The Mining and Mineral Exploration Technology program focuses on geology, mining methods, exploration technology, surveying, and computer applications for mining operations and mineral explorations. Students learn science and engineering skills while in the program, and complete an industry-standard report during their second year.

Mining is a cornerstone industry of many communities throughout BC and Canada and it is a major contributor to our economy. Canada is recognized as a world leader in mineral exploration and mining, and our expertise is exported around the world to help discover, develop, and operate mines.

Jobs in the mining industry are high-technology jobs. Mining is one of the largest users of high-technology equipment and applications, and this is increasing every year. Virtually all technical jobs in geology, engineering, exploration, mineral processing, surveying, environmental, and management with mining and exploration companies require post-secondary education.

View a career video.

The Mining Technology Program accepts a new class of students every September. Applications are accepted starting in October of each year for classes that start the following September (e.g. if you want to start in September 2010, you can apply starting in October, 2009). Applications are processed on a first-come first-serve basis. In general, your application will be placed in one of three categories:

• Accepted: you have met all the prerequisites and have been offered a seat in the program. After you pay a non-refundable, non-transferable Commitment Fee of $200.00, you have secured a seat in the program.
• Provisional acceptance: If you are missing a prerequisite for the program, you may be granted provisional acceptance once Admissions receives an interim or mid-term mark for the course and the mark shows that you are proceeding above the minimum entrance requirement of the program. Full acceptance will be granted once all missing requirements are received. This situation often applies to those who apply from high school. After a non-refundable, non-transferable Commitment Fee of $200.00 is paid, provisional acceptance secures you a seat in the program.
• Incomplete: you are missing one or more prerequisite, or you do not yet have mid-term marks for courses you are registered in. This does not secure you a seat in the program.

Keys to Success

Most students find the Mining Technology program to be demanding and that it requires a lot of hard work. However, the program is also enjoyable and rewarding. We find that students who attend all their classes, work hard, complete assignments on time, and have a good, positive attitude toward the program and industry are the most successful.

Some of the keys to success are:

• An interest in science and engineering
• Well-developed study habits
• Attend all classes
• Start off on the right foot - work hard from the beginning
• A keen interest and positive attitude
• Participation in classes and industry activities

The curriculum is current, practical, intensive and broad-based. In the first year students receive training in basic science, math and communications as well as geology, mining methods, blasting, surveying and computer applications. In the second year the emphasis is on mining and the engineering and science skills required for the mining industry. The highlight of the second year is a field school and mining project that integrates many of the courses taken during the second year into the development of an industry-standard report detailing a proposed new mine development plan.

The program is well supported by industry. This support exists through our advisory committee and through companies that hire our students as part of the Mining Industry Work Experience program.

Field trips are an integral part of the program and the cost of most field trips is supported by bursaries. Trips from one afternoon to seven days in length reinforce academic knowledge gained in the classroom and laboratory. Guest lectures, professional associations and conventions also provide opportunities for the students to interface with the mining world.

An optional work experience certificate course is available to students in the first year of the program. This certificate is offered through a partnership between the Mining Association of BC and BCIT's Mining program. Together we work to help students find paid summer employment in the mining and minerals industry in the summer between the first and second year of the program.

This certificate receives strong industry support. For more information contact the Mining Technology department at 604-432-8323.

Job Opportunities

The mining industry is a diverse industry with a wide range of employment opportunities. Graduates have obtained employment in BC, elsewhere in Canada, the US and internationally. Jobs are located at mine sites, in remote exploration camps, in offices and labs. Jobs include working in the engineering, geology, surveying, blasting, environmental, mineral processing or management departments at mines, with geology crews in exploration, with engineering consulting companies, and at assay labs. Additionally, there are positions in technical sales and support with companies such as mining-related computer software developers, and blasting and equipment manufacturers. Some graduates have started their own consulting companies.

Some more benefits you can look forward to upon graduation:

• Registration as Professional Technologist - The mining program is nationally accredited which means you have all the academic requirements for registration as a professional technologist with ASTTBC.
• Transfer to University - You are fully qualified to enter the work force with your diploma. However, if you wish to pursue further studies toward a university degree, there are transfer options available.
• Employees are in Demand - The mining and exploration industries are facing a shortage of properly qualified professionals making new graduates, such as technologists, in demand. This demand is expected to continue for at least the next 5-10 years. More information on employment.
• Good Job Opportunities - Recent graduates have experienced strong employment opportunities. Some of the companies that have recently hired our summer students or graduates are:
  • Highland Valley Copper
  • Elkvalley Coal
  • Western Canada Coal
  • Taseko Mines Ltd.
  • Roca Mines
  • Lafarge
  • Texada Quarrying
  • Eskay Creek Mine
  • Pacific Blasting
  • Endako Mine
  • Myra Falls Mine
  • Canadian Zinc
  • Red Lake Mine
  • Diavik Diamond Mine
  • Hunter Dickinson Group

Interested in geology, prospecting, mineral exploration? We offer a variety of continuing education courses from the entry-level to professional-level

The courses listed below are normally offered at least once a year, sometimes twice. Please click on the registration link to find out more details about each course and if the course is currently offered.

