Mining Engineering
The mining program trains professionals with academic excellence in capabilities, skills and abilities to design sustainable extraction projects of mineral resources, preserving the quality of the environment and promoting the social development of surrounding communities and society in general.
Mission
Contribute to improving society's quality of life with the training of upright and competent professionals in mining-metallurgy projects; with the development of research and innovation for the sustainable and equitable use of mineral resources.
Vission
To be an academic benchmark in the mining sector, with international excellence, of proactive and innovative leaders committed to society.
International Accreditation
The Mining degree program is accredited by the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission and the European seal of international quality in engineering EUR-ACE.
* Undergraduate tuition/fees:
The Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador in its Article 356, among other principles, establishes that third-level public higher education will be tuition/fees free. Zero cost education is linked to the academic responsibility of the students.
Number of admitted students per academic year
Number of graduates per year
Number of enrolled students per academic year
Graphs show the figures in real time, at the time of the query
The Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) emerged as a response to the increasing demands for scientific and technical education in the country. It was created during the presidency of Dr. Camilo Ponce Enríquez, through Executive Decree No. 1664 published in the Official Registry on November 11, 1958. On May 25, 1959, 51 students officially began their academic life at ESPOL in two classrooms of the Casona Universitaria, under the direction of the first Rector, Ing. Walter Camacho Navarro, who was an Mining Engineer. It is worth noting that almost immediately after the creation of the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, in 1959, the activities of what was then called the Department of Mines began.
In the last months of 1964, when the first graduate of the academic unit had just been released, it was called the Department of Geology, Mines, and Petroleum. A total of five students, divided into three groups of different levels, were pursuing the only degree offered to obtain the title of Engineer in Geology, Mines, and Petroleum. The department had two full-time professors, two part-time professors, one assistant for the only existing laboratory, and one janitor.
The Faculty of Engineering in Geology, Mines, and Petroleum was formed in 1983 in response to the need to create these three careers. Initially, ESPOL only had the Mining Engineering specialty within the area of Earth Sciences. The current name, Faculty of Engineering in Earth Sciences (FICT), was adopted in 1989 with four careers: Mining Engineering, Geological Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, and Civil Engineering, the latter replacing Geotechnical Engineering. With some changes and improvements in the curriculum and the Faculty, these four careers have been maintained until the present time under the name of the Faculty of Engineering in Earth Sciences (FICT), which was established in 1989.
Starting from this year, the student population in Mining Engineering at ESPOL decreased to the point where in 1995, only 2 students were enrolled in the program. At the time, other universities were facing similar situations, and some even closed this specialization. To address this issue, ESPOL optimized all available resources and the potential of the program by conducting promotional campaigns and revising the academic curriculum. Despite the challenges faced, the Mining Engineering program at ESPOL remained open, which was rare for this field nationally.
Subsequently, with the implementation of the National Exam for Higher Education and the research conducted in Mega-projects in the Mining area, the number of students increased, and by 2015, there were 134 active students enrolled in the program.
Mining Engineering is a career for those who enjoy fieldwork, analysis, research, and strategic planning, applying science and technology to the exploration and sustainable use of mineral resources.
Your role will be essential in the mining, energy, and infrastructure industries, ensuring the efficiency, sustainability, and safety of projects. If you are motivated by adventure, innovation, and the challenge of developing technological solutions for the responsible use of natural resources, you have the perfect profile to become a Mining Engineer!
SO1: The ability to identify, formulate and solve complex mining engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science and mathematics.
SO2: The ability to apply mining engineering design to produce solutions that meet specific needs considering health public safety and well-being, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental and economic factors.
SO3: The ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences.
SO4: The ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in mining engineering situations and make judgments informed, who must consider the impact of mining engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental and social contexts.
SO5: The ability to function effectively in a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, set goals plan tasks and meet objectives.
SO6: The ability to develop and carry out appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use mining engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
SO7: The ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as necessary, using appropriate learning strategies.
SO8: Formulate a value proposition that argues why those involved in a specific problem should adopt a proposed solution based on the advantages of the benefits over the disadvantages that it presents.
