Study Mining in Germany

The study of mining can be roughly divided into three subject areas:

• Mining concerns itself with the exploration, site development, and extraction of solid, liquid, and gaseous raw materials. This comprises crude oil and natural gas as well as all sorts of coal, ores, salts, and different rocks and rare-earth elements.
• Foundation soil specialists are trained in the area of geotechnical engineering. They assess the mechanical behaviour of these raw materials in advance, accounting for their interaction with building constructions and the assessed soil, as well as the available installation space.
• Mine surveying concerns itself with the registration, analysis, modelling, and rendering of reservoirs, mines, and open pits. Graduates of this subject area are proficient in terrestrial, airborne, and satellite supported geodetic measuring methods.

In addition to the general natural scientific basics (mathematics, physics, chemistry, electrical engineering, materials engineering, mechanics, thermodynamics, etc.), a course of study in mining will also provide special knowledge, e.g., of geosciences as well as legal and economic basics.

Degree programmes in mining are often offered at technical universities or universities of applied sciences. Usually, a general or subject-specific higher education entrance qualification or equivalent is sufficient to make you eligible to apply. During your studies, you will have to pass practical units at most higher education institutions. Their type and duration can differ significantly.

Depending on which specific degree programme you enrol in, you will either graduate with a Bachelor/Master of Science or a Bachelor/Master of Engineering. Bachelor’s degree programmes usually last six to seven semesters. For a Master’s degree, you should normally plan on a standard period of study of four semesters. At some higher education institutions, you can still graduate with a “Dipl.-Ing.”; your standard period of study will be extended.

By the way: Mining programmes can have different names. There are several degree programmes with the same or similar content to mining, but with a different name. It is therefore best to include other terms in your search, such as raw material extraction, energy supply, geotechnics, etc.! Maybe you already have a favourite subject area you would like to specialise in.

Since courses of study in mining are usually offered at public higher education institutions, for most programmes at Bachelor’s level, you will not have to pay tuition fees! However, there are semester contributions to be paid, but these usually amount to between 100 and 400 euros depending on the higher education institution. Sometimes your semester contribution covers a ticket for local public transport or you can purchase a discounted ticket. Depending on where you study, this may be valid for the city, the region or even for all of Germany. Ask your higher education institution whether such an offer is currently available.

If you decide to study at a private higher education institution or in an online programme, you should research whether tuition fees are required. For some Master’s programmes at public higher education institutions, there can also be tuition fees.

Another cost factor for you will be rent; here, too, there are big differences in Germany. Popular cities and cities with large higher education institutions are usually significantly more expensive. In any case, student halls of residence or shared apartments are a good way for you to reduce costs as much as possible. As soon as you have decided on where you want to study, you should start looking, as halls of residence can fill up quickly. Here, you can find information on local halls of residence and the respective application process for most cities.

Good to know: Depending on where you complete your internship during your studies, you can look forward to an above-average salary. Internships in mining studies are often compensated quite nicely.

To finance your studies in Germany, you should also find out about scholarships. There are many different scholarship programmes and excellent grades are not the only deciding factor. You can learn more about scholarships here and find suitable programmes directly on My GUIDE.

Regardless of whether you have a Bachelor/Master of Science or Engineering or a Dipl.-Ing., your chances of finding a good job are decent!

After graduation you can work in various roles or sectors:

• You can take on a management position in mining and open-cast mining companies.
• You can work for government agencies and public offices.
• You can find jobs in the energy sector or in engineering offices.
• Potentially, research institutes or consulting firms could take you on.
• In general, the feasibility assessments and knowledge about the further processing of raw materials are part of your expertise. With the right business or legal knowledge, e.g. regarding mining rights, you could further increase your career options.

Educating engineers who advocate for sustainable and environmentally sound use of the earth’s crust is becoming increasingly important. In the future, the sustainable, safe, and efficient extraction of raw materials from the seabed or space will become an important field of activity.

In addition, the ever-present topics of energy transition, electromobility or modern information and communication technology can be sectors for you to work in. For these issues, the extraction of raw materials is an important basis.