mines thesis committee form

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You should begin your thesis process by the second semester of classes as a master’s student, or at least one year before you plan to receive your degree as a Ph.D. student. Below are some items to consider as you begin the thesis process.

After a thesis topic has been selected, a research proposal is written. The research proposal is a description of the research the student intends to undertake, which will be reported in a more detailed and comprehensive fashion in the thesis. The proposal is your opportunity to convince the advisory committee of your ability to pursue the project to a successful conclusion. The thesis proposal itself does not need to be approved by the OGS.

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This resource is intended to serve as a guide, for graduate students and faculty alike, on how to navigate the procedures and requirements established for graduate students by the Mines Physics Department.

Arrival at Mines

Whether you are a new Mines M.S. or Ph.D student in physics, an M.S. student in one of our combined programs , or a graduate student within the Materials Science, Nuclear Engineering, or Quantum Engineering graduate program working in our department, we welcome you to Graduate School at the Colorado School of Mines!

The School has a number of resources for new graduate students, including

• Student Activities
• Graduate Studies (Please also refer to the Links tab of this document)
• Generally, incoming graduate students become employees of Colorado School of Mines, and are thus required to do some initial paperwork for our Human Resources office

No matter what your role in our Department, the following are useful guidelines:

Establishing Residency

Student identification card and computer account.

• obtain a student Blaster Card (an identification card, named after the Mines mascot Blaster, an irritable-looking burro with a stick of dynamite clenched in his teeth). This is needed to enter the building after normal business hours.
• establish a campus computer account and campus email address via Mines MultiPass Account Claim
• fill out a form (available from the Physics Department administrative assistant Barbara Shellenberger , CoorsTek 382F, to start an account on the Physics Department network, which provides access to many physics-specific tools.
• notify the student’s academic advisor (named in the admission letter) and Barbara Shellenberger of your new campus email address as soon as possible in order for you to be included in the distribution list for important notifications from the Department.

Transfer credit

Obtaining transfer credit is not simply a way of saving yourself time. The Graduate Bulletin states

Students enrolled in thesis-based degree programs who have completed the minimum course and research requirements for their degree are eligible to continue to pursue their graduate program full time at a reduced registration [tuition] level.

The sooner you have your Admission to Candidacy form approved the sooner you (and your thesis advisor’s grant) qualify for reduced tuition.  Please see Eligibility for Reduced Registration in the catalog on the Registration and Tuition Classification page.

The Physics Department’s Graduate Student Advisory Committee (GSAC) reviews applications for transfer credit. See the form entitled Transfer of Course Credit in the Forms section on this page. You should apply to the GSAC in the first week of your first semester at Mines. This process can actually begin when you are admitted into the program so you can confirm, before accepting admission, how much transfer credit you will probably be granted. Inmaking decisions, the GSAC (or sometimes faculty who have recently taught a particular graduate orundergraduate course) will evaluate degrees, theses, transcripts, and course materials (text, syllabus, and assignments) from courses the applicant has taken, so please be prepared to bring in this material.

Deficiency courses

Whether you are a new Mines M.S. or Ph.D student in physics, an M.S. student in one of our combined programs , or a graduate student within the Materials Science, Nuclear Engineering, or Quantum Engineering graduate program working in our department, we welcome you to Graduate School at the Colorado School of Mines! The School has a number of resources for new graduate students, including

MS Applied Physics

Department's recommended degree timetable - m.s..

Remarks for Mines students in Combined Programs

• Submit the  graduate admissions application  during your junior year.
• The Thesis Committee be formed by the end of the first month of graduate school.
• Most research be completed by the end of the first semester of graduate study.
• The thesis proposal, consisting of a 5-page proposal and a 10-minute oral defense, be completed by October in order to graduate in May.
• The M.S. thesis be defended well before the end of the second (Spring) semester.

Course Requirements

Thesis proposal.

• Include adequate background to allow the committee to understand the importance of the proposed research.
• Discuss the project within the framework of prior research and place it in context within the relevant field of study. Include an adequate bibliography to demonstrate that you have a complete grasp of the relevant literature.
• Present and justify the techniques and approaches that will be used to achieve the proposed goals. While not always necessary, preliminary results are often included to help justify the direction and approach.

Thesis preparation and defense

• Final copies of the thesis must be given to the committee members at least a week before the defense date.
• A copy of the thesis should be left with the department administrative assistant at the same time it is distributed to the committee to allow non-committee members, who might wish to attend the defense to review the thesis in advance.
• An email announcement which includes the student’s name, thesis title, location, and time of defense should be sent to physics department faculty, staff, and graduate students at least one week before the defense.
• An advertisement for the thesis defense should be printed and given to the department administrative assistant at least one week in advance of the defense.
• The defense should be scheduled for two hours. This includes an oral presentation by the student of a summary of the thesis, followed by questions from the committee and guests. The length and style of presentation is determined by the committee chair in conjunction with the student although talks are typically 30-40 minutes long.
• After a successful defense, and completion of any corrections to the thesis, the thesis is formally submitted. Note: the possibility of strictly electronic submission is currently being considered. The Statement of Work Completion form is submitted to the Graduate School office. A copy must go to the department administrative assistant and to the thesis advisor.

The check-out procedure for graduation is discussed in the Graduate Bulletin.

PhD Physics

Department's recommended degree timetable - ph.d..

Quality control process and admission to candidacy

To demonstrate adequate preparation for the Ph.D. degree in Physics, each student must achieve a grade of 3.0 or better in each core course. Students not meeting this standard must pass oral examinations covering the relevant core courses or retake the courses with a grade of 3.0 or better within one year. This process is part of the requirement for admission to candidacy, which full time Ph.D. students must complete within two calendar years of admission, as described in the campus-wide graduate degree requirements section of this bulletin. Other degree requirements, time limits, and procedural details can be found in the Physics Department Graduate Student Advising Brochure .