Prospector Series

• MINE 1002 – Placer Mining School (16 hours)
  An introduction to placer mining through an overview of placer minerals, geology, deposit types, prospecting techniques, and operating methods.
  Dates: normally offered in April
  Registration and more information

• MINE 1003 – Introduction to Prospecting and Exploration 1: Geology and Mineral Deposits (24 hours)
  Provides an introduction to geology and mineral deposits as it applies to prospecting and mineral exploration.
  Dates: normally offered in the winter or spring
  Note: also offered in an online format (contact program assistant for details)
  Registration and more information

• MINE 1004 – Introduction to Prospecting and Exploration 2: Methods and Techniques (24 hours)
  Provides an introduction to the methods and techniques that are used in prospecting and exploring for mineral deposits.
  Dates: normally offered in the winter or spring after MINE 1003
  Registration and more information

• MINE 1005 – Prospecting and Exploration Field School (8 days)
  Designed for prospectors, explorationists, students, field assistants, contractors and hobbyists as an introduction to field techniques used in prospecting and exploring for mineral deposits at a field school near Oliver in south-central BC.
  Course Information and Equipment List for Registrants
  Dates: normally offered in May
  Registration and more information

Business Series

• MINE 1010 – Exploration and Mining for Investment Advisors and Investors (27 hours)
  Provides an overview of mineral exploration and mining for those in the financial industry and for investors. Covers a basic introduction to geology, mineral deposits, exploration techniques, drilling, resource and reserve estimates, exploration agreements and mining methods. Includes an overview of how to read technical news releases, understand drill and assay results and evaluate exploration properties and companies.
  Dates: normally offered once in the fall and once in the winter/spring
  Registration and more information

• MINE 1100 – Introduction to the Minerals Industry
  This online course introduces students to the wide scope of the minerals industry and prepares them for further courses in mining. The course covers the breadth of the industry from mineral exploration through to processing and marketing of mining products. The history of mining is covered from early ages through to modern times. Considerations regarding the preservation of the natural environment and the concept of sustainable development are introduced. Throughout the course students will be introduced to the common names and terminology used in the industry.
  Dates: This is a continual entry course.
  Registration and more information

Professional Series

• MINE 0510 – QA-QC in Mineral Exploration (18 hours)
  Provides an overview of QA-QC procedures for mineral exploration projects ranging from grass-roots through to pre-feasibility.
  Dates: offered occasionally
  Registration and more information

• MINE 5105 – GIS for Mineral Exploration (15 hours)
  Provides an introduction to GIS concepts and the elements of desktop mapping for mineral exploration projects.
  Dates: normally offered in the spring
  Registration and more information

Check information on registration or contact Paula Rossetti at 604-412-7564

For information on course content, please contact Russell Hartlaub at 604-456-1094

The Oliver field school is an eight day field course that is part of the two-year Mining Technology diploma program. It introduces students to a wide range of geological and mineral exploration field techniques. These techniques include

Field school photos

• Basic field methods: compass use, map orientation, field notes, pace and compass, working with varied scales and keeping located in the field.
• Geological field methods: strike and dip, sample collection, field description of rocks, minerals and formations, map making, field sketches, and preparing field cross-sections.
• Exploration methods: prospecting, grids and grid mapping, tracing zones of mineralization, trenching, soil sampling, geophysics, exploration sampling, identification of mineralization, report preparation.

The school takes place in the spectacular Okanagan Valley of southern British Columbia. At the time of the field school in late April, the Okanagan valley experiences a brief period of lush growth and wildflowers are abundant in the barren to lightly treed hillsides. The weather is typically dry with daytime temperatures ranging from the low teens to low thirties (Celsius).

