Master of Business Administration (MBA) Programme “Subsoil – Mineral Resources Management”

Individuals who are residents of African countries and are employed by ministries, industry companies, state‑run universities, research centres or relevant organisations are eligible to apply for the competitive selection process for the MBA programme “Subsoil - Mineral Resources Management”.

The mandatory requirements for participation in the competitive selection are:

• Higher education (minimum level – Bachelor’s degree).

• English language proficiency – at least B1 level.

• Professional experience – at least 1 year.

• Recommendations from national line ministries.

• Successful result in the entrance examination (interview).

The curriculum is built on a modular principle and includes:

1. Technological module on the fundamentals of subsoil management, aimed at building knowledge of subsoil management, the role of the sector in the socio‑economic development of territories, and modern technologies applied in the industry. It comprises the following sections:

   • Fundamentals of Geology.

   • Geology and Mineral Resources of Africa.

   • Exploration, Evaluation and Assessment of Solid Mineral Deposits.

   • Petroleum Geology. Oil and Gas Engineering.

   • Geophysical and Geochemical Methods of Mineral Exploration.

   • Modern Technologies in Geological Exploration.

   • Digital Technologies in Geology and Mining.

   • Fundamentals of Mining.

   • Fundamentals of Mineral Processing.

   • Fundamentals of Metallurgical Production.

   • Environmental Principles of Natural Resource Management.

   • Assessment, Monitoring and Control of Industrial Safety at Mining Enterprises.

2. Economics and management module, aimed at providing the knowledge that forms the qualification. It comprises the following sections:

   • Philosophy of Science.

   • Economics of Subsoil Management.

   • Strategic Management in the Mineral Resource Complex.

   • Corporate Finance.

   • International Financial Reporting Standards.

   • Human Resource Management.

   • Legal Regulation and International Legislation in Subsoil Management.

   • Risk Management in the Mineral Resource Complex.

   • Project and Innovation Management.

   • Lean Production in the Mineral Resource Complex.

   • Sustainable Development Management.

   • Marketing and Global Mineral Markets.

   • Business Communications and Negotiations.

3. Study of Russian as a foreign language, rhetoric and business etiquette – to form additional competencies that expand communication opportunities in a professional environment.

Admission to the MBA programme is based on a submitted application, provided that the candidate meets the minimum threshold requirements and successfully passes the competitive selection process.

Acquisition of practical skills and experience is provided in the form of research work and case‑based assignments at the specialised training and production facilities of Saint Petersburg Mining University, its educational and research training grounds, and at production companies – academic partners.

Since the launch of the MBA programme “Subsoil – Mineral Resources Management”, participants have included heads of departments, directorates and divisions of ministries and resource companies from seven countries:

• Republic of Burundi;

• Republic of Mali;

• Republic of Niger;

• Federal Republic of Nigeria;

• Republic of Sierra Leone;

• Republic of South Africa;

• Republic of Sudan.