporting in mining, financial community response, community of interest engagement and participation, and safety and crisis response and management. Delivery: Main Campus & Online/Fall Semester

MIN ENG 6735 Sustainability in Mining: Sustainability defined: social, economic and environmental impacts. Mining as sustainable development interventions. Mine planning for sustainability, sustainability assessment and reporting, sustainable mine closure and post-mining land use. Delivery: Main Campus & Online/Fall Semester

The Mine Reclamation Certificate Program is open to all persons holding a B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. degree in Engineering, Science, and/or Mathematics, or are currently accepted into a graduate degree program at Missouri S&T. Once admitted to the program, the student must take the four designated courses (provided in the curriculum section). In order to receive a Graduate Certificate, the student must have an average cumulative grade point of 3.0 or better in the certificate courses. Once admitted to the program, a student will be given three years to complete the program.

Students admitted to the Mine Reclamation Certificate Program will have non-degree graduate status; however, they will earn graduate credit for the course they complete. If the student completes the four-course sequence with a grade of B or better in each of the courses taken, they, upon application, will be admitted to the M.S. degree program in mining engineering. The certificate credits taken by the students admitted to the M.S. degree program will count toward their master's degrees. Students who do not have all of the prerequisite courses necessary to begin the courses in the Mine Reclamation Certificate Program will be allowed to take ''bridge" courses at either the graduate or undergraduate level to prepare for the formal certificate courses.

Students applying for a graduate certificate must submit the following:

  • Completed Application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Transcripts

Online Application

  • When you start a new application, select "Graduate Online/Distance" and then select the certificate program.
  • Don't forget to list your current employer and company location on the application.
  • Statement of purpose should be 2-3 paragraphs explaining why you are applying for this program. 
  • Statement is to be submitted electronically on the online application; you'll copy and paste it into the provided text box.

Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for an admit decision. 

  • Upload your transcripts on the online application under your "Institutional Data." If you previously attended S&T, you must upload your transcript. An unofficial transcript can be requested through Joe’SS. How to Request Unofficial Transcripts (pdf)  
  • PDF scans are preferred.
  • The university requires official transcripts from all schools attended before a student may register for a second semester.
  • In order for a transcript to be counted as official it must be sent directly from the school to S&T, it cannot come from a student. 

Official transcripts should be mailed to Global Learning:

Missouri University of Science and Technology
Office of Global Learning
G8 Norwood Hall, 320 West 12th Street
Rolla, MO 65409

 

Pathway to a Master's Degree

Are you a working professional who wants to earn your master's degree, but you don’t have time to take the GRE/GMAT? Then start in a graduate certificate program. Graduate certificates were designed as a pathway to a master's degree.* The admission requirements are more relaxed and credit earned will count toward your degree. Once you successfully earn your graduate certificate, you can continue with the corresponding master's degree without having to take the GRE/GMAT.


Related Degrees

This graduate certificate may act as a pathway to the following master’s programs:

*Completion of a graduate certificate program does not automatically guarantee admission into a corresponding graduate degree program. To continue in a master’s degree program, you must apply.

Questions?

Contact Us

Missouri S&T Online Education

Sylvia Skouby, Associate Director for Online Admissions

Phone: 573-341-6903
Email: stgrad@mst.edu

Mining and Explosives Engineering

Kathleen German
Administrative Assistant
Phone: 573-341-4753
Email: kg2kv@mst.edu