Biomaterials Engineering MEng (Hons)

Program Overview

---

It focuses on the design, development, and testing of products for healthcare applications, particularly within the human body. The program provides a comprehensive understanding of materials and biomaterials, including their selection, manufacture, testing, and environmental impact. Graduates have excellent career prospects in the biomaterials and healthcare sectors, as well as in other industries that utilize materials engineering principles.

Program Outline

• Awarded: Biomaterials Engineering MEng
• Duration: 5 years full-time with placement year or 4 years full-time
• Department: Material
• Faculty: Loughborough University
• UCAS code: (J5BX/J5BW)

---

Summary:

This course covers the fundamentals of materials and bio-related disciplines using a materials science and engineering approach. It covers design, development, and testing of products for the healthcare field, particularly within the human body. Applications are in the health, sport, and lifestyle sectors, as well as in regenerative medicine. The Biomaterials Engineering course is comprehensive, including both the theory and essential industrial relevance employers seek from graduates. The course content has all aspects of materials and biomaterials. This includes their selection, manufacture, testing, assembly, and environmental impact in both production and at the end of life.

---

Objectives:

• Graduates should have a complete understanding of the relationship between properties, microstructure, processing, and performance of engineering materials through a fundamental understanding of physical principles at a variety of length scales.
• Have a specialist knowledge of metals, polymers, and ceramics suitable for a wide range of demanding engineering applications with advanced understanding of composites, biomaterials and the application of materials within biological environments.
• Be able to utilize engineering expertise and design principles with an appreciation of social/ societal needs, economic drivers, market opportunities and environmental implications throughout the design, manufacture, operation and disposal of products and processes.
• Apply skills for personal career management, project leadership, communication, collaborative working, problem-solving and continuing professional development.

---

Outline:

---

Years 1 & 2 (BEng level)

---

Semester 1 & 2

• Mathematics for Material Science
• Experimentation and Practical Skills
• Introductory Materials Science and Processing
• Thermodynamics and its Applications
• Computer Aided Engineering
• Materials Applications and Engineering Design

---

Semester 1

• Materials Processing
• Introduction to Chemical, Biochemical Processes and Sustainability
• Mathematics and Modelling for Materials
• Materials in Service
• Anatomy & Physiology 1

---

Semester 2

• Plant Engineering
• Statistics
• Fracture Mechanics of Materials

---

Year 3 (MEng level)

---

Semester 1 & 2

• Project
• Biomedical Component Design
• Biochemical Engineering (placement only)
• Surface Engineering

---

Semester 1

• Composite Materials (placement only)
• Advanced Processing Methods (placement only)
• Nanomaterials (placement only)

---

Semester 2

• Industrial Case Studies (placement only)

---

Year 4 (MEng level)

---

Semester 1 & 2

• Group Design Project
• Advanced Materials Characterisation

---

Semester 1

• Research Methods (placement only)
• Materials Modelling (placement only)
• Nanomaterials and Composites (placement only)
• Polymer Science (placement only)
• Advanced Joining Methods (placement only)

---

Semester 2

• Biomedical 2: Biomaterials for Drug Delivery (placement only)
• Colloid Science and Engineering (placement only)
• Technological Entrepreneurship (placement only)
• Sustainability, Recycling and Environmental Issues (placement only)
• Placement year (optional)
• The placement year provides students with professional experience in industry.
• Placement companies have included 3M, Johnson and Johnson, GSK, Proctor and Gamble, Unilever, Smiths Medical, D3O, CERN, Diagio, MediPlus, Nylacast and PepsiCo.

---

Other:

• Opportunity to study a year or semester abroad and receive credit towards graduation.

---

Assessment:

• Students are assessed by written examinations and coursework in areas of design, project work, oral presentation, and poster presentation.
• The approximate ratio of exams/coursework is 60/40 for exams/coursework.

---

Teaching:

• Staff and students in the program represent the very latest knowledge in this rapidly developing discipline.
They design, develop, and test products in biomaterials research that range from orthopaedic applications including knee and hip replacements, bioresorbable bone fixation technologies and cartilage repair to tissue engineering scaffolds for skin, bones, and cardiac valve replacements.
• Teaching takes place through lectures, seminars, group work, supervision, laboratory work, and practical sessions.

---

Careers:

• Graduates have excellent career prospects in the biomaterials and healthcare sectors that cover both passive and active devices.
• Passive devices include orthopaedic implants, prosthetics, and contact lenses.
Active devices include a range of medical device technologies such as pacemakers, cochlear implants and insulin pumps.
• Many other career opportunities lie within sectors that are more usually associated with Materials Engineering.
For example, automotive, aerospace, construction, sports and leisure, electronics and food and retail. Graduates can also go into wider career paths such as business, banking, finance and general management.

---

Other:

• A good understanding of mathematics underpins many courses offered within the Department at levels C/AS and above (a grade B at GCSE is typically required by any course with mathematics content to satisfy matriculation requirement).

---

UK fees Full-time course per annum £9,250 Placement year Approx. 20% of the full-time fee International fees Full-time course per annum £28,600 Placement year Approx. 20% of the full-time fee University fees and charges can be paid in advance and there are several methods of payment, including online payments and payment by instalment. Additional costs Materials students are provided with an excellent general Materials textbook, a laboratory workbook, a lab coat and other necessary protective equipment when required. However your tuition fee doesn’t cover everything. For instance, this course doesn’t cover the cost of any stationery, printing, books or re-assessments which you might need.