Abstract:
     Many people nowadays think development is independent of raw materials, global expenditure for exploration from 1996 to 2002 dropped from $5 B USD to $2 B USD, but during the same period it increased from 20 M€ to more than 40 M€ in Finland. It is forecast that, over the next 50 years, the world will use five times more mineral resources that have been mined to the year 2000. Statistics show that, only a small part of the natural resources has been extracted in Iran, except for oil and gas reserves. The country need to feed domestic industries with domestic raw materials at the aim of giving them a positive impact in the global market. The key to success is cheaper production costs. The subject of human resource is very important as a competitive key and is a basis for sustainable development. Around the world, accreditation in engineering education is a mechanism to certify degree programs as meeting a certain set of standards. The need for these standards is driven by the globalization of engineering activities in the industry. Accreditation is a self-regulatory process by which governmental, non-governmental, voluntary associations or other statutory bodies grant formal recognition to educational programs or institutions that meet certified criteria of educational quality. In this paper we try to open this discussion, the main criteria will be analysed to show their importance for the future of mining engineering in Iran.
   Key words: Mining engineering, evaluation, quality of education, accreditation, sustainable development