First Year
Description:
It is a core course for Engineering, Natural Sciences, Exact Sciences, and Social Sciences and Humanities, students. Topics, such as, topological notions, limits and continuity of real variable functions, derivatives and their applications, antiderivatives and integration techniques, and the definite integral with its applications, are examined. This course is aimed to the development of student’s skills and know-how in the derivation and integration processes, as a fundamental basis for the following upper level courses in its academic training process
Description:
Physics: Mechanics is a basic, theoretical-practical training course aimed at engineering students, with laboratory experimentation activities, which provides the fundamentals of particle mechanics, rigid bodies and fluid mechanics, in an environment of active learning.
Description:
In this course, students apply the Design Thinking methodology to identify, analyze real-life problems or needs, to design innovative solutions. Students work in multidisciplinary teams to present solution proposals that add value to customers/users from private companies, public organizations and non-profit organizations.
Description:
This course presents information on the endogenous and exogenous processes of the planet, focusing on the geological evolution, structure and composition of each of the layers that make up the Earth. Furthermore, this course encompasses the principles of mining engineering in all its development phases: exploration, exploitation, mineral benefit and closure.
Description:
This subject of basic training of initial level of the career of Geology provides a vision. of the crystalline structure of minerals structure and composition of the Earth’s crust, physical properties, defined chemical composition of mineral species.Finally, the question of descriptive mineralogy for is presented. recognize the mineral resources that could hold great future potential for the country.
Description:
This basic and general education subject presents grammatical structures to produce a simple paragraph based on a writing program. Additionally, it allows the identification of a specific argument in oral and written communication. It also considers learners’ personal opinions about different topics related to social, academic, and professional aspects. It includes the necessary vocabulary to make comparisons between present and past, books or movies description, creation of simple students’ profile, opinions about inventions, formal apologies and tell past events.
Description:
Vector calculus is a course aimed at the basic training of professionals in the areas of Engineering, Exact Sciences and Natural Sciences who developed problem-solving and problem-solving skills in the n-dimensional context. For this purpose, the course consists of 5 general themes: three-dimensional analytic geometry and functions of several variables, differential calculus of scalar and vector fields, optimization of scalar functions of several variables, line integrals and multiple integration, surface integrals and theorems of the vector theory; being the main applications of this course: the optimization of functions of several variables applied to practical problems, the calculation of lengths, area, volumes, work and flow, using objects of the plane and space.
Description:
The course presents students with strategies to solve common problems in various professional fields through the design and implementation of solutions based on the use of a programming language. It covers the basic principles so that the student can read and write programs; emphasizing the design and analysis of algorithms. In addition, it introduces students to the use of development and debugging tools.
Description:
In this subject, we study the development of the academic prosumer profile of the students, which should be consolidated throughout each individual's life, based on the processing of complex, holistic, and critical thinking. We aim to foster understanding and the production of academic knowledge through rigorous analysis of realities and readings from various academic/scientific sources.
Description:
This subject of basic formation and general education presents the grammatical structures for the production of an academic paragraph, through the development of the writing program in a transversal way. In addition, it allows the identification of specific arguments in oral and written communication, considering the production of one's own criteria on different topics of a social, academic or professional nature. The necessary vocabulary is also applied to refer to the different forms of communication, share work experiences and the use of digitl technology, tell short stories about interpersoanl relationship and personalities, and comment on the future of the environment.
Description:
This professional training course in the initial level of Minas career, presents the theoretical and practical criteria for the recognition, description, and classification of rocks, in macroscopic samples and thin sections. The course address the study of magmatic, sedimentary, and metamorphic processes. Some rock characterization methodologies are applied, determining the different types of mineral components present at the macroscopic and microscopic levels.
Description:
General Chemistry is a theoretical-practical course aimed at the basic training of professionals in the areas of Engineering and Natural Sciences, which provides a scientific basis of the matter and its interactions, and seeks to develop in students the ability to solve problems related to the content of the subject. It begins with an Introduction to Thermochemistry, then the analysis of the physicochemical properties derived from the state of aggregation of matter: liquids, solids and solutions, the study of the Kinetics and Equilibrium of reactions and solubility.
Second Year
Description:
This subject is an intermediate level professional training course of the Geology career that analyzes and describes geological structures that include folds, faults and joints. Along the course, the mechanical behavior of the rocks, the volume, pressure, temperature and geological time are taken into consideration.
Description:
This professional course of the initial level of the program of Mines approaches subjects for the graphical representation of the forms and dimensions of lands. Techniques of underground structure connection study and superficial that integrate parameters of scale and relations based between the vertical and horizontal scales. A set of methods and operations for the generation of planimetric data and altitudes of the mining complexes are reviewed.
