The Graduate Diploma in Ground Control is offered as a specialist postgraduate coursework qualification for people who currently, or plan in the future to, work within the underground mining industry with particular responsibilities in the field of ground control. The program has been designed to cater for people with different backgrounds, including either engineering or scientific tertiary qualifications and/or relevant experience. The program may be undertaken on either a part-time or full-time basis.

The overall program content provides an initial grounding in fundamental principles of geomechanics and geotechnical engineering, followed by a comprehensive coverage of practical ground control applications, from the point of view of both the technologies involved, together with their implementation and management. The learning outcomes of this program will therefore provide a student with both the fundamental and practical knowledge base to be able to fulfil the role of a Ground Control Engineer.

The program is particularly designed for people working at mine sites, or those who have access to a mine site for practical assignments. The course is offered in a flexible delivery format, with a large component available in a distance format, plus a limited number of face-to-face workshops/sessions. Assessments will include a number of practical, site-based assignments, including group and interactive work and presentations.

The program consists of 3 core courses and 3 elective courses, each worth 6 UOC, to satisfy the program requirement of 36 UOC. All courses will be presented in a block or distance mode. It is envisaged that a student would normally complete the program in three sessions (18 months).