The Doctor of Philosophy degree is intended for exceptional students with a strong interest in scholarship and a desire to do independent research to meet critical global challenges. This program requires students to complete 60 credit hours of research and 30 credit hours of coursework<br>The Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering (MME) offers advanced graduate degrees (MEng, MS and PhD) that are designed to educate students for high-level challenges in industry, academia, and government. Graduate work may be pursued in several areas of specialization including rock mechanics, ground control, health and safety systems, critical mineral processing, applied surface and colloid chemistry, recycling, conservation and the environment, mining ventilation, modeling/simulation, automation and control, carbon sequestration and management, and reservoir engineering. One or more of the topics may be emphasized within the department at a given time based on the ongoing research activity of the full-time faculty assigned to the department. Graduate students accepted to the program are generally provided financial support through sponsored grants, teaching assistantships or graduate fellowships. A major goal of the department is to afford all graduate students with the opportunity to participate in creative and challenging research projects, which typically lead to scholarly publications in international journals and conference proceedings. The graduate program also recognizes the specific needs of industry professionals with a program that strives to upgrade technological skills of practicing engineers, encourage the pursuit of doctoral-level work, and provide an opportunity for advanced education and career reorientation.