Monash launches Resources Engineering program

Monash University’s Faculty of Engineering has announced its new Resources Engineering program, designed with the needs of the resources industry in mind. Undergraduate degrees offered include Renewable Energy Engineering, Oil and Gas Engineering, Geological Engineering and Mining Engineering, with strong links across the four degrees.

“There are always going to be jobs in the resources sector, and our new program covers the full spectrum,” said Associate Professor Bre-Anne Sainsbury, the founding director of Resources Engineering at Monash. “We’re never going to stop needing minerals — for technology and almost everything we use every day. Renewable and alternative energy use is growing exponentially, but traditional coal and hydrocarbon energy sources will be required long into the future to meet our ever-growing energy demands.”

Newcrest Mining, MMG, Woodside, Orica, CSIRO and many other companies, including renewable energy firms, are all involved in development and delivery of the Resources Engineering content. According to Associate Professor Sainsbury, “We’re engaging with industry on multiple levels to ensure our students will be absolutely at the forefront of technology.

“Our industry education partners will provide practising engineering professionals to help us deliver current and dynamic content, to ensure our graduates are relevant and industry ready.”

She added that the new degrees will feature a new, multidisciplinary way of teaching, “in that we’re embracing and including all Engineering and STEM disciplines”.

“We’re delivering course content from each engineering department at Monash, and across several other faculties, dipping into their science and business expertise,” Associate Professor Sainsbury said.

A key objective is to give students the opportunity to develop professional networks and secure jobs before they graduate, said Debra Stirling, chair of the Mining and Resources Advisory Board, who helped develop the new program. 

“We’re definitely giving the students a practical skill set so that they can hit the ground running,” Stirling said. “Essentially, we want to ensure they’re job ready, with a real understanding of operating in a global environment with multiple factors to consider. That’s what industry is looking for.”

The new program is taking enrolments from 2017. For more information, visit http://eng.monash.edu.au/civil/resources-eng/.