Educational and Professional Development

With the unprecedented mining and infrastructure development in Queensland, and Australia as a whole, there is a huge demand for Civil and Mining Engineering graduates. A major discipline need within these branches of engineering is Geomechanics, incorporating Soil Mechanics, Rock Mechanics and Engineering Geology.

To expand the Geomechanics courses offered to UQ graduates, a Geomechanics Minor has been developed for Civil and Mining Engineering students to provide specialisation in Geomechanics. This has initially been drawn from existing Soil Mechanics, Rock Mechanics and Engineering Geology Course offerings, and will have additional offerings made available over time. The aim is to produce Civil and Mining Engineering graduates capable of meeting the need in mining and infrastructure development for a higher and broader level of Geomechanics knowledge and competence.

Civil Engineering Major

Students enrolled in the B.E. (Civil Engineering) with Geomechanics Minor Program are required to obtain the Civil Engineering Major (#50), including:

  • CIVL2210 Fundamentals of Soil Mechanics
  • CIVL3210 Geotechnical Engineering

Plus #10, comprising:

  • ERTH1501 Earth Processes and Materials for Engineers

Plus one of:

  • CIVL4560 Project (Geomechanics topic)
  • CIVL4580 Research Thesis (Geomechanics topic)
  • CIVL4582 Research Thesis (Geomechanics topic)

and the balance from Electives:

  • CIVL4230 Advanced Soil Mechanics
  • CIVL4250 Numerical Methods in Geomechanics
  • CIVL4260 Unsaturated Soil Mechanics
  • MINE3109 Special Topics in Mining II (Rock Mechanics part of MINE3121, plus project)
  • MINE3125 Rock Breakage
  • MINE4000 Mine Waste Management and Mined Landform Design
  • MINE4120 Mine Geotechnical Engineering
  • ERTH2004 Deformation and Structural Geology
  • ERTH3020 Introduction to Exploration Geophysics

Mining Engineering Major

Students enrolled in the B.E. (Mining Engineering) with Geomechanics Minor Progam are required to obtain the Mining Engineering Major (#50), including:

  • MINE3121 Mining Geomechanics
  • MINE3125 Rock Breakage
  • MINE4120 Mine Geotechnical Engineering
  • MINE4122 Research Thesis (Geomechanics topic)
  • ERTH1501 Earth Process & Geological Materials for Engineers

Plus #10 from Electives:

  • CIVL3210 Geotechnical Engineering
  • CIVL4230 Advanced Soil Mechanics
  • CIVL4250 Numerical Methods in Geomechanics
  • CIVL4260 Unsaturated Soil Mechanics
  • MINE4126 Underground Mining Systems
  • MINE4128 Surface Mining Systems
  • MINE4000 Mine Waste Management and Mined Landform Design
  • ERTH2004 Deformation and Structural Geology
  • ERTH2050 Field Geology
  • ERTH3020 Introduction to Exploration Geophysics