Professional Development Overlook

Professional Development

Building Knowledge in All Mining Disciplines

The School of Mining Engineering & Mineral Resources supports programs across the University of Arizona campus that advance the industry by educating working professionals. 

Boost your own career or deepen your employees’ understanding of the latest developments in the industry.

Arizona's Mining Industry

Empowering the Workforce

An important aspect of SMEMR’s mission is developing the current mining workforce through constantly updated course offerings led by top people in their respective fields.

With SMEMR professional development, workers can tailor the program to their needs through short courses, field study and certificate programs. The school also partners with companies to provide courses and certificates that address immediate business needs.

Professional Development Opportunities

Explore just some of the courses and training opportunities available through the School of Mining Engineering & Mineral Resources. Reach out to SMEMR if you would like to develop a course for your company or organization.

Caterpillar Mining 360

Caterpillar international employees learn about the economics and engineering critical to the mining industry.

Format: 1-year certificate program, primarily online

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Mining 4.E

Mining professionals and adjacent workers with little background in the field receive a comprehensive introduction to mining.

Format: 7-week short course

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Underground Miner 101

Professional mine workers are introduced to the fundamentals of the work, including current technology and safety protocols.

Format: 1-week certificate program

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Water in Mine Operations and Slope Stability

Controlling water in mining operations and improving geotechnical slope stability, including case studies of water management challenges.
Format: 15-week online course with access through June 2026

Course Info 

Geotechnical Radar Monitoring

Learn about various kinds of radar and their capabilities, as well as how to interpret data.
Format: 14-week online course with access through February 2026

Course Info

Slope Performance Monitoring

Slope performance monitoring, system design, and data analysis, including case studies of slope monitoring challenges.
Format: 14-week online course with access through February 2026

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Structural Geology for Geotechnical Professionals

Provides geotechnical professionals with the fundamentals of structural geology and its applications throughout the mine cycle.
Format: 12-week online course with access through June 2026

Course info

Fundamentals of Open Pit Slope Design

Overviews the fundamental concepts and best practices for slope analysis and design throughout the life cycle of an open pit mine.
Format: 21-week online course with access through August 2026

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Ore Deposits Mapping

Learn how mapping is used to understand mineral zoning, time-space relations, and fundamental phase equilibria in this advanced field course.

Format: 10-day field course

Structural Geology for Exploration and Mine Geologists

Learn how structural geology impacts mineral production, development, and exploration​​​.

Format: lecture, laboratory, and field course

Porphyry Deposits

Learn about lithologic, structural, and geochemical characteristics of porphyry deposit types and how mineral exploration geology can influence aspects of mining.

Format: lecture, laboratory, and field course

Learn more on the Lowell Institute website

Incident Command, Escape & Rescue Workshop

This short course focuses on emergency preparedness training for miners to improve resilience and support self-escape knowledge.

Format: 8-hour in-person workshop

Sharing Critical Controls Workshop

This course shares information on how to prevent MUEs (Material Unwanted Events). Tutorials on critical controls are presented.

Format: half-day workshop, online or in-person

Mining Institute for Supervisor Leadership

This leadership institute provides mentorship in a mining-specific setting. It covers hazards recognition and mitigation, law and policy, miner physical and mental health, soft skills, and more.

Format: 3-day workshop, online or in-person

Learn more on the Western Mining Safety and Health Training Resource Center Supervisor Training web page:

Visit the WMSHTRC Supervisor Training page

 

Serious Games Training Workshop

Teaches trainers how to employ computer-based serious games for training miners on topics like workplace examinations, hazard recognition and elimination, and miner competency.

Format: half-day in-person workshop

Higher Level Training Clinic

Participants learn how to train miners through applying established theories of adult learning like competency-based instruction, active learning, assessment development, and engagement strategies.

Format: 3-day workshop in-person

Instructional Design Certificate Program

Trains students to become instructional design leaders as it applies to miner training using a systematic and reflective process to translate learning theory into usable tools and lessons.