The field school course involves visiting 6 different sites for half-day exercises, followed by a 4-day mapping project in the historic Fairview Mining camp. The half day exercises include:

• White Lake Basin volcanic and sedimentary rocks
• Dusty Mac epithermal gold deposit
• Vault epithermal gold deposit
• Okanagan Gneisses at Vaseux Lake
• Dividend-Lakeview copper-gold skarn deposit
• Old Nick nickel-cobalt property

The Fairview mapping exercises take place in the historic Fairview gold mining camp that was active in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. The mapping project involves placing a grid over some gold showings and then mapping and sampling the grid. In addition a soil survey and ground magnetic survey are completed over part of the grid. The results of the field project and then used to prepare an industry-standard exploration report for the project.

More information on MINE4108.

Entrance into the Program

• What if I do not have the entrance requirements?
• Is financial aid available?
• What about student housing?

Questions about the Program

• Can I register as a professional technologist as a graduate of the Mining Program?
• Do we have to pay for field trips?
• Is the program hard?
• Who will I learn from?
• Can I get credit for courses I have already taken?
• Do you have a coop program?
• Can I take courses on a part-time basis?
• How many students enter the program each year?
• Who are the students in the program?
• What are the transfer options to university?

Employment

• What are the employment opportunities like?
• Where will I find a job?
• What type of job might I get?
• What is the pay like?

Entrance into the Program

What if I do not have the entrance requirements?

If you do not have the entrance requirements or would like to upgrade you academics before starting the program, you should consider the Technology Entry program offered by BCIT.

Alternatively, you can pick up the courses you are missing at your local school board, college or via distance education with the Open Learning Division of Thompson Rivers University. You should make sure that any courses you take will be accepted by BCIT for admissions BEFORE taking the course.

Is Financial Aid available?

Yes, a variety of types of financial aid are available to Mining Technology students, including entrance awards, bursaries, student loans and academic awards.

What about student housing?

Both on and off-campus student housing is available.

Questions about the Program

Can I register as a professional technologist as a graduate of the Mining Program?

Yes, the Mining Technology program is nationally accredited as an engineering technology program. As such, a graduate of the program has all the academic requirements for registration as a professional technologist. To be eligible for registration, a technologist must also complete a certain amount of work experience and complete a professional practice exam. For more information or registration, please refer to the website for the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of British Columbia.

Do we have to pay for field trips?

No, most of the costs of field trips are covered by the program and by bursaries from the Cy and Emerald Keyes Foundation. Students are expected to cover some of their food costs, but even those are covered on many of the trips.

Is the program hard?

Most students find the program to be demanding with 30 hours of class and lab time a week plus substantial out of class time to complete assignments and labs and to prepare for tests and exams.

Who will I learn from?

You will learn from dedicated instructors with a diversity of industry and academic experience. Key instructors in the mining program include both geologists and mining engineers.

Can I get credit for courses I have already taken?

Yes, you can get credit for courses you have already taken toward the Mining Technology diploma. In order to obtain transfer credit, the courses you have taken must be very similar in content and level of difficulty to the related course in the Mining Program, and it must be an equal or greater number of credits. Transfer credit can only be applied for once you are accepted into the program and usually at the start of each term. You can obtain transfer credit for a maximum of 50% of the courses in the program.

Do you have a co-op program?

We have a co-op style work experience program between first and second year where the Mining department and BCIT’s Co-op office assists students with finding well-paid summer positions in the exploration or mining industry. Students who are serious about obtaining summer employment in industry and put effort and integrity into finding a job should have no problem finding a suitable summer position through this program.

Can I take courses on a part-time basis?

Yes, you can take courses in the program one at a time as long as you have completed English 12 or the equivalent, and you have any required prerequisites for the course you would like to take. Courses in the diploma program are only offered Monday to Friday between 8:30 and 17:30.

We also offer a number of part-time studies classes that are generally offered in the evenings and on weekends.

How many students enter the program each year?

The mining program will accept up to 22 students into the program each September.

Who are the students in the program?

Students in the Mining Program come with a range of backgrounds and experience. Approximately 25-35% come right out of high-school, 25-35% have some post-secondary education up to degrees, and 40-50% have worked at various jobs for one to ten years before entering the program.

What are the transfer options to university?

The mining program maintains transfer agreements with Mining Engineering at the University of British Columbia and with Mining Engineering and Geological Engineering at the Montana School of Mines.

Transfer to UBC requires a 6 month bridge program at Camosum College before entering 3rd year engineering. Transfer to Montana Tech is direct into 3rd year. Montana also offers a number of scholarships for Canadian students that keep the costs in line with Canadian universities.

Students can also transfer into the Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Engineering offered at BCIT.