Thesis proposal

• Discuss the project within the framework of prior research and place it in context within the relevant field of study. Include a comprehensive bibliography to demonstrate that you have a complete grasp of the relevant literature.
• Include a time table for completion of the thesis and a list of courses that have been taken (or will be taken) to meet the degree course requirements.
• Copies of the thesis must be given to the committee members at least a week before the defense date.
• A copy of the thesis should be left with the department administrative assistant at the same time it is distributed to the committee to allow non-committee members who might wish to attend the defense to review the thesis in advance.
• An advertisement for the thesis defense, using the form given in the forms section of the brochure, should be printed and given to the department administrative assistant at least one week before the defense.
• The defense should be scheduled for two hours. This includes oral presentation by the student of a summary of the thesis. This is followed by questions from the committee and guests. The length and style of presentation is determined by the committee chair in conjunction with the student although talks are typically 30-40 minutes long. Possible outcomes of the defense are discussed in the Graduate Bulletin.
• After a successful defense, and completion of any corrections to the thesis, the thesis is formally submitted. The Statement of Work Completion form is submitted to the Graduate School office. A copy must go to the department administrative assistant and to the thesis advisor.
• The check-out procedure for graduation is discussed in the university Graduate Bulletin.

Additional Information

Physics colloquium.

During fall and spring term students in the M.S.Program register for PHGN501 and 502, respectively. Ph.D. students register for PHGN601 and 602. Each semester students are awarded either a PRG (satisfactory progress) or a PRU (unsatisfactory progress). Credit is not awarded each term, but credit and a letter grade are given at the time of graduation. M.S. Students receive a total of 1 credit hours and Ph.D. students are awarded 1.

Note that this series also generally includes

• in the Fall semester, a mandatory refresher version of the Environmental Health and Safety safety training for faculty, staff, postdocs, continuing grad students, and undergraduates working in laboratories, and
• in the Spring semester, administration of the Department’s policy on responsible conduct of research (RCR) .

Other training for graduate students required by the Graduate School

Obtaining financial support, responsible conduct of research, departmental and campus facilities.

Transfer of Course Credit

Proposal Defense

Thesis Defense Announcement Request

PhD Quality Control Completion

Grad School Important Links

Comments/corrections to [email protected]

Graduate Physics Courses

Mines Academic Catalog

Course Schedule

Mines Academic Calendar

Registration

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Current Students

Degree process – master’s, materials science program (non-thesis).

Master of Science, non-thesis-based degree requirements:

The non-thesis Master of Science degree requires a minimum of 30 total semester hours of acceptable coursework and case study credit including:

• 24 hours of courses (minimum)
• 6 hours of case study credits. (Sign up for MLGN 599, Case Study Materials Science, using a paper form at the Registrar’s Office).

Non-thesis students are strongly encouraged to gain industrial or laboratory experience during the course of their studies through co-ops or other arrangements. Students must indicate their intent to pursue a non-thesis Master of Science at their initial enrollment in the Materials Science program. Permission to change tracks from thesis to non-thesis, or vice-versa, will be granted only under certain circumstances. It must be approved by your advisor and submitted for approval by the Graduate Affairs Committee.

Materials Science Program (Thesis)

Master of Science, thesis-based degree timeline:

First year – Fall • MLGN 593 – Bonding, Structure, and Crystallography • MLGN 591 – Materials Thermodynamics • Select thesis committee: The committee can be selected as early as the first semester and should be selected no later than the second semester. The form can be found on the graduate school website .

First year – Spring • MLGN 592 – Advanced Materials Kinetics and Transport • Electives

Second year • Complete remaining coursework • Obtain reduced registration status: See the Office of Graduate Studies’ website for the required Degree Audit form. • Finish research

• Defend thesis: Following successful completion of coursework, students must submit a thesis and successfully defend it in an oral presentation to the Thesis Committee in a public meeting. The thesis must present the results of original scientific research or development. The form can be found on the graduate school  website . Candidates must submit the Thesis Defense Announcement Template at least 2 weeks prior to the Defense date.

• You must complete a minimum of 18 hours of approved graduate course work. Up to nine hours of 400-level courses may be counted towards graduation. Up to nine hours of course work with a grade of B or better may be transferred from another recognized institution upon the approval of the Graduate Affairs Committee and the Graduate Dean. A total of 30 hours is needed for the Master of Science degree. More information can be found in the ML Program Guide .

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Program (Non-Thesis)

Master of Engineering, non-thesis based degree requirements:

Option 1) take 30 course credits*, including 3 hours of a “design” course, or Option 2) take 25 hours of course credits* and have 5 hours devoted to a project; in that case, you have to defend an engineering report to a 3-person committee.

*A minimum total of 30.0 credit hours consisting of:

• 18 of the 26 approved coursework credit hours must be taken from the Metallurgy or Materials Science courses. All other courses credits can be taken in any department. Please check Trailhead and not the catalog, when preparing for registration. The catalog lists ALL courses while Trailhead will show you which courses are currently being offered.
• Students are expected to enroll in seminar every semester, but a maximum of 1 credit hour may apply toward the degree.
• 3.0 -5.0 hours of graduate research-credits listed under MTGN700, a three credit hour research based Independent Study ( MTGN599 ) or a designated design course (minimum of 3 credit hours)
• The designated design courses include the following courses: MTGN414, MTGN445, MTGN461, MTGN464, MTGN466, MTGN475/477, MTGN549, MTGN564, MTGN560. Alternative courses can be substituted with approval from the advisor and department head.

Restrictions:

• Only three (3) credit hours of independent course work, e.g. MTGN599, may be applied toward the degree.
• A maximum of nine (9) credit hours of approved 400-level course work may be applied toward the degree.
• Courses taken to remove deficiencies may not be applied toward the degree.

More information can be found in the MME Graduate Student Guide 2022-2023.

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Program (Thesis)

A minimum of 18 credit hours of approved course work. M.S. students must also complete a minimum of 6 credits hours of research, listed under MTGN 707. The total credit hours for the M.S. degree must be 30 or greater. Only 3 credit hours of independent study, e.g. MTGN 599, can be applied toward the degree. Enrollment in the MME Graduate Seminar, MTGN 501, during the duration of program is required (up to a maximum of 1 credit hour will be awarded during last semester).  Please check Trailhead and not the catalog, when preparing for registration. The catalog lists ALL courses while Trailhead will show you which courses are currently being offered. More information can be found in the MME Graduate Student Guide 2022-2023.

Master of Science, thesis based degree timeline:

First Year – Fall

• Define research project and begin research; Develop course plan; Take 9 credit hours of course work and 3-6 hours of research credits.
• It is recommended that you form your thesis committee in either the first or second semester of your first year:
• MS students must assemble a committee with 3 or more members. The committee includes the advisor and at least 1 additional member from the MME Department. The committee and the Department Head need to approve all courses. Please see the Office of Graduate Studies website for the required form for this step.

First year – Spring

• Continue research; Take 9 credit hours of course work and 3-6 hours of research credit.

