20 University of Arizona Undergraduate Degrees Related to Mining and Mineral Resources

Dec. 11, 2024

The mining and mineral resources industry is diverse, offering career opportunities across multiple disciplines. Here are 20 degrees at the University of Arizona that align with mining, highlighting their relation to the field, career outlook, salary, and student characteristics.

1. Mining Engineering

Relation to Mining: The core discipline focused on designing, managing, and optimizing mining operations.
Career Outlook: Mining engineers work as operations managers, consultants, or researchers.
Average Salary: $93,800 per year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023).
- Ideal Student Characteristics: Problem-solvers, strong in math and physics, interested in sustainability and technology.

2. Geosciences

Relation to Mining: Geologists are fundamental to mining because they involve understanding Earth's materials, such as minerals and ores. Geologists locate and assess mineral deposits and are key to exploration and resource estimation.
Career Outlook: Roles include exploration geologist, environmental geologist, or resource analyst.
Average Salary: $83,680 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Curious about Earth's processes, has a mineral collection, loves fieldwork, strong in science.

3. Environmental Science

Relation to Mining: Focuses on reducing mining’s environmental impact and reclaiming land post-mining. Environmental scientists assess and mitigate the ecological effects of mining activities.
Career Outlook: Environmental consultants, compliance officers, or sustainability coordinators.
Average Salary: $76,480 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Passionate about sustainability, detail-oriented, solution-driven. Students with an interest in environmental protection can bring a sustainability-focused mindset to mining engineering, contributing to green mining technologies and environmentally responsible resource development.

4. Civil Engineering

Relation to Mining: Designs infrastructure like roads, tunnels, and waste management systems for mines. Their expertise ensures stability and safety in mining structures.
Career Outlook: Mining infrastructure engineer, construction manager.
Average Salary: $88,050 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Strong in design and planning, enjoys large-scale projects.

5. Mechanical Engineering

Relation to Mining: Develops and maintains mining machinery and automation systems.
Career Outlook: Mechanical engineers in mining work as equipment designers or maintenance managers.
Average Salary: $95,300 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Interested in machines, innovation-driven, enjoys problem-solving.

Students with mining gear touring a mine

6. Chemical Engineering

Relation to Mining: Chemical engineers work on mineral processing and extractive metallurgy, where raw materials are processed into usable metals and compounds. They develop methods for ore refining and waste management.
Career Outlook: Extractive metallurgist, process engineer.
Average Salary: $105,550 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Strong in chemistry, enjoys lab work and practical applications.

7. Materials Science and Engineering

Relation to Mining: Investigates how raw materials from mines become innovative products. Materials science focuses on understanding and developing new materials. Mining provides the raw resources needed to create alloys, semiconductors, and composites.
Career Outlook: Materials engineer, failure analyst.
Average Salary: $98,300 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Analytical, detail-oriented, curious about material properties. Students interested in the lifecycle of materials can see the connection between resource extraction and material innovation through mining.

8. Hydrology

Relation to Mining: Mining operations often require water management for ore processing, dust suppression, and mine dewatering. Hydrologists analyze groundwater and surface water systems to ensure sustainable and responsible water use.
Career Outlook: Hydrologists in mining focus on water resource management or mine dewatering.
Average Salary: $84,030 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Interested in water systems, environmental problem-solvers.

9. Industrial Engineering

Relation to Mining: Industrial engineers optimize processes and systems, a critical component of efficient mining operations. They focus on logistics, productivity, and cost management.
Career Outlook: Mining logistics manager, process improvement analyst.
Average Salary: $91,630 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Analytical, focused on efficiency, enjoys systems thinking.

10. Systems Engineering

Relation to Mining: Systems engineering focuses on designing and optimizing complex systems, which is critical in mining for integrating technologies, workflows, and logistics across large-scale operations.
Career Outlook: Mining systems engineer, automation specialist.
Average Salary: $97,630 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Big-picture thinker, tech-savvy, interested in automation. Interests in automating processes, managing mine operations, and improving safety systems. The interdisciplinary nature of systems engineering complements mining's technical challenges.

11. Geography

Relation to Mining: Geography is crucial for understanding the spatial distribution of resources, environmental impacts, and land use planning in mining operations. Geography students bring knowledge of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and spatial analysis, which are essential tools.
Career Outlook: GIS specialist, land-use planner.
Average Salary: $74,760 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Strong spatial awareness, loves maps and planning.

12. Natural Resources

Relation to Mining: Focuses on sustainable resource extraction and land restoration. Mining plays a vital role in resource management by providing raw materials needed for infrastructure, technology, and energy systems. The focus on sustainability and land rehabilitation also ties into natural resource management.
Career Outlook: Environmental manager, reclamation specialist.
Average Salary: $73,230 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Passionate about nature, hands-on, sustainability-focused.

13. Physics

Relation to Mining: Physics is vital in geophysical exploration techniques like seismic surveys and magnetic mapping, which identify subsurface mineral deposits.
Career Outlook: Geophysicist, exploration scientist.
Average Salary: $100,800 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Strong analytical skills, loves theoretical and applied physics.

14. Computer Science

Relation to Mining: Develops AI and algorithms for resource estimation and automation.
Career Outlook: Mining software developer, data analyst.
Average Salary: $109,020 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Tech-savvy, loves problem-solving, enjoys coding.

15. Data Science

Relation to Mining: Analyzes data for resource optimization and predictive maintenance. Data analytics and computational modeling are increasingly used in mining for resource estimation, predictive maintenance, and process optimization.
Career Outlook: Mining data analyst, AI specialist.
Average Salary: $108,660 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Detail-oriented, analytical, data-driven. Interests in by developing algorithms, simulations, and AI applications to solve complex problems.

16. Public Health (Industrial Hygiene)

Relation to Mining: Industrial hygiene focuses on ensuring workplace safety and health by identifying and mitigating hazards, such as exposure to dust, noise, and chemicals in mining operations.
Career Outlook: Industrial hygienist, occupational health officer.
Average Salary: $76,340 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Safety-focused, enjoys health sciences, detail-oriented.

17. Sociology

Relation to Mining: Sociology examines societal structures, behaviors, and impacts, which are critical in understanding how mining affects communities, from economic development to environmental justice.
Career Outlook: Social responsibility officer, community relations manager.
Average Salary: $67,760 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Interested in social justice, community-driven, people-focused.

18. Public Relations (PR)

Relation to Mining: Mining companies rely on PR professionals to build trust with stakeholders, manage public perception, and promote corporate responsibility efforts.
Career Outlook: PR manager, corporate communications officer.
Average Salary: $69,410 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Charismatic, excellent communicator, marketing-minded.

19. Communications

Relation to Mining: Effective communication is vital in mining, whether it’s conveying technical information to stakeholders, crafting safety messages, or fostering partnerships with communities and governments.
Career Outlook: Communication specialist, technical writer.
Average Salary: $62,810 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Strong writer, creative thinker, people-focused.

20. Business (Supply Chain Management)

Relation to Mining: Mining requires effective supply chain management, cost control, and strategic planning to manage operations efficiently.
Career Outlook: Supply chain manager, operations manager.
Average Salary: $81,150 per year (BLS, 2023).
Ideal Student Characteristics: Organized, logistics-focused, business-savvy.

Final Thoughts

The mining industry is a interdisciplinary field offering careers in engineering, environmental science, public health, and more. Students in these programs will find fulfilling careers contributing to global sustainability, innovation, and community development.