Mining Engineering in South Africa: Best Programmes Available


Thursday, 03 September 2020

Mining Engineering helps the world find many basic materials used in everyday life. The houses we live in and the cars we drive are made of materials that were mined. As you can see, Mining Engineering is very important in that it makes our lives more comfortable. If you are interested in studying Mining Engineering, the University of the Witwatersrand offers 3 top programmes, including a bachelor’s, a master’s, and a doctoral degree.



What is Mining Engineering in charge of?


Mining Engineering has to do with extracting materials from the earth safely, responsibly, and efficiently. The process of extracting materials has many different parts, and there are many tasks mining engineers perform to get the end result. It’s not just about extracting.

Mining Engineer work is associated with many other disciplines: mineral processing, exploration, excavation, geology, metallurgy, geotechnical engineering and surveying. A mining engineer may manage any phase of mining operations, from exploration and discovery of the mineral resources, through feasibility study, mine design, development of plans, production and operations to mine closure.

The downside to Mining Engineering: Pollution. The process of mineral extraction causes some amount of waste and uneconomic materials. These are the main source of pollution in the vicinity of mines. 

For this reason, a Mining Engineer’s job is not only to be concerned with the production and processing of mineral commodities, but also to make sure the damage to the environment is mitigated both during and after mining. 

Industries in charge of mining go through stringent laws to control the pollution and damage caused to the environment and are periodically governed by the concerned departments.

Why study Mining Engineering?


There are many reasons why you should pursue a degree in Mining Engineering, including: 

  1. Top education: The programmes offered by the University of the Witwatersrand have been recognized for their quality and for preparing students to face the challenges that the profession entails. The University of the Witwatersrand is committed to provide the best education to their students. This will allow them to examine problems in later life from different perspectives and arrive at effective solutions.
  2. Rich environment: South Africa is the world’s leader in mining and minerals since it is home to nearly 90% of all the platinum metals on the planet and around 41% of all the world’s Gold! Thanks to South Africa’s rich ground, you will have a steady job.
  3. Diversity: Mining Engineering is not a steady career. This is a very diverse kind of profession that will allow you to work together with many different disciplines such as civil, electrical, surveying, geology, among others.
  4. Evolution: If you are not fond of an office job, mining engineering is just for you. In addition to working with many other disciplines, this degree will allow you to work in the field and avoid being stuck in an office. Mining engineering is a really versatile career, so after you graduate there are plenty of different areas of mining engineering in which you can specialise. You will have many opportunities to work in many different environments, including the chance to travel the world! 

Discover the Top Programmes in Mining Engineering offered by the University of the Witwatersrand:




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