MEng/BEng Materials Science and Engineering (UCAS codes J500/JH51)
Materials underpin most of the technology upon which society depends. Metals have applications in the aerospace industry, construction, sports goods, electronics and communications. Ceramics have essential everyday uses such as tableware and building materials, but are also crucial to gas turbines and many electrical, electronic and optical components. Glasses have many uses ranging from car windscreens to lasers, dental materials and optical fibres. Polymers are used in furniture, clothing, packaging, buildings, transport, electronics and even pharmaceuticals.
Our programmes link the knowledge developed by disciplines like physics, chemistry and mathematics and apply them to the engineering applications that form the core of industry and manufacture. During our courses you will investigate the relationships between the atomic structures of materials and their properties. You will learn how to develop new materials and understand how they can be processed into usable components.
You have the option to register initially for either the three-year BEng or the four-year MEng degree in Materials Science and Engineering. As the content of Years 1 and 2 is the same in both cases, you can defer making a choice about which degree to take until the end of Year 2. Whether you choose the three or the four year option, an important feature of the final year is the opportunity to complete an extended research topic.
Industrial contact is regarded as vital and we maintain close links with a wide range of materials-producing and materials-using industries. These links include work visits, a one week tour, grants for visits to foreign factories, a 5-month industrial placement as part of the MEng option, vacation jobs, and final year industrial projects.