Bachelor of Engineering in Mining, Critical Minerals and Metallurgy
Uganda holds gold, copper, cobalt, rare earths, lithium bearing pegmatites, iron and phosphates, and exports almost all of it in the least valuable form possible. The constraint on value addition is metallurgical and processing expertise, n...
Employment thesis
What this programme is designed to produce
Forward publishes the destination of every programme before you enrol. If the thesis stops holding, the programme is reviewed and, where necessary, retired. Next review: 2031.
Roles
- Mining engineer
- mineral processing and metallurgical engineer
- geotechnical engineer
- mine planner
- assay and quality engineer
- environmental and rehabilitation engineer
- resource governance analyst
- processing plant manager.
Employer types
- Mining companies and exploration firms
- mineral processing and smelting operations
- the Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines
- environmental regulators
- artisanal mining formalisation programmes
- battery and materials supply chains
- and consultancies.
Target outcomes we hold ourselves to
- Directly aligned to national mineral beneficiation policy, with strong regional mobility across the Great Lakes and Southern African mining economies.
Compulsory · The Forward Core
How the Core works →Every Forward programme, including this one, carries the same five cross-cutting requirements. They are graded, not optional.
- AI Fluency
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Ethics and African Context
- Human-Advantage Skills
- Enterprise
Includes 12 months paid work-integrated learning
Am I eligible?
Check yourself against the published requirements
7 questions written specifically for Bachelor of Engineering in Mining, Critical Minerals and Metallurgy. Every answer is checked against a requirement Forward has published, and the result tells you which page that requirement comes from. Indicative only, the admissions office decides on your full file.
What is the highest qualification you hold or are completing?
Curriculum structure
The same degree, in both pathways
Every Forward programme is published in both pathways: Path One, the term plan of two six-month terms, and Path Two, the block sequence of twelve four-week blocks. Same competencies, same assessments, same award. Toggle to see this programme in each.
Path One term plan shown
Path One · The Term Model
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 101 | AI Fluency I: How Intelligent Systems Work Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| ECE 110 | Engineering Mathematics I Objective | 5 | 4-2-0 |
| ECE 111 | Geology and Mineralogy Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| ECE 112 | Chemistry for Materials and Minerals Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| ECE 113 | Engineering Drawing, CAD and Field Practicum Performance | 3 | 1-0-4 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 102 | Quantitative Reasoning and Evidence Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| ECE 130 | Engineering Mathematics II Objective | 5 | 4-2-0 |
| ECE 131 | Structural Geology and Exploration Methods Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| ECE 132 | Thermodynamics and Transport Phenomena Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| ECE 133 | Mining Law, Governance and Community Relations Objective | 3 | 2-2-0 |
| COP 190 | Workplace Immersion (4 weeks, recess term) Performance | 0 | 0-0-0 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 201 | Ethics, Society and the African Context Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| ECE 210 | Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| ECE 211 | Mineral Processing I: Comminution and Separation Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| ECE 212 | Surveying and Mine Planning Performance | 5 | 1-0-8 |
| ECE 213 | Engineering Statistics and Sampling Theory Objective | 3 | 2-2-0 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 202 | Human Advantage: Argument, Writing and Teams Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| COP 290 | Co-operative Education Placement I (6 months) Performance | 10 | 0-0-0 |
| ECE 230 | Mining Methods: Surface and Underground Both | 6 | 4-2-2 |
| ECE 231 | Mine Health, Safety and Ventilation Both | 2 | 1-0-2 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 301 | AI Fluency II: Building, Evaluating and Auditing Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| ECE 310 | Mineral Processing II: Flotation, Leaching and Hydrometallurgy Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| ECE 311 | Extractive and Physical Metallurgy Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| ECE 312 | Critical and Battery Minerals Processing Performance | 4 | 1-2-4 |
| ECE 313 | Assay, Analytical Chemistry and Quality Control Performance | 4 | 1-0-6 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 302 | Enterprise, Employability and Financial Literacy Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| COP 390 | Co-operative Education Placement II (6 months) Performance | 10 | 0-0-0 |
| ECE 330 | Mine Environmental Engineering, Tailings and Rehabilitation Both | 6 | 4-2-2 |
| ECE 331 | Mineral Economics and Markets Objective | 2 | 1-2-0 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 401 | AI Fluency III: Domain Deployment, Governance and Assurance Both | 3 | 1-2-0 |