Second Year – Fall (Third Semester)

• Register as full-time graduate student with 9 research hours; Continue research.

Second Year – Spring

• See the Office of Graduate Studies’  website for the required Degree Audit form.
• Finish research
• Students must submit a thesis and successfully defend it in an oral presentation to the Thesis Committee in a public meeting. The thesis must present the results of original scientific research or development.  The presentation is expected to be approximately 30-40 minutes and is followed by questions from the Thesis Committee and then questions from the audience.  After all questions have been addressed, the Thesis Committee convenes privately to discuss the outcome of the thesis. The thesis defense typically lasts 2 hours. For more detailed instructions on the thesis defense process, please see the Office of Graduate Studies website. Here are the department forms required prior to this event: Thesis Defense Request Form and the Thesis Defense Announcement Template . Students must have at least 1 manuscript submitted or ready for submission to a peer-reviewed journal before the thesis defense. If circumstances do not allow a student to meet the publication requirement, he/she may obtain a waiver from the requirement by submitting a request to be evaluated by the entire MME faculty. Here is the required department form: Graduate Publication Record Form .
• More information can be found in the MME Graduate Student Guide 2022-2023 . Also, for all steps and forms please refer to the Graduate Student FlowChart.

Degree Process – PhD

Materials science program.

The following constitutes the qualifying processes by which doctoral students are admitted to candidacy in the Materials Science program. More information can be found in the MLProgramGuide .

• CORE CURRICULUM  – The three required core classes must be completed within the first Fall and Spring semesters for all doctoral candidates. Students must obtain a grade of B- or better in each class to be eligible to take the qualifying examination at the end of the succeeding spring semester. If a student receives a grade of less than B- in a class, the student may request an additional final examination be given during the mid-term break of the following spring semester. If the result of this examination is a B- or better, the student will be allowed to take the qualifying examination. The grade originally obtained in the course will not be changed as a result. If not allowed to complete the qualifying examination at the end of the spring semester, students will be discouraged from the PhD program and encouraged, rather, to finish with a Masters degree.
• THESIS COMMITTEE – PhD students must assemble a committee with 4 or more members. The committee can be selected as early as the first semester and should be selected no later the fourth semester. The form, as well as committee member requirements, can be found on the graduate school  website .
• QUALIFYING EXAMINATION  – A qualifying examination is given annually at the end of the spring semester under the direction of the Materials Science Graduate Affairs Committee. All first-year Materials Science students are expected to successfully complete the qualifying examination within three semesters to remain in good standing in the program. The examination covers material from the core curriculum plus a standard introductory text on Materials Science, such as “Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction”, by William Callister.
• THESIS PROPOSAL  –  A student’s PhD thesis committee administers a PhD Thesis Proposal defense. The PhD proposal defense should occur no later than the student’s fourth semester. While the proposal itself should focus on the central topic of a student’s research efforts, during the proposal defense, candidates may expect to receive a wide range of questions from the Committee. This would include all manner of questions directly related to the proposal. Candidates, however, should also expect questions related to the major concept areas of Materials Science within the context of a candidate’s research focus. The Committee formally reports results of the PhD proposal defense to the Materials Science Program Director using the Committee Reporting form developed by the Office of Graduate Studies. Please use this Thesis Proposal Report form to schedule. Upon completion of these steps and upon completion of all required coursework, candidates are admitted to candidacy. Forms do need to be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies. See their website for both the Degree Audit and the Admission to Candidacy forms.
• THESIS DEFENSE  – Following successful completion of coursework and the qualifying process, doctoral students must submit a thesis and successfully defend it in an oral presentation to the Thesis Committee in a public meeting. The thesis must present the results of original scientific research or development. Committee member requirements can be found on the graduate school website . Candidates must submit the Thesis Defense Announcement Template , at least 2 weeks prior to the Defense date.

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Program

The following constitutes the qualifying processes by which doctoral students are admitted to candidacy in the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering program. More information can be found in the MME Graduate Student Guide 2022-2023 and the Graduate Flowchart shows steps and forms.

• CORE CURRICULUM – A minimum of 36 credit hours of approved course work. Ph.D. students must also take a minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate research, listed under MTGN 707. The total credit hours for a Ph.D. degree must be 72 or greater. Only 6 credit hours of independent study, e.g. MTGN 599, can be applied toward the degree. Credit hours earned for a Master’s degree may be applied toward the Doctoral degree if approved and provided that the Master’s degree was in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering or a similar field. For students with graduate credit from another institution, at least 21 credit hours of approved course work must be taken at the Colorado School of Mines. Please check Trailhead and not the catalog, when preparing for registration. The catalog lists ALL courses while Trailhead will show you which courses are currently being offered.
• THESIS COMMITTEE – PhD students must assemble a committee with 4 or more members. The thesis committee should consist of the advisor, at least 2 additional members from the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, and at least 1 member from outside the Department. The committee and the DH need to approve all courses and any applicable Master’s degree credit hours. Please see the Office of Graduate Studies website for the required form for this step.
• QUALIFYING EXAMINATION – A passing grade on the written and oral Qualifying-Process Examinations must be obtained. Students can take qualifying exams in one of three areas: Physicochemical Processing of Materials, Physical and Mechanical Metallurgy, or Ceramic Engineering.  There are both written and oral components to each qualifying exam. See this document for more information on the exam: Qualifying Exam Guidelines.  This document is a summary of the process:  QP-Components Summary .
• THESIS PROPOSAL –  A proposal on the Thesis-Research Project must be presented to the Thesis Committee within 6 months after completing the Qualifying-Process Examinations. The proposal document must be 15 pages or less and contain a summary of the critical background that justifies the research, a well-organized research plan, and expected results.  The proposal will be presented orally to the Thesis Committee in a 20 minute presentation and will be followed by questions and input from the Thesis Committee. This document includes additional information and the template for the proposal document: Thesis Research Proposal Details & Format This document is the template for the proposal meeting that needs to be signed: Thesis – Proposal Meeting Upon completion of these steps and upon completion of all required coursework, candidates are admitted to candidacy. Forms do need to be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies. See their website for both the Degree Audit and the Admission to Candidacy forms.
• THESIS DEFENSE – PhD students must submit a thesis and successfully defend it in an oral presentation to the Thesis Committee in a public meeting. The thesis must present the results of original scientific research or development.  The presentation is expected to be approximately 40 minutes and is followed by questions from the Thesis Committee and then questions from the audience.  After all questions have been addressed, the Thesis Committee convenes privately to discuss the outcome of the thesis. For more detailed instructions on the thesis defense process, please see the Office of Graduate Studies website. Here are the department forms required prior to this event: Thesis Defense Request Form and the  Thesis Defense Announcement Template .
• GRADUATE PUBLICATION RECORD – Students must have at least 2 manuscripts submitted or ready for submission to a peer-reviewed journal before the thesis defense; alternatively, 1 manuscript can be submitted to a high quality conference proceeding. If circumstances do not allow a student to meet the publication requirement, he/she may obtain a waiver from the requirement by submitting a request to be evaluated by the entire MME faculty. Here is the required department form:  Graduate Publication Record Form .
• GRADUATE SEMINAR – Enrollment during duration of program is required (up to a maximum of 1 credit hour will be awarded during last semester).