Description:
This professional training course is designed for engineering careers based on classical mechanics and presents the concepts, definitions, and laws of rigid body mechanics. The statics of particles in a plane and in space, equivalent force systems in rigid bodies, the equilibrium of rigid bodies, distributed forces, centroids, centers of gravity, moments of inertia are studied. In addition, the analysis of structures, forces in beams and cables, and friction are studied.
Description:
This is a training basic course training and provides the knowledge to the engineering and science student can convert data into information, associate everyday situations with statistical processes, and determine scientific conclusions through experimental observations, applying descriptive statistics, notions of probability, models of random variables and inferential analysis.
Description:
This is a basic training course for engineering and science students, in which the study of matrices, systems of linear equations, vector spaces, linear transformations, spaces with inner product, eigenvalues and eigenvectors. The main purpose of the course is to contribute to the integral formation of the future professional allowing later, to take care of conceptual, social and technological necessities in the solution of problems and development of the abstract thought.
Description:
This subject of basic instruction and general education presents grammatical topics for the elaboration of an outline and a structured composition, through the development of the writing program in a transversal way. In addition, it allows the identification of arguments in oral and written communication on contemporary and academic topics. Additionally, appropriate vocabulary is applied to discuss issues related to different cultures, places where we live, everyday news, entertainment media, and past and future opportunities.
Description:
This subject of basic instruction is a theoretical-practical course that covers the fundamental basis of temperature, thermal expansion, ideal gases, heat, laws of thermodynamics, electrostatics, electrical circuits and electronic circuits in an environment of active learning.
Description:
This subject is professionalintermediate level of the Mining degree. It includes basic concepts of descriptive geometry and projections. The different types of applicableplans for design and mining worksconstruction are presented, and they allow to do the interpretation. Geographic information systems tools are used for the representation of vector and raster data, as well as the estimation of resources and exploitation volumes, developing models for engineering solutions.
Description:
This professional Civil Engineering course covers theoretical foundations and techniques for the analysis of flexible bodies exposed to the action of external loads, essential for the design of structures. The mechanical behavior of isostatic and hyperstatic structures is evaluated and practical methods are introduced for the determination of stresses and deformations.
Description:
This core subject of basic formation in the engineering degrees begins with the study of convergence criteria for numerical series and power series, providing methods for obtaining the latter. Next, analytical solving methods of ordinary differential equations of first and superior order are examined, including solutions in power series. Then, the Laplace transform is defined and used as a solving method of linear ordinary differential equations. As a final part, solving methods for solving linear ordinary differential equation systems are studied. The subject examines application problems of engineering and sciences modelled by ordinary differential equations and series and includes the use of software in a part of each practical session.
Description:
This subject of basic formation and general education, presents the grammar structures to produce a persuasive essay, through the transversal development of the writing programme. In addition, it allows students to identify specific arguments in the oral and written communication, as well as, to express their own opinions about different topics of social, academic, or professional fields. It also includes the necessary vocabulary to stablish a conversation, narrate situations of their environment, activities to reach their goals, analyze cause and effect and personal and professional opportunities.
Description:
This intermediate-level professional training course at Mina's career addressing the role of Geology in the mining industry, its relationship with the environment, and the legal aspects involved. In addition, the basic principles of the techniques for the evaluation of mineral deposits are reviewed, involving mining sampling, drilling, resources, reserves, cut-off grade, and geostatistical methods.
Third Year
Description:
This transversal course addresses the conditions required to innovate and the process associated with developing an innovation from an entrepreneurial point of view. Subsequently, topics such as the identification of opportunities, value creation, and prototyping and validation of products/services proposals are reviewed, as well as the elements of the business model and financial considerations that are essential for the feasibility and adoption of an innovation. Finally, entrepreneurial competences and process associated with the development and adoption of an innovation are studied.
Description:
This course is an introduction to the mechanics of fluids, and contributes to the professional training of engineering students, with emphasis on the understanding and application of the concepts, laws and equations of conservation of mass, momentum and energy, integral, differential and dimensional analysis methods, and of the techniques for solving problems in the field of engineering. The topics to be covered include fundamental concepts, fluid properties, pressure distribution across fluids at rest and their applications, integral, differential, and dimensional analysis techniques for engineering problem solving, and study of incompressible viscous flow in pipelines and around blunt and aerodynamic bodies.
