Course work, seminar, research thesis, and comprehensive oral examinations
4 years
Funding available

Program Overview

As a PhD student in Mining Engineering at Queen's, you will be part of the largest mining department in Canada. Our students and researchers are critical in moving the mining industry forward to meet the global economy and rapidly evolving technology. Working closely with industry partners, our faculty and students work to improve the efficiency, sustainability, safety, and cost of mining operations.

 

Admission and Application

The minimum academic requirements are:

  • Three term length courses beyond the MASc degree
  • Satisfactory participation in the graduate seminar ( MINE-897)
  • Successful completion of the comprehensive examination requirement, and
  • Completion of a research thesis ( MINE-999)

Additional Program Requirements

All courses must be taken at the graduate level. For this minimum academic requirement, two term courses must be taken within, and one term course must be taken outside the Department of Mining Engineering. In certain cases, the number of courses required will be larger than the minimum. The department must approve the selected academic program.

All students who are doing laboratory research on campus must take CHEM 801, a non-credit course in laboratory safety, at the first opportunity after their initial registration. Students who have previously completed MINE 459 or MINE 851 as part of their regular undergraduate or graduate programs at Queen's University are exempt from this requirement. Students who are taking or have taken MNTC 408 (Departmental Safety Module) are also exempt from this requirement.

The comprehensive examination, an assessment of the student's understanding of the major areas of Mining Engineering, must be taken by all PhD candidates and may, under special entrance requirements, be required to be taken in two parts.

Should an entering PhD student's background in mining engineering or related disciplines be deemed insufficient, a designated program of study and/or completion of general knowledge examinations (first level comprehensive examination) will be required. The first level comprehensive examination will review the candidate's general background in Mining Engineering and must be held in the fall term of the second year of the PhD program.

If a first level knowledge examination is not required, the PhD student will be required to complete a comprehensive examination leading up to a final thesis defense that will cover the area of specialization and areas of the candidate's background preparation. The examination must be convened no later than 24 months after a student's initial registration in the Ph.D. program (if a first level comprehensive examination was not required) and at a minimum of 12 months prior to the final thesis defense.

Graduate students are required to complete training on the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), through the online course in Accessible Customer Service, as part of their graduate degree program and before being approved for graduation.

A master's degree in Mining Engineering. Applicants with a master’s degree in a cognate science may be admitted.

Applicants whose native languages do not include English will be required to obtain satisfactory standing in an English Language Proficiency Test as part of the application process and before final acceptance is granted. See the School of Graduate Studies’ TOEFL minimum score requirements. Applicants must meet the minimum score requirement for each test and the minimum overall score requirement.

To begin your application or learn more about the process, please review the School of Graduate Studies Application Guide.

Application Deadline: March 1st (September start)
Notification of Acceptance: April 30th
Application Deadline: July 1st (January start)
Notification of Acceptance: August 31st

  • Finding a Supervisor

    We encourage you to identify an area of research interest and contact potential supervisor(s) before applying. When you find a faculty member with similar research interests to yours, contact them to let them know about your interest in graduate work, area of research, and related experience.

Funding

The minimum level of funding guaranteed for all full-time incoming PhD students is $25,000 (as of September 2021). There are paid Teaching Assistantship opportunities to apply for, available throughout the academic year. We encourage you to apply for external funding from Ontario Graduate Scholarships, NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships, and other sources. Queen’s will automatically issue a one-time $10,000 award to entering PhD students who have won federal government tri-council awards. For more information, see the School of Graduate Studies’ information on awards and scholarships.

 

Career Opportunities

A PhD in Mining Engineering can strengthen and broaden your career opportunities. Our graduates have found careers within:

  • Academia and Research
  • Mining companies
  • Mining equipment and technology providers
  • Consulting companies
  • Non-Governmental Organizations
  • Financial institutions
  • Consulting

Grad Program Contact

Graduate Program Assistant
Yanan Liu 
mine.grad@queensu.ca
613-533-6000, 76875
Goodwin Hall, Room 354

TALK to a Current Graduate Student about Queen's Life and Graduate Studies.