Mining engineers plan, develop and operate mines, as well as other engineering excavations. They engineer the individual systems within a mining operation or large earth engineering project. Students gain extensive knowledge of the engineering systems necessary for planning and operating mines. They learn how to determine the economic worth of a mineral deposit and how rock behaves when excavated. They learn how to excavate, transport, and process minerals and coal. In addition, students use mining software to design, plan, and supervise mines. Emphasis is put on engineering mines to have minimal environmental effects. Undergraduate students in the UA Department of Mining and Geological Engineering choose from among four tracks to prepare for careers not just in the mining industry but also in areas such as oil and gas, construction, public health, environmental policy, and manufacturing.