The undergraduate program in geological engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology, Inc (ABET). This degree program is designed for students who have the aptitude to master engineering fundamentals, but who also have the curiosity to apply their engineering training in context of the physical earth.

Design experiences aimed at incorporating real-world constraints into solutions to engineering problems are introduced early in the curriculum, and culminate in two capstone engineering design experiences taught within the context of groundwater remediation and geological hazards. Students must pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination in order to graduate.

MISSION

The mission of the geological engineering program is to educate and train through teaching, research, and service the critical thinking and communication skills necessary to help solve engineering problems and design engineering systems within the context of the natural earth. The program objectives are as follows:

1)    The students will be capable of utilizing their backgrounds in engineering and earth science to help solve engineering problems within the context of the natural world. Students will be able to analyze problems, design experiments, evaluate information, and communicate results both individually and as part of a team.

2)    The students will know and understand fundamentals related to the two following aspects of geological engineering: i) fluid flow and contaminant transport in the subsurface; ii) geomechanics (i.e. the behavior of earth materials) and geo-engineering (i.e. design with earth materials).

3)    The students will be educated in fundamental and current issues in the above aspects of the geological engineering profession, will know the steps required to attain a career in geological engineering, and will be shown the value of a desire for life-long learning within and outside the geological engineering profession.

4)    The students will be educated within an environment that fosters honesty, integrity, and a strong engineering and work ethic.

CURRICULUM

 PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

Thank you for your interest in our undergraduate program.  If you need further information, please contact:

Department of Geology and Geophysics

135 South 1460 East

Browning Building - Room 719

Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0011

Phone (801) 581-7162

Fax (801) 581-7065

GEO@mines.utah.edu