More Information

Room reservations.

Please use the EMS link below to view room availability for Hill Hall conference rooms and classrooms along with all rooms across campus. You may also come visit the Hill Hall Main Office and a student employee can assist you with the reservation. Stacey Lucero and Nancy Progar are also available to help via email.

• Conference Room Scheduling
• Hill Hall 201 Book Catalog
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• Hill Hall 300 Book Catalog
• Hill Hall 300 Elliot Brown Collection

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How far in advance do I need to plan my thesis defense? A: Each program requires a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice to ensure the defense can be officially announced and the committee has time to read your thesis.

Q: I hear a lot about reduced registration. What is that? A: Reduced registration allows a part-time student who is working to be recognized as a full-time student. 

• M.S.: After completion of 36 hours of course and research credits
• Ph.D.: After completion of 72 hours of course and research credits
• Admission to candidacy form must be on file with Graduate Office within first week of first semester of reduced registration

Q: Tell me more about the process to apply to graduate. A: Student will apply to graduate on Trailhead at the beginning of the semester that he/she wishes to graduate (see Graduate School schedule for dates and deadlines).  Complete the checkout course on Canvas after your thesis defense and after corrections to thesis have been approved by your advisor/thesis committee.

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Below are the roles and expectations Mines has of faculty as members of thesis committees and of students engaged in research-based degree programs.

Thesis Advisor(s) 

Regular committee member, minor field committee representative, thesis committee chairperson , student responsibilities.

The thesis advisor has the overall responsibility for guiding the student through the process of the successful completion of a thesis that fulfills the expectations of scholarly work at the appropriate level as well as meets the requirements of the department or program and the school. The advisor shall:

• be able and willing to assume principal responsibility for advising the student.
• have adequate time for this work and be accessible to the student.
• provide adequate and timely feedback to both the student and the committee regarding student progress toward degree completion.
• guide and provide continuing feedback on the student's development of a research project by providing input on the intellectual appropriateness of the proposed activities, the reasonableness of project scope, acquisition of necessary resources and expertise, necessary laboratory or computer facilities, etc..
• establish key academic milestones and communicate these to the student and appropriately evaluate the student on meeting these milestones.

With the exception of the student's advisor, all voting members of the thesis committee are considered regular committee members. The regular committee member shall:

• have adequate time to assume the responsibilities associated with serving on a student's thesis committee.
• be accessible to the student (at a minimum this implies availability for committee meetings and availability to participate in a student's qualifying/comprehensive examinations – as dictated by the practices employed by the degree program – and the thesis defense).
• ensure that the student's work conforms to the highest standards of scholarly performance within the discipline and within the expertise provided by the committee member.
• provide advice to both the student and the student's advisor(s) on the quality, suitability and timeliness of the work being undertaken.
• approve the student's degree plan (e.g., courses of study, compliance with program's qualifying process, thesis proposal, etc.), assuring that the plan not only meets the intellectual needs of the student, but also all institutional and program requirements.
• review dissertation drafts as provided by the student and the advisor and provide feedback in a timely fashion.
• participate in and independently evaluate student performance in the final thesis defense.

In addition to the responsibilities of a regular committee member, the minor field committee representative has the following added responsibilities:

• provide advice for and approval of coursework required as part of a student's minor degree program in a manner that is consistent with institutional and minor program requirements.
• as appropriate, participate in the student's qualifying and comprehensive examination process to certify completion of minor degree requirements.
• work individually with the student on the thesis aspects for which the minor committee member has expertise.

In addition to the responsibilities of a regular committee member, the chairperson of committee has the following added responsibilities:

• chair all meetings of the thesis committee including the thesis defense.
• represent the broad interests of the institution with respect to high standards of scholarly performance.
• represent the Office of Graduate Studies by ensuring that all procedures are carried out fairly and in accordance with institutional guidelines and policies.
• ensure that any potential conflicts of interest between student, advisor, or any other committee member are effectively identified and managed.

While it is expected that students receive guidance and support from their advisor and all members of the thesis committee, the student is responsible for actually defining and carrying out the program approved by the thesis committee and completing the thesis/dissertation. As such, it is expected that the student assumes a leadership role in defining and carrying out all aspects of their degree program and thesis/dissertation project. Within this context, students have the following responsibilities:

• to formally establish a thesis advisor and committee by the end of their first year of residence in their degree program.
• to call meetings of the thesis committee as needed.
• to actively inform and solicit feedback from the student's advisor and committee on progress made toward degree.
• to respond to, and act on feedback from the student's advisor and committee in a timely and constructive manner.
• to understand and then apply the institutional and programmatic standards related to the ethical conduct of research in the completion of the student's thesis/dissertation.
• to know, understand and follow deadlines defined by the institution and the degree program related to all aspects of the student's degree program.

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1. Academic Requirements

2. minor programs, 3. graduation requirements, 1. internships – course credit, 2. internships - curricular practical training (cpt), 1. faculty advisor appointment, 2. thesis committee, 3. thesis defense, 4. time limitations, a. general requirements.

Graduate study at Mines can lead to one of a number of thesis and non-thesis-based master’s degrees, depending on the interests of the student. All master’s degree programs share the same academic requirements for grades and definition of minor programs.

A master’s degree at Mines requires a minimum of 30 total credits, with some degrees requiring additional credits. As part of this minimum 30 credits, departments and programs are required to include a research or design experience supervised by Mines faculty. For more information about the specific research/design requirements, please refer to the appropriate department/program section of this catalog.