Description:
This course of professional training of intermediate level of the Mining Engineer provides criteria and tools applied to the selection of equipment and explosives in mining works. Mechanized drilling methods are studied in surface or underground jobs and geometric characteristics, technical requirements and types of commercial explosives that suit to the conditions of the rock massifs, based on established local regulations. Emphasis is made in the design of drill and blast pattern applied to surface mining operations and underground. Cost analyzes associated with drilling and blasting are performed, and criteria for the transport, storage and handling of commercial explosives are studied.
Description:
Geomechanics is a professionalcourse of intermediate level of the Mining program that studies the mechanical behavior of rock mass in response to the stess exerted by their physical environment. The physical and mechanical properties of the rocks and geological structures present in the rock mass are described and determined. Empirical methodologies are applied for their classification and categorization, allowing determination of their mechanical competence for the design and construction of mining or civil works.
Description:
This intermediate-level professional course in Mining, covers matters related to mining equipment, its technological advancement, models and nomenclature, used in mineral processing plants, open-pit and underground mining. Technical aspects are addressed in the flow of equipment in the different mining operations.
Description:
This advanced-level professional course in Mining addresses the processes and criteria for the design of underground mining projects, including their economic evaluation. It covers the study of the mining methods and operations carried out in the extraction and production practices in underground mining, the dimensioning of structures and the selection of equipment.
Description:
As part of the specilization fo the Degree in Maining Engineering, this subject provides the principles, criteria and methodologies for the geotechnical characterization of soils, rocks and mining waste. It focuses on the analysis of slope stability as a result of induced stress and the effect of geological, meteorological processes and anthropological activities, for civil or mining purposes in superficial excavations. The course addresses the fundamentals of geotechnical analysis in mining dumps and during the construction of tailing dams. In situ and laboratory data are acquired and interpreted.
Description:
This intermediate level professional training course in the Mining degree addresses the area of occupational health and safety in the mining field. It is focused on the application of national and international standards that allow the control of risks and occupational accidents. Matrices are developed for the identification of hazards, risk assessment and determination of controls specific to the mining activity, considering the current Ecuadorian legislation on safety and health at work. Methodologies for the investigation of occupational accidents are applied, the protocols considered for the response to emergencies and the necessary requirements for the structure of an occupational health and safety management system in the mining field are studied.
Description:
This transversal training course for all students of the institution has five chapters. It introduces the key principles of sustainability and the path to sustainable development. Addresses ecological principles by deepen into biodiversity, ecosystems, human population and ecosystem services. Study the fundamentals of renewable and non-renewable resources as well as the alternatives for sustainable use. Analyzes environmental quality specifically in the air, water and soil components, delving into issues such as climate change, eutrophication and deforestation. Finally, it emphasizes on the economic axis with topics such as circular economy and on the social axis on topics such as governance and urban planning.
Description:
This advanced level professional training course for the Mining degree provides the necessary knowledge for the understanding, analysis and selection of open pit mining methods for the extraction of minerals of interest from metallic, non-metallic and ornamental rock deposits.
Description:
The level professional course advancing the career of Mines, addresses the transformation of the mineral resources applied to sustainable development, including the principles of mineralized samples and mineral particles, their mechanical behavior and the influence on their physical properties.The processes of crushing, grinding and sorting by sizes of particles, allowing the increase of both the capacity and the efficiency of the processes comminution.Finally, we study the control and sampling of a plant of mineral processing.
Fourth Year
Description:
This course addresses the effects of mining activity on different ecosystems and landscapes, as well as procedures of monitoring prevention and pollution. Furthermore, this course integrates the aspects of mining environmental management from the completion of the environmental impact study to the execution of environmental audits, including a mine closure plan and comprehensive management of mining waste.
Description:
This advanced vocational training course of the Mining Career addresses the techniques of recovery and extraction of economically profitable minerals and metals. Analysis of different physical and chemical processes by gravimetric and magnetic separation, leaching, froth flotation, pyrometallurgical oxidation of raw materials and hydrometallurgical recovery of metals in aqueous medium.
Description:
This advanced level professional training subject in the Mining degree studies the processes to be followed for the planning and design of open pit and underground mining operations. The bases are established for the design or optimization of the exploitation method considering geological, geotenic, environmental, economic, production, safety and equipment factors.
