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Metallurgical engineers play a vital role in developing, managing and improving the processes required to transform ore into metals and recycle metals into useful products.

With a strong focus on efficiency and sustainability, these engineers are involved in the physical and chemical processing of metals from crushing, extraction and purification through to product development.

In this major, you will study the modelling, design, economics of resource industry processes.

Specialisations

To study this major, you'll have to choose an engineering specialisation first. The metallurgical engineering major is available to study within the chemical engineering specialisation.

Highlights

1 in Queensland for chemical engineering

QS World University Rankings 2025

39 in the world for chemical engineering

QS World University Rankings 2025

Watch Meet Isabella, a Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering student at UQ on YouTube.

Career possibilities

Our programs prepare you for your first job and beyond. Here are some of the careers you could be on your way to:

  • Metallurgical engineer
  • Manufacturing engineer
  • Chemical engineer
  • Senior plant metallurgist
  • Laboratory technician
  • Process engineer

Mid-career salary

Metallurgical Engineer

$68K–$114K

payscale.com

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How you'll learn

Your learning experiences are designed to best suit the learning outcomes of the courses you choose.

  • Lectures
  • Tutorials
  • Work placements
  • Overseas study
  • Laboratory work
  • Fieldwork
  • Workshops

What you'll study

At UQ, subjects are called 'courses'. Here's a sample of the courses you could study:

  • Mineral and Coal Beneficiation
  • Pyrometallurgy
  • Process Mineralogy and Comminution
  • Aqueous Solution Processing and Electrometallurgy

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