Canada's Mining University
Shaping our Mining Future
Canada’s Preeminent Mining University
Comprehensive Mining Education
Over the past sixty-five years, Laurentian University has established itself as Canada’s preeminent mining university for its comprehensive mining education program offerings and pure and applied which support the full mining cycle: from mineral exploration to occupational safety and health, all the way to bioremediation and environmental rehabilitation.
Undergraduate, graduate and doctoral studies are supported by a dedicated and knowledgeable faculty and researcher complement.
Programs. Training. Research. Solutions. Expertise.
Industry professionals can access online and in-class workshops, courses, certificate programs, as well as graduate degrees to further expand on their knowledge, broaden their skill set and seek solutions to mining industry challenges.
Home to the Goodman School of Mines, the Harquail School of Earth Sciences and the School of Engineering and Computation, Laurentian attracts industry leaders and top-calibre talent in its research, faculty, and student complement.
About Sudbury and Laurentian University
Laurentian University is the best place on Earth to study and pursue research in mining and the environment:
- Unmatched breadth of expertise from award-winning faculty and researchers
- Extensive educational programming and research that covers the full mining cycle
- Location in one of the world's largest integrated mining clusters (Greater Sudbury)
- Proximity to globally significant geology and over 140 years of active mining
- Living laboratory for world-class research
- Research centres focused across the mining life cycle (MERC, CROSH, MIRARCO, CFEU)
- Leadership from the Harquail School of Earth Sciences and the Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC) in major initiatives, including Metal Earth ($104M)
- A 65+ year legacy in mining education, research, and environmental reclamation
- Home of the Goodman School of Mines, with focused leadership and accountability for delivering on strategic priorities
- Support of a robust mining manufacturing and services sector
- On-site proximity to the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, the Ontario Geological Survey (OGS) and Ontario Geoscience Laboratories (GeoLabs)
- Thriving environment of innovative, resourceful and tech-savvy mining professionals
- Strong commitment to Indigeneity and Indigenous engagement
- Bilingual learning environment
- Capstone design and business incubator collaborative spaces
- Executive classroom and conference facilities with simultaneous interpretation
- Personalized learning with low faculty/student ratio 1:23
- Best consecutive post-graduate employment ratio in the province: 93% after 6 months; 98% after 2 years
- Multicultural, diverse, welcoming and supportive environment
- Immersive mining know-how
Situated in Sudbury, Ontario, Laurentian’s location provides unique advantages. The campus is on the southern rim of the world’s largest and best-exposed meteorite impact sites. Known as the Sudbury Basin Structure, it hosts one of the largest concentrations of nickel, copper and platinum sulfides, within the largest integrated underground mining complex on the planet. Sudbury is centrally located within northern Ontario, renowned for its rich base metal and critical mineral deposits. Most of the province’s 35 active mines are in the region, operated by industry giants which include Agnico Eagle, Glencore, McEwen Mining, Newmont, Pan American, and Vale, to name a few. This mining activity is supported by the depth of Laurentian’s research and teaching expertise and by a strong network of more than one thousand mining supply and service companies, a large number of which have close ties to the University.
Laurentian’s work in environmental rehabilitation of industrial landscapes has been recognized by the United Nations and is continuing with extensive research in bio-mining, bioremediation, and the development of biotechnologies to stabilize mine waste and reduce environmental impacts. Research with government, industry, and academic partners promotes sustainable solutions. In 2025, Vale renewed its ongoing support and donated nearly $1 million in funding to the Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit at Laurentian’s Vale Living with Lakes Centre to support long-term monitoring of Sudbury area ecosystems.
It has also earned the support of mining executives Ned Goodman and David Harquail, who, through their respective advisory boards, provide advice and additional business acumen to our Schools’ operations.
Laurentian's Minerals and Mining Strategy
Laurentian University is the best place on Earth to study and pursue research — from exploration to reclamation and everything in between.
LU Mining Strategy – External Stakeholder Survey
Laurentian University is developing a Mineral and Mining Strategy to strengthen its role in supporting innovation, workforce development, sustainability, and partnerships across the mining ecosystem. Your input will help shape this strategy and ensure it reflects the priorities and opportunities of our industry and community partners.
This survey should take approximately 15-30 minutes to complete. You are welcome to skip any questions that are not applicable to your experience or expertise.
Thank you for taking the time to share your insights and help shape the future of mining education, research, and collaboration at Laurentian University.
Our Expertise: Schools and Research Centres
Goodman School of Mines
Focused on the development of world-class credentials in all disciplines of the mining cycle, the School supports the ongoing development of future and current leaders in the mining industry and is at the forefront of conversations about mining education in the country and around the world. At Laurentian University, the Goodman School is your first go-to source of information on Laurentian’s spectrum of mining-related offerings, services and research.
From the student perspective, the Goodman School of Mines can expose future leaders to all facets of the industry. It serves as a bridge to educational opportunities, the pursuit of career advancement and the leap into unimagined discoveries.
School of Engineering
A top-ranked engineering school in Canada, the School of Engineering offers undergraduate opportunities in Chemical (link), Mechanical (link), Mechanical-Mechatronics (link) and Mining Engineering (link). At the graduate level, the School offers M.A.Sc., M.Eng. and PhD programs with a focus on mining, mining-mechanical, mechanical, mechatronics, chemical and process engineering, as well as bioprocesses and extractive metallurgy.
Located in the state-of-the-art Cliff Fielding Research, Engineering and Innovation facility, the School and its graduates enjoy a solid reputation among employers and industry.
Learn more about the School of Engineering
Learn more about our undergraduate programs:
- Chemical Engineering (co-op), B.Eng.
- Mechanical Engineering (co-op), B.Eng.
- Mining Engineering (co-op), B.Eng.
Learn more about our Graduate programs:
Harquail School of Earth Sciences
The Harquail School and its Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC) are at the forefront of the most comprehensive field- and laboratory-based Earth Science research and education programs in North America. Home to award-winning faculty, dedicated students, and top-calibre scientists focused on the advancement of geoscience education and research, its multifaceted offerings include industry driven courses for undergraduate and graduate students as well as working industry professionals.
MERC - Mineral Exploration Research Centre
The Mineral Exploration Research Centre has a solid track record on impactful research. At the heels of the NSERC-CMIC $13M Exploration Footprints Program, the Centre is now nearing completion of the latest $104M mineral exploration project, Metal Earth.
This massive international collaboration project informs mineral endowment and improved processes for mineral exploration targeting. Valuable data, maps, analyses and cutting-edge methods in mineral prospecting mapping produced are publicly available.
Its Isotope Geochemistry Lab (MERC-IGL) specializes in in-situ analyses of rock and mineral specimens using highly specialized electron microscopes and spectrometers for precise, efficient results. These analytical services are available to industry by contacting kross@laurentian.ca.
MIRARCO
Combining academic and professional dynamics, the Mining Innovation Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation develops innovative solutions to mining industry challenges through applied research. Key areas of research include geomechanics, mining safety, software/scheduling optimization, and energy.
CROSH-CRSST
A research hub for occupational health and safety, ergonomics and occupational physiology in workplace and industrial environments, the Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health works closely with industry, safe workplace associations, labour groups, and government on injury prevention, safer work practices and improved health outcomes.
Vale Living with Lakes
A multidisciplinary research and monitoring institute designed to assist in the protection and management of northern aquatic ecosystems, it is a true incubator for the advancement of environmental science.