Description:
The advanced level professional training course of the Mining degree covers the basics of drainage design, ventilation and lighting in mining operations, focused on the principles of air quality, ventilation, drainage analysis and lighting in mining infrastructures. It also provides the technical criteria to achieve air quality and safety levels in underground and / or open-pit mining operations.
Additional
ARTS, SPORTS AND LANGUAGES ELECTIVE COURSES
1 credits - 1.9 ECTS
SELECTED ELECTIVE COURSE
3 credits - 5.8 ECTS
HUMANITIES ELECTIVE COURSES
1 credits - 1.9 ECTS
SELECTED ELECTIVE COURSE
3 credits - 5.8 ECTS
a) Apply technical and management capacities in Research–Development and Innovation (R + D + i) activities in the field of responsible use of surface and underground mineral resources in the national and international territory.
b) Design, plan, execute and direct mining–metallurgy projects in the short, medium and long term, integrating technical, environmental, economic and social information, according to the demands of society.
c) Apply current mining, environmental and labor regulations in the different phases of the implementation of mining–metallurgical projects.
d) Develop and apply environmental management, safety and occupational health systems in dedicated to small-scale, artisanal and large–scale mining activities.
e) Implement technological solutions for the optimization of mining-metallurgical processes, and the mitigation of impacts on nature due to the development of mining activities.
Occupational Profile
Design mining operations and projects, applying engineering and management knowledge. Manage, coordinate and supervise in a sustainable manner, operations and projects in deposit evaluation, geomechanics, mining exploitation, mineral processing and extractive metallurgy.
Have approved at least 48 credits in Vocational Training and Itinerary.
Have approved at least 26 credits in General and Complementary Education.
Have approved at least 31 credits in Basic Sciences and Mathematics.
Accredit a minimum experience of 336 hours corresponding to 7 credits of professional practices, divided into; 96 hours of community internships and 240 hours of pre-professional internships in the industry.
Pass the graduation process, equivalent to 8 credits.
The Capstone Project is a culminating requirement for graduation. These projects provide students with the experience of applying acquired knowledge and skills to the needs of society, with a focus on sustainability.
The IDEAR Fair showcases all Capstone projects, offering students a valuable opportunity to showcase their work and hone soft skills such as communication and teamwork. It is also a space for students to network with potential clients and future employers.
Explore all of the Capstone projects completed by the Mining program.
In Mining, students have the ability to carry out activities related to geomatics (Topography and Geographic Information Systems), underground and surface mining operations, mineral treatment plants. It should be noted that the student's profile is designated according to his progress in the career, which is linked to the number of subjects passed.
Profiles:
- Open Pit Operations Assistant: The student will be able to determine exploitation parameters in open pit mining. - Generate dimensioning of the machine park. - Design operations of starting, loading and transportation of minerals. - Design auxiliary operations in open pit mining. - Analyze operating costs of the open pit exploitation. - Optimize processes.
- Topography Assistant: The practicing student has the skills and knowledge to work within the company and execute the following activities: * Planimetric and altimetric surveys of open sky and underground works. * Topographic surveys for the calculation of mineral reserves and for the design of surface works.
- Mineral processing assistant: The student will be able to: - Control and take samples in conmination operations. - Control operations and processes in mineral benefit plant. - Carry out mineralogical tests for the control of mineral grades and control of mineral recovery processes.
- Occupational safety and environmental management systems assistant: The student will be able to: - Evaluate job positions from the point of view of worker safety and health. - Analyze the requirements of occupational safety and health management systems. - Verify compliance with the legal, environmental and safety framework of mining companies. - Analysis of production reports and tax reports of mining companies.
- Underground mining operations assistant: The student will be able to: - Design underground mining excavations. - Determine parameters of underground mining exploitations. - Design mineral grooving operations. - Design auxiliary operations in underground mining exploitations. - Control the pressure of the mine - Analyze operating costs in the underground exploitation. - Optimize processes.
DID YOU KNOW?
Mining engineers are professionals who oversee, manage, and optimize processes to harness mineral resources safely and sustainably. This field is broad and offers many opportunities, from mineral exploration and mine planning to environmental management, industrial safety, mineral processing, and consulting.
Through research and innovation, mining engineers help make mining more efficient and responsible, contributing to the development of society.