For non-thesis master's degrees, students must complete at least 21 credits at Mines in the degree program. All other coursework credits may be completed as transfer credits into the degree program. For thesis master's degrees, no more than 9 coursework credits may transfer.

The transfer credit limit includes any credits taken at another university, including credits taken under the Exchange Reciprocal Agreement. Transfer credits must not have been used as credit toward a bachelor's degree, must not be prerequisites or deficiencies, must have a letter grade of C or better, must be graduate-level credits and must be required for the degree. Requests for transfer credit must be approved by the faculty according to the process defined by a student's home department or program. All credits applied toward the degree, except transfer credits, must be earned at Mines. Students must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better in Mines coursework.

Students may choose to have a minor program or programs at the master’s level. A minor program may not be taken in the student’s major area of study. A designated minor requires a minimum of 9 credits of graduate coursework and must be approved by the student’s advisor, home department head or program director, and a graduate faculty representative of the minor area of study. Fewer than half of the credits applied toward the minor degree program may be in the form of transfer credits. Transfer credits applied toward the minor are included as part of the overall transfer limitation applied to the degree as defined above.

Within one calendar year of enrolling in the master’s degree program, full-time students must complete the following requirements:

• Have a thesis committee appointment form on file in the Office of Graduate Studies  (thesis-based students only).
• Complete all prerequisite and core curriculum course requirements of their department or program.

If students are admitted with deficiencies, the appropriate department heads or program directors will provide the students written lists of courses required to remove the deficiencies. These lists will be given to the students no later than one week after the start of classes of their first semester in order to allow them to add/drop courses as necessary. Completion of prerequisites and deficiencies will be monitored by the department. 

Upon completion of the above-defined requirements, students must submit a Degree Audit form documenting satisfactory completion of the core curriculum requirements. * Deficiency and/or prerequisite courses may not be listed on the Degree Audit form. The form must have the written approval of all members of the advisor and thesis committee, if appropriate.

Depending on the admit term, some students may not need to submit a Degree Audit form. Students who do not need to submit a Degree Audit form will be notified the first semester of study. Students who do not need to submit a Degree Audit form will, however, need to submit a form to transfer credits, double count credits, and/or substitute courses.

To graduate, all master of science and master of engineering students must submit all forms and complete the graduation checkout by the posted deadlines. In addition, thesis-based students must submit a signed Thesis Defense form, upload a content-approved thesis, and have the formatting approved by the posted deadlines.

B. Non-Thesis Option

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Post-mining of Chelyabinsk Coal Basin (Russia): The Effects of Mine Flooding

Nachbergbauliche Thematik im Kohlebecken von Tscheljabinsk (Russland): Die Auswirkungen der Grubenflutung

Post-minería de la cuenca de carbón de Cheliábinsk (Rusia): Efectos de las inundaciones mineras

车里雅宾斯克煤盆（俄罗斯）闭坑：矿井淹井影响

• Technical Communication
• Published: 22 August 2023
• Volume 42 , pages 472–488, ( 2023 )

Cite this article

• Liudmila S. Rybnikova   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4221-7879 1 ,
• Petr A. Rybnikov   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7829-5035 1 &
• Alexander Yu. Smirnov   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9015-0816 1  

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The closure of mining facilities, especially those with a long history of mining, often results in degradation of the environment. In particular, the development of mineral deposits is accompanied by drainage interventions, restructuring and rebalancing of surface and groundwater flows, and changes in the qualitative composition of the hydrosphere. Cave mining operations involve geomechanical processes that provoke surface subsidence and displacement accompanied by earth surface disturbance. The cessation of mining means stoppage of drainage, which leads to the gradual filling of the cone of depression, formation of flooded areas, and mine water discharges at the surface. Unstable rock in the walls of water-filled open pits can lead to potentially dangerous landslides. Given the fact that residential and industrial areas were often historically constructed close to the mines (sometimes within the mining allotment), the hydro-environmental problems of old industrial districts become particularly acute post-mining. Also, in many cases, it is difficult to determine which factors, natural (geological structure, geomorphological conditions, water content of the period) or human-induced (cessation of pumping), are responsible for area flooding, especially where these sites are located a considerable distance from the closed mine. This gives rise to speculations and irrational technical solutions. Using the Chelyabinsk Coal Basin as an example, we consider the eco-hydrogeological issues that arose after the completion of mining operations and cessation of drainage, and we propose measures to reduce their negative impact on the area’s hydro-geoecological conditions.

Zusammenfassung

Die Stilllegung von Bergbauanlagen, insbesondere von solchen, in denen bereits seit langer Zeit Bergbau betrieben wird, führt häufig zu einer Verschlechterung der Umwelt. Insbesondere die Erschließung von Mineralvorkommen geht mit Entwässerungseingriffen, der Umstrukturierung und Neuordnung von Oberflächen- und Grundwasserströmen sowie mit Veränderungen der qualitativen Zusammensetzung der Hydrosphäre einher. Unterirdischer Bergbau, der Hohlräume schafft, ist mit geomechanischen Prozessen verbunden, die zu Bodensenkungen und -verschiebungen führen, begleitet von Störungen an der Erdoberfläche. Die Stilllegung des Bergbaus bedeutet, dass die Entwässerung eingestellt wird, was zu einer allmählichen Füllung des Senkungskegels, zur Bildung von gefluteten Bereichen und zum Austritt von Grubenwasser an der Oberfläche führt. Instabiles Gestein in den Flanken der mit Wasser gefüllten Tagebaue kann zu gefährlichen Erdrutschen führen. Da Wohn- und Industriegebiete in der Vergangenheit häufig in unmittelbarer Nähe der Bergwerke (manchmal sogar innerhalb der Abbaukontingente) errichtet wurden, sind die Wasser-Umwelt-Probleme in alten Industriegebieten nach dem Bergbau besonders akut. Außerdem ist es in vielen Fällen schwierig festzustellen, welche Faktoren - natürliche (geologische Struktur, geomorphologische Bedingungen, Wasserdargebot) oder vom Menschen verursachte (Einstellung der Pumparbeiten) - für die Flutung der Gebiete verantwortlich sind, vor allem, wenn sich diese Gebiete in beträchtlicher Entfernung vom stillgelegten Bergwerk befinden. Dies gibt oft Anlass zu Vermutungen und irrationalen technischen Lösungen. Am Beispiel des Tscheljabinsker Kohlebeckens betrachten wir die ökohydrogeologischen Probleme, die sich nach Beendigung des Bergbaus und der Einstellung der Entwässerung ergeben haben, und schlagen Maßnahmen zur Verringerung ihrer negativen Auswirkungen auf die hydro-geoökologischen Bedingungen des Gebiets vor.