Format: Three 13-week courses online

Learn more on the Western Mining Safety and Health Training Resource Center Train the Trainer web page:

Visit the WMSHTRC Train the Trainer page

Integrated Planning Series

Courses designed to remove communication barriers and improve collaboration among geologists, mining engineers, and metallurgists. Each course introduces the fundamentals and role of one profession - geologists, engineers, and metallurgists in the mining industry.

Format: series of 3 short courses that can be booked separately

Learn more on the Lowell Institute website

The Global Mining Law program provides training to both lawyers and non-lawyers, including certificate courses for those involved in mining-related work like executives, lawyers, managers, engineers, and government officials.

Participation in courses of the Global Mining Law Program requires enrollment as a non-degree seeking student.

Introduction to Legal Systems

A high level overview of basic legal terms and concepts for those without prior legal training. Provides the vocabulary of law necessary to understand core legal concepts that will serve as valuable building blocks for other mining-related law PD.

Format:open-enrollment, self-paced

Coming soon:
  • Introduction to the International Mining Industry 
    Overview of the technical, financial, environmental, social, legal, and policy issues related to the global minerals industry.
  • Law of the Use of Public Land Resources
    Examines the laws governing grazing rights, wildlife (including hunting and fishing), recreational use, oil and gas, water and Native American rights.
  • U.S. Public Lands and Mining Law
    Examining the acquisition, disposal, and management of the public lands of the United States. Emphasis is placed on mineral land laws and laws related to mineral exploration and development of mineral resources.

Learn more on the James E. Rogers College of Law website

Native Know-How Seminar

This course teaches how to partner with native nations from a native perspective. It fosters cultural and government understanding.

Format: online or in-person

Rebuilding Native Nations Courses

This course explores challenges facing native nations. Learn how native nations are reclaiming their affairs.

Format: online

Learn more about these courses on the Native Nations Institute website:

Visit the NNI website

Indigenous Governance

The indigenous governance program provides professional development in a variety of ways including Master's programs, graduate certificates, and continuing education.

Format: multiple formats

Indigenous Governance Professional Certificate

This continuing education certificate focuses on indigenous governance, economics, leadership, and community development.

Format: in-person

Learn more about these courses on the Idigenous Governance Program website:

Visit the IGP website

Advanced Project Management Concepts

Discuss the agile transformation of your workspace through exploring Scrum and practicing the tools that will enable participants to create a more agile workspace.

Format: live online, and in-person

Learn more on the Continuing & Professional Education website:

Visit the CPE website

Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Prep

Courses for introduction to project management and PMP exam preparation to prepare students to successfully manage large and complex projects.

Format: in person and online

Learn more on the Continuing & Professional Education website:

Visit the CPE website

Business Analytics

Focused on using data to solve problems through data visualization, SQL, data modeling, Tableau, and metric-making.

Format: online

Learn more on the Continuing & Professional Education website:

Visit the CPE Website

High Impact Leadership Program

The Program creates a unique environment where you can share insights with peers from diverse business sectors. Our faculty will challenge what you think you know about effective management and provide you with actionable techniques to enhance your professional performance and increase your company's agility in the marketplace. You'll take away real-world strategies to implement at work.

Format: delivered live and online with interactive faculty

Learn more on the Eller Executive Education website:

Visit the EEE Website

Communication Strategies for Collaborative Research

This course, taught by UArizona faculty, helps to close the gap between scientific research and societal needs

Format: 4-week online course

Practicing Collaborative Research

Learn to plan a project and execute a project with collaborators to reach a shared goal. Designed for interactions between non-researchers and researchers.

Format: 4-week online course

Fundamentals of Transdisciplinary Research

Transdisciplinary approaches to solving real-world problem through scientific research and evaluation

Format: 4-week online course

Learn more about the TESS program on the Continuing & Professional Education website:

Visit the CPE website

To inquire about professional development opportunities or develop a curriculum for your employees, please contact SMEMR.