Geological Engineering

Experiential Major Menu

BS, Geological Engineering

WHERE GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS GO

Students pursuits one-year post-graduation:

  • Employed: 72%
  • Further Education: 20%
  • Military: 4%
  • Seeking: 4%

Industries of employment for students one-year out:

  • Civil/Construction & Building Trades
  • Environmental Resources/Water
  • Mining
  • Consulting
  • Government/Public Sector

Job titles of our graduates one-year out:

  • Geological Designer
  • Staff Geologist
  • Staff Engineer
  • Geology Intern
  • Geotechnical Engineer
  • Account Manager
  • Field Engineer

 

*Data from 2023 graduates

This menu is a tool for you to use to explore opportunities at Mines outside of the classroom. These are not requirements, but rather recommendations to help you leverage what Mines has to offer. Just like at a restaurant, choose what looks best to you and start from there! This menu can help you create your own pathway and customize your experience during your time at Mines.

The activities are placed in specific years below based off staff and faculty recommendations, but you can participate in most of them at any time. There is never a wrong time to get involved if you’re looking, and no pressure to do any of these things!

Get to know Geological Engineering

Our faculty, staff and students work in a number of fundamental and applied areas important to earth, energy and environment that include mineral and energy resources, underground construction and tunneling, geological hazards, and geochemistry, as well as surface and ground water resources. We take education seriously, and have excellent teaching facilities, world class laboratory facilities, and access to some of the best field sites in the world.

We have close partnerships with the U.S. Geological Survey and Colorado Geological Survey and are proud to house one of the best geology museums in the country. Geology is important to many areas important to humanity, from hazards to water resources to changing climate and we are training outstanding students to be stewards of our earth’s natural resources.

Academic options in Geological Engineering

Explore the options below to see how to expand upon a Geological Engineering degree and what to expect from the course load.

Frequently Pursued Minors

Common 4+1 Programs

  • Geology, Geophysics, Geological Engineering, Hydrologic Science and Engineering, Geochemistry, GIS & Geoinformatics, Space Resources, Underground Construction and Tunneling and Data Science

Academic Catalog

 

Get Involved

Attend Celebration of Mines in August to get to know campus organizations and academic departments, sample food, and play games. Below are some departments that offer many great opportunities to enhance your experience here at Mines.

Contact Us: 

1516 Illinois St., Golden, CO 80401                     https://geology.mines.edu 

Experiential Major Menu Opportunities

DOWNLOAD PDF of EMM
Browse the different opportunities within each year and themed Ore Cart to find ways to get involved. All activities are general campus opportunities unless they are in bold and have Departmental listed afterwards, then they are degree specific ways to get involved.

The online Experiential Major Menus are designed for accessibility. A PDF with the same content is available to download or print but may not be fully accessible for all users. If you experience barriers to accessing this content or need an alternate format, please contact trail@mines.edu.

First Year

Leadership & Innovation

  • Join the Mines Rockhounding Club (departmental)
  • Explore opportunities to get involved with the Undergraduate Student Government
  • Explore options to get involved with CLSA and Community Councils
  • Apply for the Environmental Leadership Lab trip and Scholars Program. Check the Daily Blast for more information in April.

Professional Development

Research, Creative & Scholarly Achievement

  • Explore the option of a summer with SURF
  • Pick up copies of The Oredigger to see what is going on at Mines and maybe contribute a written piece.
  • Explore how to get involved with research through different opportunities on campus

Inclusive & Impactful Civic Engagement

  • Apply to work at College View Middle School in Denver as a tutor
  • Join Society of Women Engineers as a mentee
  • Attend the Study Abroad Fair this Fall to start exploring your options. Additional scholarships may be available.
  • Attend the annual Celebration of DI&A at Mines

Health & Wellness

  • Participate in the Geology trail hike (departmental)
  • Participate in Oredigger Camp to build your Mines community before classes start
  • Balance studying for finals with wellness activities during Stress Less Week
  • Become familiar with the Counseling Center’s services
  • Attend a QPR suicide prevention training
  • Attend a Bystander Intervention workshop
  • Attend Fresh Check Day