El cierre de instalaciones mineras, especialmente las que tienen un largo historial de explotación, suele provocar la degradación del medio ambiente. En particular, el desarrollo de los yacimientos minerales va acompañado de intervenciones de drenaje, reestructuración y reequilibrio de los flujos de aguas superficiales y subterráneas y cambios en la composición cualitativa de la hidrosfera. Las explotaciones mineras subterráneas implican procesos geomecánicos que provocan subsidencia y desplazamientos en superficie acompañados de alteraciones de la superficie terrestre. El cese de la explotación minera implica la interrupción del desagüe, lo que provoca el llenado gradual del cono de depresión, la formación de zonas inundadas y descargas de agua de mina en superficie. La inestabilidad de las rocas de las paredes de las explotaciones a cielo abierto llenas de agua puede provocar desprendimientos potencialmente peligrosos. Dado que históricamente las zonas residenciales e industriales se construían a menudo cerca de las minas (a veces dentro de la parcela minera), los problemas hidro-ambientales de los antiguos distritos industriales se agudizan especialmente en la fase de post-minería. Además, en muchos casos es difícil determinar qué factores, naturales (estructura geológica, condiciones geomorfológicas, contenido de agua) o inducidos por el hombre (cese del bombeo), son responsables de las inundaciones de la zona, especialmente cuando estos lugares se encuentran a una distancia considerable de la mina cerrada. Esto da lugar a especulaciones y soluciones técnicas irracionales. Tomando como ejemplo la cuenca carbonífera de Cheliábinsk, se examinan los problemas eco-hidrogeológicos surgidos tras la finalización de las operaciones mineras y el cese del drenaje, y se proponen medidas para reducir su impacto negativo en las condiciones hidro-geoecológicas de la zona.

摘要：煤矿闭坑后往往会造成环境的退化，在具有长期生产历史的矿区尤为明显。特别是矿藏发育形成总是伴随着排水干预、地表和地下水流的重组和再平衡，以及水圈性质组分的变化。而井下采矿作业同样也会涉及地质力学变化，扰动地表，进而引起地表沉降和位移。当采矿停止就代表着不再进行排水作业，这就导致采空区逐渐被水充填，形成积水区，采空区一旦充满，矿井水就会在地表排出。此外，充水的露天矿坑壁上的不稳定岩石具有潜在崩塌或滑坡的危险。以往居民区和工业区一般会建在煤矿附近（有时在采矿权范围内），这就导致在矿井闭坑后老矿区的水环境问题尤为突出。另外，在许多情况下，特别是当一些地区距离关闭矿井很远时，很难确定是由于自然因素（该时期的地质构造、地貌条件、含水量等）还是人为因素（停止抽水）造成了区域内水害的发生。这就引起人们的一系列设计并陆续提出了一些技术解决方案。本文以车里雅宾斯克煤盆为例，讨论了矿井闭坑并停止排水后出现的生态水文地质问题，提出了一些措施来减小水害对该地区水文地质条件的影响。

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by State Assignment of The Institute of Mining, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences 075-00412-22 PR. Theme 2 (2022-2024) “Development of geoinformation technologies for evaluating the protection of mining sites and predicting the development of negative processes in land use” (FUWE-2022-0002) s. r. 1021062010532-7-1.5.1, with the financial support of the Russian Science Foundation grant 22-27-20140, https://rscf.ru/project/22-27-20140/ .

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Rybnikova, L.S., Rybnikov, P.A. & Smirnov, A.Y. Post-mining of Chelyabinsk Coal Basin (Russia): The Effects of Mine Flooding. Mine Water Environ 42 , 472–488 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-023-00947-1

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Chelyabinsk city, Russia

The capital city of Chelyabinsk oblast .

Chelyabinsk - Overview

Chelyabinsk is one of the largest industrial, economic, cultural, and business centers of Russia, the administrative center of Chelyabinsk Oblast. This city is located on the geological border of the Urals and Siberia, in the Asian part of Russia, on the eastern slope of the Ural Mountains, on both banks of the Miass River, about 1,800 km east of Moscow.

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15 February, 2013   / Powerful explosion has happened in the sky over Chelyabinsk today morning. According to the officials, it was the result of a meteor rain. About 500 people sought medical attention mostly injured by fragments of broken glass. A bright flash was seen over the entire region, including Ekaterinburg and Tyumen. You can find more info in our blog post about Chelyabinsk meteorite explosion .

History of Chelyabinsk

Foundation of chelyabinsk.

In 1736, the fortress named Chelyaba (most likely, a Bashkir word) was founded on the Miass River. One of the reasons for the construction of this and several other fortresses located nearby was the threat of attacks of the Bashkirs on caravans with supplies. The fortress became part of the Ufa Province.

In 1748, the first stone church was laid in the fortress. In 1781, it received the status of a town called Chelyabinsk. In 1782, the coat of arms of Chelyabinsk was approved by decree of Empress Catherine II. A loaded camel depicted on it meant that trade routes passed through this town located in the Asian part of the Russian Empire. In 1795, the population of Chelyabinsk was about 2,700 people.

By the middle of the 19th century, this town played an important role in trading in the Urals. Until the end of the 19th century, Chelyabinsk remained a small town. In 1882, its population was about 7,700 people. The second birth of Chelyabinsk took place in 1892 - after the completion of the construction of the Samara-Zlatoust Railway, which connected Chelyabinsk with the European part of the Russian Empire.

After 1892, the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway continued further to the east of the country. In 1896, the further development of Chelyabinsk was facilitated by the commissioning of the branch of the Ural Mining Railway, which connected Chelyabinsk with Yekaterinburg. In just a few years, the town became one of the leaders in bread, butter, meat, and tea trade in the Russian Empire. Chelyabinsk was unofficially called “The Gateway to Siberia”.

More historical facts…

Chelyabinsk in the first half of the 20th century

In just a decade, the population of the town grew significantly (in 1897 - about 20 thousand people, in 1910 - more than 60 thousand), and the territory increased by one third. For rapid growth at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, similar to American cities, Chelyabinsk was sometimes called “Chicago beyond the Urals”.

