The University of Idaho announced that it and North Idaho College will be collaborating to offer two paths to attain the state’s only Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering. The degree is intended to prepare students for careers in environmentally conscious and productive mining operations and is being touted as a “strategic partnership to support Idaho’s workforce development and economic growth,” according to UI’s press release.
Students pursuing this degree will be able to complete the first two years of the program at NIC before transferring to UI or complete the full four-year program at UI’s Moscow campus.
The program will offer courses in environmental best practices, renewable energy, natural resources, mitigating natural hazard risks, geotechnical risk assessment and modern mining practices. Within its geology degree, the program will have multiple mining-focused areas of degree emphasis, including sustainable mining and earth resources management, environmental hydrogeology and energy resilience.
Further, the new undergraduate degree will build on UI’s current graduate offerings in geological engineering.
The joint College of Science and College of Engineering degree is intended to fill the void that exists between engineering and earth sciences to create a more conscientious mining workforce.
“Pending re-openings of two mines in the Silver Valley are what’s fueling the geological engineering degree demand,” President Nick Swayne of NIC said in the release. These re-openings include two mines in Kellogg, the Bunker Hill Mine in 2026 and the Sunshine Mine in 2030.
Idaho, nicknamed “the Gem State,” is rich in many minerals that are necessary for national security, infrastructure, energy and technology.
Mike Lowry, currently a UI professor of civil and environmental engineering, will serve as the chair of the department housing the new degree program.
In a comment to The Argonaut, Suzanna Long, the dean of UI’s College of Engineering, said, “It is a privilege to welcome geological engineering to the degree programs available in the University of Idaho College of Engineering with related programs in the College of Science. Idaho mining is vital to the state and to the nation. The University of Idaho is ready to meet their workforce needs to prevent loss of skills and knowledge as many prepare to retire.”
Julia Kolman can be reached at [email protected].