Engineering

Master of Science in Mineral Exploration and Mining

The Master of Science in Mineral Exploration and Mining is a postgraduate programme that trains graduates in mineral exploration, mining geology, ore deposits, and mineral resource management. The programme prepares graduates for advanced careers in mineral exploration, mining operations, geological survey, and mineral resource development.

Core areas include mineral exploration, mining geology, ore geology, mineral deposits, geological mapping, geochemistry, geophysics, drilling, resource estimation, mine planning, environmental management, and research methods. Students engage with theoretical foundations and practical mineral exploration and mining applications.

The programme is offered by Kirinyaga University, Strathmore University, and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, with South Eastern Kenya University as a college. SEKU offers MSc Mineral Exploration and Mining with Year 1 fees KES 120,000 and Year 2 fees KES 122,700. SEKU also offers related MSc Exploration Geophysics. Kirinyaga University offers BSc Geology.

Students develop competencies in geological mapping, ore deposit analysis, geochemical exploration, geophysical exploration, drilling, resource estimation, mine planning, and research. The programme includes coursework, field work, laboratory practicals, examinations, supervised research, and thesis.

The programme is delivered over two years. SEKU MSc Mineral Exploration and Mining fees are KES 120,000 for Year 1 and KES 122,700 for Year 2. Entry requires Bachelor's degree in geology, mining engineering, earth sciences, or related fields with Upper Second or Lower with experience.

Graduates pursue careers as exploration geologists, mining geologists, resource estimators, mine planners, and lecturers in mining companies, exploration companies, geological surveys, government, and universities.

Skills Required

Mineral Exploration and Geological Mapping
Ore Geology and Mineral Deposit Analysis
Geochemical Exploration Methods
Geophysical Exploration Methods
Drilling and Resource Estimation
Mine Planning and Design
Mineral Resource Management
Environmental Management in Mining
Geological Data Analysis and GIS
Mineral Exploration Research Methods

Key Subjects

Mineral Exploration
Mining Geology
Ore Geology and Mineral Deposits
Geochemical Exploration
Geophysical Exploration
Drilling and Resource Estimation
Mine Planning and Design
Environmental Management in Mining
Geological Mapping and GIS
Mineral Exploration Research Methods

Certifications

SME Mining Certification
ICMM Sustainability Certification

Specializations

Mineral Exploration

Focuses on mineral exploration, prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical surveys, geophysical surveys, target generation, and discovering mineral deposits.

Mining Geology

Examines mining geology, ore body modelling, grade control, mine geology, structural geology, and applying geology in mining operations.

Ore Geology and Mineral Deposits

Covers ore geology, mineral deposits, hydrothermal deposits, magmatic deposits, sedimentary deposits, ore genesis, and understanding ore deposit formation.

Resource Estimation

Focuses on resource estimation, ore reserves, kriging, geostatistics, resource classification, JORC code, and estimating mineral resources and reserves.

Mine Planning

Examines mine planning, mine design, open pit planning, underground planning, production scheduling, and planning and designing mining operations.

Environmental Management in Mining

Covers environmental management, mine environmental impact, rehabilitation, mine waste, water management, and managing environmental aspects of mining.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 195,750
Private, up to: Ksh 300,000
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 15 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Mineral Exploration
Mining Geology
Ore Geology and Mineral Deposits
Geochemical Exploration
Geophysical Exploration
Drilling and Resource Estimation
Mine Planning and Design
Environmental Management in Mining
Geological Mapping and GIS
Mineral Exploration Research Methods