The armed rebellion of the Czechoslovak Corps after the events at the Chelyabinsk Railway Station on May 14, 1918 and the capture of the city on the night of May 26 to 27, 1918, led to its participation in the Civil War in Russia on the side of the Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly and later on the side of A. V. Kolchak (one of the leaders of the White Armies opposing the Reds (Bolsheviks)). In July 1919, the Reds occupied Chelyabinsk and Bolshevik authorities began to form in the city. In 1923, the population of Chelyabinsk was about 54,300 people.

On September 3, 1919, Chelyabinsk became the center of the Chelyabinsk province. On November 3, 1924, it was transformed into the Chelyabinsk district of Ural Oblast. On January 17, 1934, Ural Oblast was divided into three separate regions - Sverdlovsk Oblast with a center in Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast with a center in Chelyabinsk, and Ob-Irtysh Oblast with a center in Tyumen.

In 1937, there were discussions about renaming the city of Chelyabinsk in Kaganovichgrad in honor of Lazar Kaganovich, a Soviet politician and administrator. During the first Soviet five-year plans, Chelyabinsk became one of the largest industrial centers of the USSR. From the beginning of the 1930s, tractor, abrasive, ferroalloy, electrode, machine tool, and zinc plants began to operate. In 1939, the population of Chelyabinsk was about 273,000 people.

Chelyabinsk during the Second World War

During the Second World War, Chelyabinsk played a very important role as a production base. The population of the city grew rapidly from 270 to 650 thousand people. On the basis of more than 200 enterprises evacuated from the western regions of the USSR that merged with local industries, several giant plants were opened: the Chelyabinsk Forge and Press Plant, the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant, and the Chelyabinsk Pipe Rolling Plant.

After combining the capacities of the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant with two evacuated enterprises - the Leningrad Kirov Plant and Kharkov Engine-Building Plant, mass production of tanks (KV-1, IS-2, T-34) and self-propelled guns (SU-152 and ISU-152) began. In total, during the war, about 60 thousand tank diesels and 18 thousand fighting vehicles (20% of all Soviet fighting vehicles) were produced in Chelyabinsk. By the end of the war, every third Soviet tank and combat aircraft had Chelyabinsk steel. The city acquired a new unofficial name - Tankograd (The City of Tanks).

During the war years, about 220,000 people were sent from the front to Chelyabinsk for treatment, 78% of them returned to service after healing their wounds. In 1941-1944, the Kiev Medical Institute, evacuated from the capital of Ukraine, was training medical doctors in Chelyabinsk. In 1944, the Chelyabinsk Medical Institute was established on its basis.

Chelyabinsk in the second half of the 20th century and beyond

In the post-war period, Chelyabinsk became a supplier of equipment, machinery, and specialists for the reconstruction of Stalingrad, Donbass, DneproGES, and other industrial centers. In 1947, a new development plan was approved, which provided for multi-storey buildings in the city center and areas adjacent to industrial enterprises. This radically changed the panorama of Chelyabinsk.

By 1960, there were already about 15 thousand students in Chelyabinsk. In 1976, Chelyabinsk State University was founded - the first classical university in the South Urals. By the 1980s, the capital of the South Urals became a major scientific center of the USSR with 7 universities and about 40 research and design institutes.

On October 13, 1976, a millionth resident was born in Chelyabinsk. By 1980, its enterprises produced more than 50% of Soviet stainless steel, 20% of pipes, 30% of ferroalloys. At this time, the new building of the Chelyabinsk Drama Theater with 1,200 seats was opened, the Chelyabinsk Puppet Theater gained all-Russian fame. In 1986, Chelyabinsk celebrated its 250th anniversary. In honor of this, a geological museum, a chamber and organ music hall were opened.

The first half of the 1990s, after the collapse of the USSR and the transition to a market economy, was a difficult time for Chelyabinsk and its huge plants. From the second half of the 1990s, industry gradually resumed production, and a lot of plants entered the world market.

In 2004, the pedestrian street of Kirovka was opened. It has become a favorite place for walks of Chelyabinsk residents and guests of the city. In 2006, the new building of the State Historical Museum of the South Urals was opened. In 2009, the ice arena “Tractor” with a capacity of 7,500 spectators was built. In the 2010s, after the recession of the 1990s, construction and commissioning of new housing intensified.

On February 15, 2013, a large meteor with a diameter of about 17 meters and a mass of about 10 thousand tons entered the atmosphere in the vicinity of Chelyabinsk (the Chelyabinsk Meteor). Fortunately, it exploded in the sky relatively high above the city. However, 7,320 buildings were damaged and 1,613 people were wounded as a result. Its debris fell into Lake Chebarkul, from where the largest fragment was later raised and delivered to the Chelyabinsk Museum of Local Lore.

Chelyabinsk views

Winter in a residential area in Chelyabinsk

Author: Andrey Kalachev

Trinity Bridge in the center of Chelyabinsk

Author: Angelina Galimzyanova

Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Virgin near the Chelyabinsk Railway Station

Author: Aleksey Podbelsky

Chelyabinsk - Features

Chelyabinsk, one of the ten largest cities in Russia, is located almost in the center of the continent of Eurasia (about 1,400 km from its geographical center), east of the Ural Mountains, 216 km south of Yekaterinburg.

This city is located on the border of the Urals and Siberia. That is why it is also informally known as “The Gateway to Siberia”. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, after the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway, a lot of travelers bought postcards at the railway station of Chelyabinsk and sent them around the world as evidence of their stay in Siberia. Leningrad Bridge connects the Ural and Siberian banks of the Miass River, thus it is a bridge from the Urals to Siberia.

On the coat of arms of Chelyabinsk you can see a loaded camel, as a sign that important trade routes passed through it, and a fortress wall showing that Chelyabinsk was founded as a fortress.

The climate of Chelyabinsk is temperate continental (transitional from temperate continental to sharply continental). Winters are long, moderately cold, and snowy. The average temperature in January is minus 14.1 degrees Celsius. Summers are moderately warm and dry. The average temperature in July is plus 19.3 degrees Celsius.

Due to the fact that Chelyabinsk is an industrial city with a large number of factories, the environmental situation in the city is poor. The level of air pollution is high. The city has an increased level for a number of diseases compared with the average for Russia.

Chelyabinsk is one of the largest industrial centers of Russia. The main industries are metallurgy, manufacture of finished metal products, engineering. Chelyabinsk Electrometallurgical Plant is the largest ferroalloy plant in Russia. Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant produces about 2% of the world and 60% of Russian zinc. Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant is the largest producer of stainless steel in Russia.

