Mining technology programs prepare people to help mining engineers run mines and plants where minerals are processed. Students learn principles of mining and geology. They also learn to map, analyze sites, and test samples.

Every day you use products that come from mines and quarries. You walk on cement sidewalks, write with a graphite pencil, dust yourself with talcum powder, season your food with salt, and brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste.

Extracting rocks and minerals from the ground is a complex task. It involves powerful forces, including explosives. It requires movement of large quantities of heavy materials. Often water must be pumped out - and sometimes pumped in to make a slurry. The economics are complicated, because often a great amount of ore is mined to obtain a tiny amount of a valuable mineral. Add to this the expenses of a number of chemical and physical processes. And market prices for minerals can fluctuate rapidly. The safety of workers raises technical, medical, and legal issues.

With a degree in mining technology, you can work in various roles in this industry. You may work with engineers to improve extractive processes. For example, you may test the prototype of a new drill, gathering data on wear and failure of materials. You may use a computer-aided drafting program to represent an engineer's design of a machine for crushing ore. You may write a report on the survey of a potential mining site. You may test ore samples for their yield.

You prepare for this work by studying two years beyond high school and receiving an associate's degree. However, fewer than ten colleges offer this specific program, and the number may be growing smaller. In this program you study a mixture of scientific theory and practical procedures. You need to understand the physical forces at work in mining operations. You also need some knowledge of geology. The science you study also teaches you how to do experiments. This knowledge is especially valuable if you will be working with engineers. It may be possible for you to learn much of this in another kind of engineering technology program.