Master in Joint Master in Sustainable Mineral & Metal Processing Engineering

Master in Joint Master in Sustainable Mineral & Metal Processing Engineering is one of 12 English-taught Sustainable Development programmes at master’s level in the register, offered by 9 institutions. 10 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 727 to EUR 1,453; this programme lists EUR 1,453 a year. 7 are at a public university, where EU, EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters.

The Joint Master in Sustainable Mineral & Metal Processing Engineering is an Erasmus Mundus joint programme run by a consortium of four universities: the University of Oulu in Finland, the University of Zagreb in Croatia, Montanuniversität Leoben in Austria and Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María in Chile. You graduate with at least two Master's degrees and study at a minimum of three of the partner institutions. The teaching language is English.

What you study

The programme focuses on extracting metals and minerals efficiently while minimising environmental impact. You look at the optimal use of mineral phases from primary and secondary sources, and at characterising raw and residual materials with analytical methods. You learn to produce marketable ore concentrates and functional fillers from industrial minerals for industrial applications. Other areas include high-quality construction raw materials for large infrastructure, and the planning, instrumentation and process control of processing plants. Digitalisation of processing, in the sense of Industry 4.0, runs through the programme, and environmental protection is treated as part of the circular economy.

How the programme is organised

The degree takes four semesters and 120 ECTS. The first semester is at the University of Oulu in Finland, at the Oulu Mining School (30 ECTS). The second semester is at Montanuniversität Leoben (30 ECTS). For the third semester you go to either Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María in Chile or the University of Zagreb in Croatia (30 ECTS). The fourth semester is your Master's thesis, supervised by one of the partner universities and done in cooperation with industry (30 ECTS).

Who it suits

This programme suits students who want an international career in raw materials processing and who are willing to move between countries during their studies. The programme was created in response to demand for mineral resources, metals and materials in the transition to renewable energy, electromobility, digital communications and other clean energy technologies. If you are interested in separation processes, process design, simulation of mineral processing cycles and sustainable process development, this is a good fit.

Admission, language and next steps

Teaching is entirely in English. Applications go directly to the consortium through its online application, and the programme page gives the application period and admission details. Scholarship opportunities are considered as part of the online application. As a public university, Montanuniversität Leoben charges no tuition to EU/EEA and Swiss students within the standard duration plus two semesters; other students pay a fee per semester. Check the programme page for the full admission requirements and the application timeline.

The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Sustainable Mineral and Metal Processing Engineering - in short: EMJM PROMISE - was created because the demand for mineral raw materials, metals and materials is steadily increasing with the transition to renewable energy, electromobility, digital communication and other clean energy technologies. Students will acquire skills in the areas of mineral processing and refining, focusing on the fullest possible utilization of the contained (mineral) phases from primary and secondary sources, the characterization of raw and residual materials using state-of-the-art analytical methods, the production of marketable ore concentrates, the manufacture of functional fillers from industrial minerals for a wide range of industrial applications, the provision of high-quality construction raw materials for infrastructure buildings, the planning, instrumentation and process control of processing plants, and the digitization of processing according to the "Industry 4.0 concept" and environmental protection as an integral part of the circular economy. Students will study at at least three of the four universities. After completing the programme the students will receive several master's degrees.

The programme is run jointly by four leading universities in the field of mineral processing and mining: the University of Oulu (UOULU, Finland), the University of Zagreb (UNIZG, Croatia), the Montanuniversität Leoben (MUL, Austria) and the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (USM, Chile).

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here Montanuniversität Leoben. A public university sets the admission requirements and dates for this level, so read them on the programme page. Entrance examination, as the register states it: Admission procedure. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, the student residence permit and housing.