Through Chelyabinsk, traffic flows from the European part of Russia to Siberia. In particular, this city is the final point of the federal highways M5 Ural (Moscow - Chelyabinsk), R254 Irtysh (Baikal) (Chelyabinsk - Novosibirsk), A310 (Chelyabinsk - Kazakhstan). Public transport is represented by buses, trolleybuses, trams, and minibuses. The international airport “Chelyabinsk” offers flights to several large Russian cities, mainly to Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Chelyabinsk has historically developed as a center of several cultures: first of all, the cultures of the indigenous inhabitants of the region - the Bashkirs, Tatars, and Russians. There are Orthodox churches and mosques, a Catholic church, several Protestant churches, and a synagogue in the city.

Main Attractions of Chelyabinsk

Kirovka Pedestrian Street - an analogue of the pedestrian street of Arbat in Moscow. Here you can see a number of interesting monuments (“Zero Milestone”, the monuments to volunteer tankers, Alexander Rosenbaum, the founders of Chelyabinsk), as well as sculptures (“The Boy with the Camels”, “The Artist at the Mirror Easel”, “The Saxophonist”, “The Coquette”, “The Beggar”, “The Merchant”, and others).

Also on this street there are shops, cafes, entertainment facilities, buildings of the early 20th century, and the business center “Chelyabinsk-City”.

Aloye Pole (Scarlet Field) - a park located in the very center of Chelyabinsk, one of its most popular holiday destinations. In the 19th century, it was a square where the city fair was held. In 1905, a demonstration of workers was dispersed by force here. That’s why the place got a new name - “Scarlet Square”. In 2000, the park received the status of a historical place.

Central Park of Culture and Rest named after Yury Gagarin . This park adjacent to the relict pine forest is the most beautiful park in Chelyabinsk with rides, sports grounds and playgrounds, a contact zoo, a summer movie theater. Fresh air, thick crowns of trees, blue expanse of ponds, comfort, and cleanliness attract residents and visitors of the city.

Chelyabinsk Zoo . On an area of 8 hectares, more than 130 species of animals live, of which more than 80 are listed in the Red Book including polar bears, Amur tigers, leopards. There is also a contact zoo on the territory, where children can also feed animals and play with them. Truda Street, 191.

Historical Museum of the Southern Urals . There are three permanent exhibitions dedicated to nature and ancient history, folklife, and history of the 20th century. The museum has old photographs, documents, books, paintings of the 18th-20th centuries, household items and clothing of Russians, nomads, and Tatar-Bashkir tribes, Zlatoust engravings, ancient coins, mineralogical collections, bones of extinct animals, and stuffed animals.

The museum also exhibits the largest (weighing half a ton) of the found fragments of the Chelyabinsk Meteor that exploded in the sky above the city at an altitude of about 15-25 km in 2013. Truda Street, 100.

Museum of Fine Arts . This museum has several thousand exhibits of Western European, Eastern, and Russian art. Here you can see the works of world-famous artists: Aivazovsky, Levitan, Shishkin. Also there is an interesting collection of icons of the 16th-19th centuries. Truda Street, 92a.

Museum of Arts and Crafts of the Urals . Here you can see the whole range of folk art crafts of the Southern Urals: products of the Zlatoust weapons factory, exhibits demonstrating the skill of local carvers and jewelers, hand-painted utensils, porcelain products of the South Ural factory, etc. Revolution Square, 1.

Chelyabinsk Railway Museum . The museum exposition is located in two places: in the building #63 on Tsvillinga Street, where more than 14 thousand exhibits are stored, and at the Chelyabinsk Railway Station (Zheleznodorozhnaya Street, 1/1), where you can see various railway equipment: steam locomotives, electric locomotives, modern trains, military trains, and special equipment. In the exhibition halls, you can see rails, station bells, old tickets, lights, signaling devices, and other items.

Museum of the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant - the largest and most popular museum in the region. It is dedicated to the history and activities of the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant. The museum has several thousand photographs, documents, personal belongings of employees, posters, newspaper clippings. It is better to visit this museum with a thematic tour, during which you can not only learn interesting facts, but also feel the true spirit of the plant and the city of Chelyabinsk. Lenina Avenue, 19.

Holy Trinity Church (1914) - the largest church in Chelyabinsk built of red brick and topped with a green roof. The main feature of this building is a large number of arched windows on all tiers and an abundance of decorative ornaments on the facade. Inside, the walls and ceiling are painted with murals on biblical themes. Kirova, 60?.

Monument to Kurchatov . Igor Kurchatov, the famous Soviet scientist and creator of the first atomic bomb in the USSR, was born in the town of Sim of Chelyabinsk Oblast in 1903. In 1986, in honor of the 250th anniversary of Chelyabinsk, the monument “Split Atom” was erected in his honor on Nauki (Science) Square. It consists of two vertical platforms 27 meters high, which symbolize an elementary particle, and the figure of Kurchatov standing in the middle. Lenina Avenue, 86.

Chelyabinsk city of Russia photos

Sights of chelyabinsk.

Palace of Pioneers and Schoolchildren in Chelyabinsk

Author: Yuri Palmin

Circus in Chelyabinsk

Author: Nico Kaiser

Stele to the Defenders of the Fatherland in Chelyabinsk

Author: Olga Kopp

Pictures of Chelyabinsk

Stele at the entrance to Chelyabinsk

Author: Alexander Sapozhnikov

Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Soothe My Sorrows in Chelyabinsk

Author: Angie Ambrosio

The questions of our visitors

The comments of our visitors.

I heard an interview with a woman from Chelyabinsk several days after the meteor exploded over your city on February 15th, 2013. She said "We should use this meteor to bring people to our city. We need our own Eiffel Tower or Statue of Liberty".

I think the meteor could help your city draw tourists, if the city is willing to invest money to make this happen. Specifically, you could build a museum that would:

Besides the museum, have boat rides on the lake where pieces of the meteor broke through the ice.

To support the museum (and tourists) year-round, would it work to put together ski packages, transporting skiers to the Urals by bus via the M5 highway (or others) during the day and bringing them back to Chelyabinsk at night? Can you improve air connections US-Europe-Moscow-Chelyabinsk? Add a few restaurants? Etc.

A meteor like yours hits the Earth once a century. If you want it, you could make Chelyabinsk a tourist destination. It's worth a try. David Irvin

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