Advanced Materials Science and Engineering

Program Overview

The Advanced Materials Science and Engineering MSc program at Loughborough University equips graduates with expertise in designing and innovating sustainable materials. It provides a comprehensive understanding of materials principles, characterization techniques, and applications. Graduates gain valuable skills for careers in various sectors, including aerospace, automotive, and biomedical, and benefit from being part of a top-ranked materials department with industry-leading facilities.

Program Outline

Advanced Materials Science and Engineering MSc

Degree Overview:

This program equips graduates with the expertise in advanced materials and engineering needed to design and innovate sustainable materials for today’s world. It offers:

• In-depth understanding: The programme provides students with a thorough understanding of the underlying principles and relationship between properties of materials and their composition and microstructure, the synthesis and production of materials and the underpinning concepts and practical use of a range of characterisation techniques.
• Application of knowledge: Graduates will be able to apply the principles of materials science and engineering in various real-world scenarios, including solving problems in materials science and engineering and designing materials for specific applications.
• Global opportunities: Materials Science and Engineering opens worldwide opportunities to a well-paid and rewarding career.
• Flexibility: Graduates gain valuable skills which can be translated into multiple careers in a range of sectors, including aerospace, automotive, biomedical, energy and sustainability, consumer goods and sports.
• To equip graduates with the skills to solve problems in this field and apply them in various real-world scenarios.
• To prepare students for successful careers in a wide range of sectors, with a strong foundation in designing and innovating sustainable materials.

Outline:

Structure:

The program consists of four semesters with a mix of compulsory and optional modules.

Course schedule:

• Semester 1: Research Methods, Materials Modelling, Advanced Materials Characterisation (choose one optional module: Nanomaterials and Composites or Advanced Joining Methods)
• Semester 2: Clean Energy, Materials and Sustainability, Group Design Project, Advanced Processing of Materials (choose one optional module: Colloid Science and Engineering or Advances in Biomaterials)
• Summer: MSc Project

Module descriptions:

• Research Methods: Develop critical review and data analysis skills.
• Advanced Materials Characterisation: Gain broad knowledge and practical skills in advanced materials characterisation techniques, including electron microscopy, spectroscopy and thermal analysis.
• Advanced Joining Methods: Gain knowledge of the fundamental principles of adhesion and welding and how to select and apply appropriate methods for specific applications.
• Group Design Project: Apply knowledge of materials properties, manufacturing techniques, and engineering principles in solving practical design problems, integrating design requirements and constraints, and employing various material selection techniques.
• Advanced Processing of Materials: Gain broad knowledge of the principles of processing a range of materials and in-depth knowledge and skills in specific advanced processing methods.
• Colloid Science and Engineering: Develop a good understanding of the application of Colloid Science in various Chemical Engineering processes, learn about molecular interactions manifested in the colloidal domain and how they are manifested in the macroscopic world.
• Advances in Biomaterials: Appraise types and properties of biomaterials and their degradation, analyze how material composition and micro
  anostructure influence biological environments and degradation processes, assess the design and development of materials with biological relevance and/or from renewable sources.
• MSc Project: Develop the skills to perform research tasks involving the application of scientific and engineering principles in areas related to the composition, manufacture and performance of materials and their products.

Assessment:

• A combination of written examinations, coursework exercises and laboratory reports.
• The Project is assessed by a dissertation, literature review and oral presentation.

Teaching:

• High-quality lectures, tutorials, laboratory classes, seminars, and independent study.
• Students will develop research methodologies, planning and presentation skills, making them highly employable.

Careers:

• Typical career paths span many industrial sectors, including aerospace, power generation, automotive, construction, transport, medical equipment and implants, and consumer goods.
• Potential roles include technical and project management, research and development, technical support to manufacturing, sales and marketing.
• Many graduates continue their studies with us as PhD students engaged in research on real-world materials projects.
• Recent graduate roles include Commercial Manager, Project Administrator, Materials Engineer, Project Engineer, SAIC Motor Corporation Limited.
• Employers include Beijing Huafu Engineering (China), Commercial Aircraft China, Common Technology Research Institute, Exp Global, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.

Other:

• Graduates are automatically members of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), the professional body in the UK for materials scientists and engineers.

UK fee: £13,000 Full-time degree per annum International fee: £28,750 Full-time degree per annum