Academic Success

  • Apply for GGE Scholarships through the Scholarship portal (departmental)
  • Attend GGE end of semester social functions (departmental)
  • Sign your family or support system up for the CASA First-Year Family Newsletter so they can support your academic success
  • Attend the Major Fair and declare a major in late April at Declaration Day with CASA. Keep an eye out for an announcement in the Daily Blast

Second Year

Leadership & Innovation

Professional Development

 

Research, Creative & Scholarly Achievement

Inclusive & Impactful Civic Engagement

Health & Wellness

Academic Success

  • Participate in the GGE Orienteering Race (departmental)
  • Mandatory Advising
  • Explore Bounce Back if you are needing to retake a course, on academic probation or returning from academic suspension

Third Year

Leadership & Innovation

  • Become an officer in your society
  • Organize department seminars through your society
  • Become an officer in your student organization
  • Apply to be an Undergraduate Writing Fellow, a peer tutor in the Writing Center. Check the Daily Blast for information in early October. 

Professional Development

  • Apply for a GGE Summer Research Fellowship (departmental)
  • Attend Van Tuyl Seminars (departmental)
  • Consider opportunities for graduate schools
  • Take Introduction to Research Ethics (SYGN 502) or Professional Oral Communication (LICM 501), both are graduate classes but accessible to Undergraduates.
  • Write an article for SWE’s annual newsletter
  • Be a tutor or lead core review with CASA 

Research, Creative & Scholarly Achievement

  • Show your research outcomes in Reuleaux
  • Explore options to join a musical group on campus or Mines Little Theater
  • Take Research, Values, and Communication (HASS 360)
  • Co-author a paper with a fellow student or faculty member
  • Manage departmental or student organization’s web and/or social media presence

Inclusive & Impactful Civic Engagement

  • Assist with Trick-or-Treat so Golden Can Eat, more information in Daily Blast
  • Tutoring at local high schools
  • Explore DI&A workshops along with trainings from SHAPE
  • Join the departmental DI&A Council
  • Serve as a panelist at Making The Connection or other recruitment events
  • Coordinate an S2S community service event 

Health & Wellness

Academic Success

  • Participate in the Summer Field Session- May/June, 5 weeks
  • Mandatory Advising
  • Start to request letters of recommendation for graduate school

Fourth Year

Leadership & Innovation

  • Apply for the student position on the GGE Executive Team ( departmental)
  • Expand your leadership in your organization
  • Take CSM 350: Special Studies in Leadership & Small Group Dynamics

Professional Development

  • Be a GGE tutor (departmental)
  • Attend Van Tuyl Lectures (departmental)
  • Look for full time employment at Career Day and on DiggerNet.
  • Take advantage of the Career Center’s Offer Letter Review

Research, Creative & Scholarly Achievement

  • Present at a conference like National Groundwater Association or Rocky Mountain GSA (departmental)
  • Present at the GGE and GP Research Fair (departmental)
  • Submit a piece of visual art, fiction, poetry or music to High Grade
  • Present at a conference
  • Present at Mines Undergraduate Research Symposium

Inclusive & Impactful Civic Engagement

  • Tutor at a local high school
  • Volunteer as a mentor for K-14 student with Rocky Mountain MESA
  • Take Art & Environmentalism in Italy
  • Apply for a Mines DI&A community grant to help promote an inclusive campus
  • Facilitate a workshop at Celebration of DI&A at Mines. Keep an eye on the Daily Blast for calls for proposals.

Health & Wellness

  • Show your loved ones everything you love about Mines at Family & Friends weekend
  • Participate in the Imposter Syndrome Peer Education workshop before heading out into the workforce or graduate school
  • Help manage your stress with a Stress Less Box
  • Take a Self-Check at YOU@Mines
  • Do a QPR refresh 

Academic Success

  • Required senior design courses
  • Apply to graduate school and/or jobs