The minimum academic requirements are:
- Three term length courses beyond the MASc degree
- Satisfactory participation in the graduate seminar ( MINE-897)
- Successful completion of the comprehensive examination requirement, and
- Completion of a research thesis ( MINE-999)
Additional Program Requirements
All courses must be taken at the graduate level. For this minimum academic requirement, two term courses must be taken within, and one term course must be taken outside the Department of Mining Engineering. In certain cases, the number of courses required will be larger than the minimum. The department must approve the selected academic program.
All students who are doing laboratory research on campus must take CHEM 801, a non-credit course in laboratory safety, at the first opportunity after their initial registration. Students who have previously completed MINE 459 or MINE 851 as part of their regular undergraduate or graduate programs at Queen's University are exempt from this requirement. Students who are taking or have taken MNTC 408 (Departmental Safety Module) are also exempt from this requirement.
The comprehensive examination, an assessment of the student's understanding of the major areas of Mining Engineering, must be taken by all PhD candidates and may, under special entrance requirements, be required to be taken in two parts.
Should an entering PhD student's background in mining engineering or related disciplines be deemed insufficient, a designated program of study and/or completion of general knowledge examinations (first level comprehensive examination) will be required. The first level comprehensive examination will review the candidate's general background in Mining Engineering and must be held in the fall term of the second year of the PhD program.
If a first level knowledge examination is not required, the PhD student will be required to complete a comprehensive examination leading up to a final thesis defense that will cover the area of specialization and areas of the candidate's background preparation. The examination must be convened no later than 24 months after a student's initial registration in the Ph.D. program (if a first level comprehensive examination was not required) and at a minimum of 12 months prior to the final thesis defense.
Graduate students are required to complete training on the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), through the online course in Accessible Customer Service, as part of their graduate degree program and before being approved for graduation.
