Why study Mineral Economics?
Mineral Economics
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Minerals and energy are of major importance to the world economy. In the midst of a world resources boom, the sector directly accounts for about three per cent of World GDP and more than fifteen per cent of international trade. Resources sector production is of major importance to the economic and social fortunes of more than fifty nations.
Appreciating the business and economic framework in which the resources sector operates requires a suitable knowledge of economic, financial, management, legal, regulatory, political and social environments. Good resource sector managers must combine this with sound technical knowledge of exploration, extraction, and processing. This makes mineral economics a special and exciting field of study. Its interdisciplinary nature means that the overwhelming majority of study in the field takes place at postgraduate level.
The Western Australian School of Mines is one of the relatively few institutions in the world that offers postgraduate programs in Mineral Economics. We are in good company. The other major programs are in universities like Curtin with strong traditions in minerals and energy education. They include the Colorado School of Mines, Michigan Tech, the University of the Witwatersrand and the Catholic University of Chile in Santiago.
Since 2001, we have collaborated with colleagues in the Department of Mining Engineering at the University of Chile to offer a Graduate Diploma in Mineral Economics in Santiago. Candidates who successfully complete this award may travel to Western Australia to complete the Master's program.
Our programs and students
Our main program is the Master of Science (Mineral Economics) coursework degree (Course no 198104).
We also offer the:
- Master of Science (Energy Economics and Management) (306455),
- Graduate Certificate in Mineral Economics; (127411), and
- combined Master of Science (Mineral Economics)/ MBA degree (307426)
These courses are available in a modular block-release format to provide the best possible service to our student group.
We also offer the option to undertake Master’s and Doctoral higher degrees by research.
Most students entering our Masters' and Graduate Certificate programs are mid-career resource sector professionals. They are seeking to broaden their skills to move into more senior management or decision-making roles as their careers proceed.
The record of students and graduates has been impressive. About a half of our graduates now occupy senior managerial or decision-making positions in their organisations. This compares well with the record of many other high-profile coursework Master’s programs.
Download the Mineral Economics Timetable 2008 - 2009
Find out more about the Mining Executive Development Program 2009
In 2008 there are about 100 students enrolled in our courses. A photo of our mid-year 2008 class appears below.
