Department of Earth Resources Engineering

Options: Environmental and Mining Engineering (3yr BEng) Environmental and Earth Resources Eng. (4yr MEng) Environmental and ERE with Year in Europe (4yr MEng) Mining Engineering with Rock Mechanics (4yr MEng) Petroleum Engineering (4yr MEng)

Earth resources engineering provides a degree strongly orientated towards an industrial career.
The vast majority of ERE students receive industrial sponsorships and bursaries when they come to Imperial, and move into related disciplines when they graduate. Consequently the degree courses are geared towards producing the kind of graduates that these industries want. Thus, whilst the courses primarily focus on the techniques of mineral extraction (mining and petroleum drilling), these are geared towards the techniques predominant in the UK - for example quarrying rather than deep mining. The professional nature of the course is further emphasised by the requirement that all mining students complete 480 hours of work in relevant industrial placements during the first and second summer vacations.
The department is one of the smallest at Imperial, and consequently it is one of the few sections of College where everyone knows everyone else, including tutors and lecturers. This creates a very friendly, social atmosphere, where students feel free to seek out help from lecturers and tutors alike. There are also strong societies for each discipline taught within the department, organising frequent guest lecturers from engineers and field trips to relevant sites, and helping to forge links between students and industry. On the social side, the Royal School of Mines Union is very active, running bar-nights, sports teams and dinners.

Despite its strong reputation, the department is currently undergoing a period of change, as focus is shifted toward environmental issues, computing and economics - the skills which are increasing sought after in the “real world”. To this end, the number of mining lecturers is being cut, and the department is looking to remove practical experience of deep-core mining from the syllabus. However, on the plus side the department has recently installed a new computer network, and although the format of computing teaching is at present poor, it is being improved. Furthermore, the department still benefits from some of the best academic staff available. (This has recently been recognised, with the department receiving full marks from the Higher Education Funding Council).

The workload, particularly in later years, is very high, with timetabled lectures and lab work from nine to five on most days, plus a strong coursework element (up to fifty percent in the final year) combining to make ERE students some of the hardest working on campus. However, with the degree course recognised as one of the best available, creating the best opportunities possible for Imperial graduates, the hard work does pay off. The field trips involved in the course - particularly the month long surveying trip during the Easter vacation - also help to make up for the workload, providing an opportunity to both learn a great deal and have a really good time.

The department asks for maths and a science at A-level. However, all potential applicants would be advised to get a thorough grounding in physics and chemistry if at all possible. Those who have previously studied business studies will also find themselves at an advantage, although the lecture courses do not assume any prior knowledge.

Although very hard work, with a lot of highly technical courses, a degree from Imperial does provide a very strong platform from which to enter into a career in minerals engineering. This is a degree course very deliberately suited to those who have a clear career in mind, and the vast majority of graduates follow their studies into either related industries or research - and at the end of the day most find that their time here has been extremely worthwhile.