Modules

12 in the programme

Mineral Exploration and Prospecting
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines prospecting, geological mapping, stream sediment surveys, soil surveys, rock chip sampling, target generation, and discovering mineral deposits.
Mining Geology and Ore Body Modelling
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers ore body modelling, grade control, blasthole sampling, dilution, reconciliation, structural geology, and applying geology in mining operations.
Ore Geology and Mineral Deposits
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines hydrothermal deposits, magmatic deposits, sedimentary deposits, ore genesis, fluid inclusions, alteration, metallogeny, and understanding ore deposit formation.
Geochemical Exploration Methods
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers geochemical surveys, stream sediment, soil, rock, water geochemistry, anomaly detection, pathfinder elements, and applying geochemical exploration methods.
Geophysical Exploration Methods
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines magnetic surveys, gravity surveys, electrical surveys, electromagnetic surveys, radiometric surveys, seismic surveys, and applying geophysical exploration methods.
Drilling and Resource Estimation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers diamond drilling, RC drilling, core logging, sampling, drill hole data, kriging, geostatistics, variography, resource classification, JORC code, and estimating mineral resources and reserves.
Mine Planning and Design
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines mine design, open pit planning, underground planning, production scheduling, optimisation, mine ventilation, and planning and designing mining operations.
Environmental Management in Mining
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers mine environmental impact, rehabilitation, mine waste management, water management, AMD, EIA, mine closure, and managing environmental aspects of mining.
Geological Mapping and GIS
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines GIS for geology, ArcGIS, geological mapping, spatial data, remote sensing, drone surveys, and applying GIS in mineral exploration and mining.
Mineral Exploration Research Methods
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research methods for mineral exploration, field methods, laboratory methods, data analysis, geological modelling, and conducting mineral exploration research, preparing students for their thesis.
Mineral Economics and Mining Policy
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines mineral economics, mining policy, mineral rights, royalties, mining law, mining taxation, and understanding and navigating mineral economics and policy.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original research thesis on a mineral exploration and mining topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and mining geology knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Mineral Exploration
Focuses on mineral exploration, prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical surveys, geophysical surveys, target generation, and discovering mineral deposits.
Mining Geology
Examines mining geology, ore body modelling, grade control, mine geology, structural geology, and applying geology in mining operations.
Ore Geology and Mineral Deposits
Covers ore geology, mineral deposits, hydrothermal deposits, magmatic deposits, sedimentary deposits, ore genesis, and understanding ore deposit formation.
Resource Estimation
Focuses on resource estimation, ore reserves, kriging, geostatistics, resource classification, JORC code, and estimating mineral resources and reserves.
Mine Planning
Examines mine planning, mine design, open pit planning, underground planning, production scheduling, and planning and designing mining operations.
Environmental Management in Mining
Covers environmental management, mine environmental impact, rehabilitation, mine waste, water management, and managing environmental aspects of mining.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc Mineral Exploration and Mining programme begins with morning lectures on mineral exploration, mining geology, or ore geology. Students engage in theoretical discussions on mineral deposits, exploration methods, and mining operations. Mineral exploration sessions cover prospecting, geological mapping, stream sediment surveys, soil surveys, rock chip sampling, target generation, and discovering mineral deposits. Mining geology sessions examine ore body modelling, grade control, blasthole sampling, dilution, reconciliation, and applying geology in mining operations. Ore geology sessions cover hydrothermal deposits, magmatic deposits, sedimentary deposits, ore genesis, fluid inclusions, alteration, and understanding ore deposit formation. Geochemistry sessions examine geochemical surveys, stream sediment, soil, rock, water geochemistry, anomaly detection, and applying geochemical exploration methods. Geophysics sessions cover magnetic surveys, gravity surveys, electrical surveys, electromagnetic surveys, radiometric surveys, seismic surveys, and applying geophysical exploration methods. Drilling sessions examine diamond drilling, RC drilling, core logging, sampling, drill hole data, and managing and interpreting drilling data. Resource estimation sessions cover resource estimation, ore reserves, kriging, geostatistics, variography, resource classification, JORC code, and estimating mineral resources and reserves. Mine planning sessions examine mine design, open pit planning, underground planning, production scheduling, optimisation, and planning and designing mining operations. Environmental sessions cover mine environmental impact, rehabilitation, mine waste management, water management, AMD, and managing environmental aspects of mining. GIS sessions examine GIS for geology, ArcGIS, geological mapping, spatial data, remote sensing, and applying GIS in mineral exploration. Field work provides hands-on experience with geological mapping, rock descriptions, sampling, structural measurements, and field surveys. Laboratory sessions provide hands-on experience with microscopy, ore microscopy, geochemical analysis, XRD, XRF, and mineral analysis. Research methodology sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering geology research methods, field methods, and data analysis. Guest lectures from mining company geologists, Geological Survey geologists, Ministry of Mining officials, and exploration consultants provide real-world insights. The two-year programme culminates in a research thesis.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's growing mining sector, mineral discoveries, titanium mining, rare earths, gold mining, and government push for mining create high demand for qualified professionals.
SEKU offers MSc Mineral Exploration and Mining with verified fees of KES 120,000-122,700, providing affordable and accessible training.
Career opportunities with mining companies, exploration companies, Geological Survey, Ministry of Mining, and international organisations like AMDC, ICMM, and SME.
Programme addresses Kenya's mineral resource development needs, with significant economic potential in the mining sector.

