Education Overview
Colorado School of Mines offers a special emphasis sequence in Energetic Materials (Explosives) within the Materials Science graduate program. This special emphasis in Energetic Materials (Explosives) will be offered to students pursuing PhD and MS degrees in Materials Science. This interdisciplinary area of emphasis will endeavor to recruit professional students from U.S. national laboratories, government agencies and private-sector companies. Graduate students will be closely mentored by subject-matter experts and industry professionals and will be allowed the unique opportunity to investigate material and material properties under dynamic loading, energetic materials undergoing detonation, high-fidelity technology, post-detonation phenomena, and material behavior under large-rate deformation and strain. In addition to the world-class facilities already on the Mines campus, including the explosives research laboratory (ERL), small-scale laboratory/blasting chamber (SSL), and the high-fidelity mobile detonation physics laboratory (HFMDPL), cooperative participation with research personnel from Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories is currently being developed. Moreover, the program has the support of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The ERL team works closely with the Mining Engineering Department to enhance the explosives minor program. This collaboration exposed students to cutting edge explosives research currently being conducted by ERL and provides Mines students with hands-on, practical field experience.
Students graduate from the explosives minor program with unique explosives knowledge and experience that provides them with a competitive advantage in their future career.
The ERL group is actively involved in training and continuing education programs for industry and end users of explosives. These training programs can be tailored to a variety of experience levels and areas of interest.
ERL has partnered with the ATF, FBI, Colorado Department of Labor and local police departments to offer an explosives education program for high school students. This one-of-a-kind program is designed to educate students about the proper use of explosives, their role in industry and forensics investigation. Blaster Day provides students the opportunity to conduct their own forensics investigation. To schedule a Blaster Day for your group, please contact the Mining Engineering Department.
Mines Courses: A complete sequence of explosives engineering courses are offered for Mines students. Interested students can use the sequence to earn a minor or area of special interest in Explosives Engineering or Explosive Processing of Materials. A two-week summer course MNGN 222 is offered for freshman and sophomores that exposes students to the fundamentals of explosives science and engineering through coursework and laboratory activities. Students can then progress through the Explosives Engineering I and II courses that expand their understanding through applied explosives engineering laboratories and explosives science projects. Finally, a rock fragmentation course is taught for Juniors and Seniors with interest in rock blasting.