Admission Requirements
Program Specific Requirements
Domestic Admission Requirements
Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
Grade 12 English (C, U)
Grade 12 Math (C, U) (MCT4C preferred; MAP4C is accepted with a minimum GPA of 60%)
Grade 12 Chemistry (C, U) recommended
Grade 12 Physics (C, U) recommended
Or equivalent
Or mature student status (an applicant who does not have a high school diploma or equivalent, and will have reached the age of 19 years on or before the start of the program). Mature students must undergo academic testing prior to admission into a program. Call the Admissions Office at 705-235-7222 for more details. Academic prerequisites for this program may be obtained free of charge through Academic Upgrading on any of Northern College’s campuses.
What you learn
This course introduces the student to health and safety in their home, in society and within an occupational setting. Students learn about the social and personal benefits of safe work practices and the methods to best prevent accidents or injuries. Students will review the role, right and responsibilities of an individual in today’s health and safety conscious world. Students also learn how to read and interpret the Occupational Act and Regulations.
This course covers basic algebra properties, graphing the straight line, basic geometry and trigonometry, and solving a system of equations graphically and algebraically. It also covers vector addition by components and by the cosine and sine laws.
This is a course in general chemistry designed to provide a fundamental background for students to understand chemical concepts and to appreciate the applications and implications of chemistry in technology and society.
The geology of the Precambrian, Palaeozoic and Cenozoic eras is introduced in this course. Students are introduced to mapping techniques and the “art” of visualization. Topics include basic geological structures, historical geology and physical processes such as glaciation. Mineralogy is introduced through the physical properties of minerals.
This course discusses the origin and history of mining and its contributions to ancient and modern civilizations. Students are introduced to basic geological and mining terminology, mineral reserve estimation, the mining sequence and to some of the legal requirements governing mining activities.
This course is an introduction to the basic principles of Plane Surveying. The theory and use of theodolites/total stations, steel tapes and levels will be covered. Basic surveying calculations for direction, coordinates and area will be included.
Communications I is a practical course designed to help strengthen essential oral and written communication skills. Students will be exposed to a variety of learning methods and communication formats. Emphasis will be placed on the use of appropriate structure, writing conventions, tone, and style as well as the enhancement of interpersonal, teamwork, and presentation skills. Students will also develop discipline-specific documents, practice proper business etiquette and learn the importance of ethical behaviour and professionalism in the classroom and workplace. Attention to detail and the development of critical thinking skills are emphasized. Students will learn to apply MLA format to assignments as applicable.
This general education course will provide students with an introduction to Canadian Indigenous Nations’ history, sovereignty, land titles, cultural history and current critical issues. Topics addressed include the content of aboriginal rights, economic and social development, community and political processes, and business law and policies, justice & social services. Canadian Indigenous History and Relations is a general education course that has been incorporated into all programs at Northern College.
Communications 2 is a one-semester course that applies the oral and written communication tools learned in Comm1 to specific business/technical applications as required by industry today. The student will enhance the writing skills acquired in COMM1 and learn to produce effective documents including business letters, emails, employment documents as well as reports applicable to their field of study. Students will also learn how to plan and participate in meeting situations and participate in mock interviews (as applicable) so that they are prepared to transition into the competitive employment market. Students will continue to learn and apply proper language and grammatical structures and apply editing strategies to business/technical documents through both in-class/online activities and through the usage of the customized Mylab online grammar tool. As with COMM1, the content will be inclusive and reflect the diverse workplace that students will experience in the future.
*Students for whom English is not their first language will receive additional language support through the concurrent delivery of CM2933 (Enhanced Comm2) which continues to focus on the foundational grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure skills introduced in CM1933.
This is an introductory course designed to teach students the basics of using the AutoCAD drafting software to create 2 dimensional drawings. Lessons include using the draw, modify, layering and annotation commands.
MA2104 is the second course in the math stream for students in an Engineering Technician / Technology program. The emphasis of this course is on solving equations relating to quadratics, logarithms, exponentials, with sections on factoring, fractional equations, manipulating exponent and radical expressions, and complex numbers, and for some programs studying systems of linear equations and determinants. Applications of the basic concepts, to particular fields of study, will be covered.
The second semester Mathematics course is designed to give the student the mathematical tools required to function in his/her special field of study.
Students are encouraged to seek help after class hours if problems are encountered in the course. Every effort will be made to identify problem areas to the student, but in the final analysis, it is the responsibility of the student to ask for help.
Prerequisite: MA1100 – Mathematics I (with 60%)
This course will introduce the student to mineral processing theory, equipment and process. It will look at the steps involved in basic mineral processing of ores, from extraction to the disposal of tailings.
This half-semester course reviews concepts of metric and British systems of units, conversions, vectors, statics, motion, force, work, and energy. The objective of this course is to familiarize students with the basic principles of physics that have application in many of the technologies associated with mining, geology and metallurgy.
This course is the continuation of the study of minerals including native elements, sulphides, arsenides, and some oxides. Also physical geology is studied with topics including maps, an introduction to air photos, mineral exploration, processes affecting and forming the earth, and some qualitative geochemical analysis.
This course introduces basic engineering principles used for the design and development of surface mines. The various types of methods and material handling systems used in the exploitation of surface mines are also discussed.
The Mining Engineering Technician program requires two Field School components to be completed on-site in Haileybury. The Field Schools are typically two weeks in length and take place in May.
Field School I includes MI3043 Surveying II and MI3163 Mineralogy and Geology III.