Against it

Programme requires geology, mining engineering, earth sciences, or related background, which may exclude some graduates.
Field work requires travel to remote mining areas and geological sites, which may be logistically challenging.
Strathmore fees at KES 150,000 per semester (~KES 300,000/year) are significantly more expensive than public universities.
Specific fee structures for this exact programme at Kirinyaga, MMUST, and Strathmore could not be independently verified from official websites.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 332 engineering courses

Public153k to 196k

153k at South Eastern Kenya University196k at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology

Private195k to 300k

195k at Kabarak University300k at Strathmore University

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

MMUST ~196K/yr w/lab(mmust.ac.ke). SEKU ~153K/yr(tuko.co.ke). Private unverified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. Kenya Chamber of Mines supports mining industry training. AMDC supports mineral development in Africa. ICMM supports sustainable mining. SME supports mining professional development. The programme's mineral exploration and mining focus attracts industry and government funding.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
Kenya Chamber of Mines Funding
AMDC Research Funding

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate mineral exploration and mining studies at recognised universities.
Kenya Chamber of Mines Funding
GrantKsh 300,000Kenyan
Kenya Chamber of Mines supports mining industry training, providing funding for postgraduate study in mineral exploration and mining.
AMDC Research Funding
GrantKsh 400,000
AMDC supports mineral development in Africa, providing funding for postgraduate research in mineral exploration and mining.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: The programme accepts graduates from geology, mining engineering, earth sciences, physics, chemistry, environmental science, geological engineering, applied geology, geophysics, and related fields. SEKU requires Bachelor's degree in relevant discipline from accredited university. Two-year programme with full-time and part-time modes. SEKU fees KES 120,000 Year 1, KES 122,700 Year 2.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework30% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, laboratory reports, case studies, geological analysis projects, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination30% of the mark
Written examinations covering mineral exploration, mining geology, ore geology, and resource estimation, conducted at end of each semester.
Field and Laboratory Assessment
Practical40% of the mark
Assessment of field work, geological mapping, laboratory work, microscopy, geochemical analysis, geological modelling, and practical reports.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original research thesis on a mineral exploration and mining topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and mining geology knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). SEKU offers MSc Mineral Exploration and Mining with verified fees. SEKU also offers related MSc Exploration Geophysics. Kirinyaga University offers BSc Geology. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate mineral exploration and mining training. Ministry of Mining regulates mining in Kenya and Geological Survey of Kenya supports geological mapping.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. SEKU offers MSc Mineral Exploration and Mining with verified fees. SEKU also offers related MSc Exploration Geophysics. Kirinyaga University offers BSc Geology. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate mineral exploration and mining training.
Ministry of Mining Kenya
Professional accreditation
Ministry of Mining regulates mining in Kenya. Graduates working in mining may benefit from mining regulations knowledge and mineral rights licensing.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Exploration Geologist
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Conducts mineral exploration, overseeing geological mapping, sampling, target generation, drilling, and supporting mineral discovery.
Mining Geologist
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Applies geology in mining operations, overseeing grade control, ore body modelling, reconciliation, and supporting mining operations.
Resource Estimator
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Estimates mineral resources and reserves, overseeing resource modelling, kriging, geostatistics, classification, and supporting resource estimation.
Mine Planner
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Plans and designs mining operations, overseeing mine design, production scheduling, optimisation, and supporting mine planning.
Environmental Officer
Moderate demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages environmental aspects of mining, overseeing EIA, rehabilitation, waste management, and ensuring environmental compliance in mining.
University Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaches geology and mining in universities, conducting research and training future mineral exploration and mining professionals.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as exploration geologists, mining geologists, and resource estimators in mining companies, exploration companies, and geological surveys.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

ArcGIS
SoftwarePrimary
GIS software for geological mapping, mineral exploration mapping, spatial analysis, geological data management, and applying GIS in mineral exploration and mining.
Surpac
SoftwarePrimary
Mining software for geological modelling, resource estimation, mine planning, ore body modelling, and mine design in mineral exploration and mining.
Micromine
Software
Mining software for exploration data management, geological modelling, resource estimation, and mine planning in mineral exploration.
Leapfrog
Software
3D geological modelling software for implicit modelling, ore body modelling, geological visualisation, and 3D geological modelling in mining.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Mineral exploration and mining is just about digging holes.
The programme involves geology, geochemistry, geophysics, resource estimation, mine planning, environmental management, and research, covering comprehensive mineral exploration and mining science.
This programme is only for geology graduates.
The programme accepts graduates from geology, mining engineering, earth sciences, physics, chemistry, environmental science, and related fields.
There is limited demand for mineral exploration professionals in Kenya.
Kenya's growing mining sector, mineral discoveries, titanium mining, rare earths, gold mining, and government push for mining create high demand for qualified professionals.
Mining is environmentally destructive and not sustainable.
Modern mining involves environmental management, rehabilitation, sustainability standards, EIA, and responsible mining practices, making environmental management a key component.
Mineral exploration is outdated with modern technology.
Modern mineral exploration uses advanced geophysics, remote sensing, GIS, machine learning, and data analytics, making it a technology-driven field.
A master's in mineral exploration is redundant after a bachelor's in geology.
The master's provides specialised exploration and mining skills, resource estimation capability, and career progression to senior exploration and mining positions.