| ECE 410 | Plant Design, Simulation and Process Control Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| ECE 411 | Artisanal and Small Scale Mining Engineering Practicum Performance | 5 | 1-0-8 |
| ECE 412 | Mineral Resource Estimation and Geostatistics Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| ECE 413 | Specialisation Elective I Objective | 3 | 2-2-0 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 402 | Capability Portfolio and Day One Preparation Both | 3 | 1-2-0 |
| ECE 430 | Minerals Capstone: Beneficiation or Plant Improvement Project Performance | 9 | 0-2-16 |
| ECE 431 | Digital Mining: Sensing, Automation and Analytics Performance | 4 | 1-2-4 |
| ECE 432 | Engineering Economics and Project Management Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| ECE 433 | Professional Engineering Practice, Ethics and Registration Objective | 4 | 3-2-0 |
Total credit units: 178
Curriculum source
Forward University Curriculum Compendium
Assessment
Coursework + project + integrated exam
Work-integrated learning
12 months paid co-operative education
Your week at Forward
A typical week on Bachelor of Engineering in Mining, Critical Minerals and Metallurgy
Path One, the Term Model: your own pace across a six-month term, one live session a week, short flexible lessons, and assessment on demand.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Curriculum explorer
Drill into the degree, step by step
Choose a study path, then a year, then a term or block, then a course. Credit totals add up as you go, and every course shows what comes before it and what it unlocks.
Step 1, choose a year
Step 2, choose a term
TERM 1 (SIX MONTHS) | FORMERLY YEAR 1, SEMESTER 1
Year 1 · this step is worth 22 CU
Cumulative
22
Programme total
176
22 CU of 176 CU completed by the end of this step (13%)
Step 3, choose a course
Pick a course to see the detail
Credits, assessment, prerequisites and what each course unlocks later.
The twelve Forward capabilities
What this programme develops in you
Every Forward degree develops the same twelve cross-cutting capabilities. The profile below is the level this programme is designed to develop and verify by graduation, on the four-level scale in Part B2 of the Curriculum Compendium. Every claim above Level 2 is verified by someone other than the teaching lecturer.
- C1Intelligent Systems FluencyLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C2Quantitative and Evidential ReasoningLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C3Ethical and Contextual JudgementLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C4Communication and PersuasionLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C5Disciplinary Mastery CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C6Technical Production and Craft CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C7Problem Framing and Systems ThinkingLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C8Collaboration and Multidisciplinary TeamingLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C9Enterprise, Value and Commercial LiteracyLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C10Professional Conduct and Workplace Performance CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C11Learning to Learn and Adaptive CapacityLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C12Stewardship and Public Contribution CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
Critical capabilities for this programme: Disciplinary Mastery · Technical Production and Craft · Professional Conduct and Workplace Performance · Stewardship and Public Contribution. A graduate cannot pass out of this programme below the stated level on any capability marked critical.
Programme Learning Outcomes
What you will be able to do
Each outcome is assessed, and each is tagged with the Forward capabilities it is verified against.
- PLO 1Characterise a mineral deposit and design an appropriate extraction method.
- PLO 2Design and operate mineral processing and beneficiation circuits and quantify recovery.
- PLO 3Apply extractive and physical metallurgy to produce refined or semi-refined products.
- PLO 4Apply rock mechanics and geotechnical analysis to safe mine design.
- PLO 5Design and implement environmental management tailings safety and mine rehabilitation.
- PLO 6Engage artisanal and small scale operators technically and support formalisation.
- PLO 7Build the economic and value addition case for processing minerals domestically.
Why this programme exists
Uganda holds gold, copper, cobalt, rare earths, lithium bearing pegmatites, iron and phosphates, and exports almost all of it in the least valuable form possible. The constraint on value addition is metallurgical and processing expertise, n...
Admission requirements
UACE with two principal passes in Physics, Chemistry or Mathematics (at least two of these), plus UCE with five passes including Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and English. Alternative pathways: Foundation Year, diploma entry with advanced standing, mature age entry and recognition of prior learning, all governed by Part A5 and Part G. Online applicants additionally complete the compulsory Digital Readiness orientation under Part D6.
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