General Education Courses are selected online each semester by the student from a list provided and exposes students to a related area of study outside of their immediate academic discipline. Certain programs have predetermined electives.
MA3033 focuses on additional topics in algebra, geometry and trigonometry. Applications from many fields of technology are explored to show where and how mathematical techniques are used in the real world. Emphasis is placed on doing mathematics.
The learner is expected to apply time and effort to understanding the basic concepts. The learner is also expected to apply time and effort in demonstrating acquired knowledge by solving basic word problems involving technical applications. Using mathematics effectively in everyday situations requires the ability to apply a wide variety of mathematical skills accurately.
Students who successfully complete this course will have demonstrated their ability to apply the concepts of number and space to situations which include quantities, magnitudes, measurements, and ratios. They will have developed their ability to identify the need for mathematics, to apply mathematical techniques (concepts, conventions, strategies, and operations) and to check the results of their analyses. This will require flexibility, creativity and confidence which can only be gained through practice.
Elements of the Performance include:
- Recognize real-life problems that require mathematics to solve
- Assess potential mathematical strategies (including models, geometric representations or formulae, elementary algebraic equations, descriptive statistical methods, and mathematical reasoning) for suitability and effectiveness
- Decide on the degree of accuracy required for answers
- Estimate probable answers
- Execute mathematical operations necessary to implement selected strategies
- Use calculators or appropriate technological tools to perform mathematical operations accurately
- Check for errors in numerical answers and the appropriate fit between problems and answers
- Express answers clearly
- Transfer the use of mathematical strategies from one situation to another
This course starts with a review of basic mining nomenclature, calculations, processes, planning and guiding tools and other activities performed at the exploration & evaluation stages of the mining sequence. Next, rules-of-thumb and basic engineering principles used for the design, development and exploitation of underground mines are introduced. Various types of underground mine development openings, mining methods, rock breakage and material handling systems used in underground mining are also discussed.
The survey course is project oriented with the objectives of making the student familiar with differential leveling methods, the operation and care of optical theodolites, as well as the application of basic underground surveying procedures and calculations.
This half-semester course examines the concepts of Safety and Loss Control in organizations. Students will review the elements of a well-designed Occupational Health and Safety program, the principle of due diligence, the basic causes of accidents and/or injuries as well as practices used to identify, control and evaluate hazards in the workplace.
This course is designed to continue field mapping techniques, specifically on a detailed grid, as well as traverse mapping. Concurrently, students will cover a course in Exploration Geochemistry (concepts, practical computer exercises and limited field work), as well as be introduced to GPS systems. Advanced topics in Plate Tectonics will also be introduced. These skills will be practiced in Mineralogy and Geology IV.
This course covers intact rock properties, rock mass characteristics and classification. Other topics include: geo-technical data collection, rock stress distribution and failure, induced stresses around openings, underground opening and pillar design, rock reinforcement and support, ground support systems, such as mesh, bolt, cable and shot Crete, and ground system design.
General Education Courses are selected online each semester by the student from a list provided and exposes students to a related area of study outside of their immediate academic discipline. Certain programs have predetermined electives.
This course first reviews the basic drawing, editing and display commands used in Release 2021. Advanced drawing, editing and display commands relating to blocks, Xrefs, attributes, and hatching are learned. Commands for drawing and modelling in 3-D are introduced. Practical assignments relate to office plans, wireframing, geology plans and cross-sections, 3-D visualization and a milling flow sheet. The final assignment uses the Promine mine design software, that is based on AutoCAD, to do a 3-D design of a mine.
This course will cover such topics as: classification of data using Excel, x-y graphs, bar graphs and pie charts; organization of data into frequency distributions, calculation of the mean, the median, variance and standard deviation for grouped data; probability and frequency distributions, binomial and normal distributions, estimation of population means, standard deviation and proportions within a given confidence interval; control charts for statistical process control; and regression and correlation analysis.
Pre-requisites: MA1100 Mathematics I
This course briefly reviews the history of the managerial concept and discusses organizations and modern managerial functions. Students are introduced to the roles and duties of supervisors in modern organizations and some of the legal requirements and liabilities associated with supervisory activities.
This half-semester course reviews basic financial mathematics and introduces the concepts of discounted cash flows, rate-of-return, sensitivity and risk analyses. Evaluation of equipment replacement alternatives, including “buy versus lease” and the effects of taxation and capital expenditure depreciation on mine project cash flows are also discussed.
This half-semester course briefly reviews potential environmental impacts of mining. Students are also introduced to environmental regulatory requirements, best practices, monitoring and reporting.
This course extends the study of fundamental Mineralogy into the systematic study of the principal rock-forming mineral families (especially silicates and secondary silicates), including properties and uses, as well as introducing petrology. Students will learn to identify major rock types. Also, students will be introduced to geochemical exploration and hydrology.
This half-semester course briefly reviews fundamental design principles of underground mine ventilation such as air flow and resistance estimation, fan selection and mine air quality. Students are also introduced to mine ventilation monitoring, control techniques and legislated requirements.
In this 3-day survey field course, practical hands-on undergound skills and calculations are emphasized. Topics include total station basics, data collector technology, underground surveying techniques, shaft plumbing techniques, control survey verification and GPS applications. Emphasis will be placed on maintaining proper field notes of all information gathered.
The Mining Engineering Technician program requires two Field School components to be completed on-site in Haileybury. The Field Schools are typically two weeks in length and take place in May.
Field School I includes MI4013 Surveying IV, MI4043 Mineral Processing II, and MI4093 Mineralogy and Geology VI.