Graduates of the program also enter geology and engineering programs at universities in BC and elsewhere in Canada. The number of BCIT courses that are eligible for transfer varies and normally ranges form one to one and a half years of the program. Thus an additional 3 years is typically required to complete a degree. The department will assist students who wish to transfer to other programs or universities.

Employment

What are the employment opportunities like?

Current job opportunities are excellent in both the mining and mineral exploration sectors. All of our recent graduates have been successful at finding jobs or have gone on to complete a university degree. A recent minerals and metals sector study managed by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MIHR) has concluded that the mining industry in Canada will face a shortfall of up to 81,000 employees over the next 10 years. That indicates that the opportunities for new graduates are excellent with good potential for advancement within the industry.

Where will I find a job?

You may find a job at a mine site, in an exploration camp, at an office or lab. You may work in Vancouver, in BC, across Canada or around the world. Most students upon graduation work at mine sites or with exploration companies in BC or elsewhere in Canada. However, some will work abroad on temporary assignments or on more permanent projects. International work is more common once several years of experience have been obtained.

It is also worth noting that Vancouver is considered the world’s largest centre for mineral exploration companies, and Canadian companies command the lions share of global exploration expenditures. Canadian trained technologist, geologist and mining engineers are considered among the world’s best.

What type of job might I get?

Recent graduates are qualified for a variety of positions including:

Mining Operations:

• Mine Engineering technologist that will assist with the design and operation of the mine, with blast pattern layouts, with road design and with production optimization. Includes various levels of computer modeling and design.
• Mine Surveyor
• Environmental technologist
• Mill technician
• Geological technician

Quarries:

• Quality assurance and quality control (QA-QC)
• Engineering technologist that will assist with design and operation of the quarry.
• Sales

Exploration Programs:

• Exploration technologist responsible for QA-QC, sampling, prospecting, surveying, camp management, and geotechnical core logging.
• Field assistant
• Project design and management with supervision
• Computer applications

Service and support companies:

• Explosives companies
• Computer software companies
• Assay and mineral processing labs
• Engineering and environmental consulting firms
• Investor relations with exploration and mining companies

What is the pay like?

Pay in the mining and mineral exploration industry is excellent. In fact, the minerals industry is the second highest paying industry in Canada, after oil and gas. Recent graduates can expect to be paid between $35,000 and $50,000 per year. A technologist with many years experience can expect to be paid more than $60,000.

  ^ top of page

Mining Program

Jim Leader, M.Sc., P.Eng.
Program Head
Mining, mine economics, mining project, field school
E: James_Leader@bcit.ca

Anoush Ebrahimi, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Mining Methods, Mine Computer Applications
E: anoushb@bcit.ca

Russell Hartlaub, Ph.D., P.Geo.
PTS coordinator
Geology, field schools and trips
E: Russell_Hartlaub@bcit.ca

Jim Morin, Ph.D., P.Geo.
Aboriginal Minerals Training Program
E: James_Morin@bcit.ca

Paula Rossetti, Program Assistant
E: Paula_Rossetti@bcit.ca

Robert Stevens, Ph.D., P.Geo.
Geology, mineral exploration, field school, industry courses
E: Robert_Stevens@bcit.ca

Associated Faculty

Frank Dispirito – Physic Department
Physics and geophysics
E: Frank_Dispirito@bcit.ca

Farzan Ghaffari – Chemical Sciences Program
Mineral Processing
E: Farzan_Ghaffari@bcit.ca

Hans Gray – Geomatics Program
Surveying
E: Hans_Gray@bcit.ca

Carmen Heaver – GIS Program
GIS
E: Carmen_Heaver@bcit.ca

Len Goveas – Civil Engineering Program
Statics, geotechnical applications
E: Leonard_Goveas@bcit.ca

Amy Goldlist – Math Department
Statistics
E: Amy_Goldlist@bcit.ca

Ana Talaba – Chemistry Department
Chemistry
E: Ana_Talaba@bcit.ca

Kathy Vance – Communications Department
Communications
E: Kathy_Vance@bcit.ca

Elaine Woo – Chemical Science Program
Assaying and geochemistry
E: Elaine_Woo@bcit.ca

Advisory Committee

• Ron Bruhaug, Lafarge Canada Inc.
• Ted Carlson, Mainland Sand and Gravel Ltd.
• Tom Broddy, Taseko Mines Limited
• Mark Richards, Highland Valley Copper
• Malcolm Scoble, University of British Columbia
• Sheila Stenzel, Mining Association of B.C. (Chair)
• Craig Tomlinson, Kemess Mines
• Bruce Butcher, Teck Resources Ltd.