Mersin University, Geological Engineering Department was founded within the body of Engineering Faculty by the Law No. 3837 that was approved on July 3, 1992. Geological Engineering Department commenced education in 1994-1995 academic year with 20 students at undergraduate level, and its first students graduated in 1998.

The students who have graduated from the programme are awarded with a bachelor's degree in the field of Geological Engineering.

Candidates are required to have a high school or equivalent diploma, and adequate points on “Student Selection and Placement Exam of Turkey” conducted by ÖSYM.

The students who study at Mersin University may be exempt from some courses according to certain regulations. They may be exempt from certain courses if the application is on time and the content is approved by the administrative board of the related faculty.

The students are required to successfully complete the courses offered in the programme (corresponding to a total of 240 ECTS) and to achieve a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.00 out of 4.00.

Geological Engineering Department carries out a curriculum to educate students  to become engineers who can take a role in the search and characterization of features formed, in the region and particularly in Turkey, by complex processes; prospection and extraction of existing natural resources; who can foresee various engineering problems that may occur in various stages of engineering projects, starting from the site selection stage, as well as during and after construction, recognize the natural events, search for their causes and produce solutions for them, who can identify and produce solutions for problems that arise from and related to urbanization, agricultural and industrial activities, together with rapid population growth (e.g. environmental pollution). Therefore, the graduates of the Geological Engineering Department are educated to have the competency to work in interdisciplinary studies to identify geological problems, find solutions for them and apply them with an ethical responsibility.

Geological Engineers have many opportunities of employment in a variety of state and private companies. The main state companies where they can work include General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA), Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO), General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSİ), The Bank of Provinces, General Directorate of Turkish Coal (TKİ), General Directorate of Turkish Hard Coal Enterprises (TTK), General Directorate of Highways (TCK), Turkish State Railways, municipalities, The Ministry of Public Works and Settlement, Eti Mine Works General Management (Etibank), cement factories, and universities. Currently, majority of the graduates find jobs in private sector engaged mainly in petroleum or mineral exploration and extraction (metallic and non-metallic industrial raw materials), soil investigation and drilling (for groundwater, injection, etc.), construction works (roads, tunnels, dams, nuclear facilities, etc.). There are also cases where the Geological Engineers set up their own jobs or offices using the “signing authority” privilege given by the state.