Master of Science in Mechanics of Materials and Structures (MMS)

The Master of Science in “Mechanics of Materials and Structures” (MMS) of the Universitat de Girona – UdG (Spain) is an official Master’s degree of the European Higher Education Area. The master MMS is aimed at students who wish to develop their knowledge and skills in the field of the mechanical behavior of materials and structures. The objective of MMS is to link the current knowledge of theories of the behavior of materials with the most innovative techniques in structural engineering.

Phases of the Master

The Master MMS may be taken full-time for one year (October to September). However, physical presence is only required for 6 months (October to March); then the master’s thesis can be performed elsewhere (company, university abroad). The Master may also be taken part-time over two years for those students that have a job at the same time.

The Master MMS is of 60 ECTS (European Credit) and it is organized in three phases:

Phase 1. From the beginning of October to the end of January: 6 mandatory subjects, 4 quarterly plus 2 annual. Each subject has 6 ECTS. These subjects give a common background on Solid Mechanics and Computational Methods to all MMS students. They are:

• The finite element method in structural mechanics
• Solid mechanics
• Fracture mechanics
• Pre and post-process tools for structural finite element analyses
• Applied Mechanics of materials and structures
• Seminars on mechanics of materials and structures

Phase 2. From the beginning of February to the end of March: optional subjects plus the 2 annual subjects. Each optional subject has 3 ECTS. The Master MMS programs eight optional subjects and the student has to select, at least, four optional subjects. They are:

• Design and analysis of composites with finite elements
• Manufacturing and experimental techniques for composites
• Advanced structural analysis
• Optimization in engineering mechanics
• Mechanical design with finite elements
• Structural dynamics
• Advanced constitutive modeling
• Composites for construction

As you can see, the classes are done intensively and in only 6 months all are done.

Phase 3. Master Thesis: 12 ECTS. It can be started at any time during the academic course, but typically it is started once the teaching classes are finished (end March). The Master Thesis must be finished before mid-September.

With the intention of helping in the selection of the optional subjects (Phase 2), the master is organized in four different Modules. However, it is worth mentioning that the student is free of selecting any desired optional subject and at the end of the master, no additional specialization diploma is awarded. These Modules are:

• Composites
• Structures
• Solid Mechanics
• Computation Mechanical Design

The syllabus of each Module of the Master in Mechanics of Materials and Structures (Composites, Structures, Solid Mechanics, Computation Mechanical Design) places special emphasis on computational techniques, mechanics of materials, advanced structural design, experimental techniques, and mechanical optimization.

Quality

The MMS holds AQU accreditation of Excellence 2015 and 2020!

The Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency, AQU Catalunya, awarded again the MMS master with the AQU accreditation of Excellence (May 2020). This is the second award received since, in previous accreditation of November 2015, the MMS received the same honorable mention.

The accreditation of Excellence is awarded to less than 5% of all Bachelor and Master Degrees in Catalunya.

This accreditation follows a quality assessment process that all official university qualifications must pass in line with the standards and guidelines set by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). This accreditation analyzes the training program, the effectiveness of the systems for learning, the professional insertion of the graduates, the interaction between teaching and research, and the internationalization of the degree.

Research

The organizer of the MMS Master, the research group AMADE – “Analysis and Advanced Materials for Structural Design” from the University of Girona, is an interdisciplinary group involved in national and international research and transfer projects in collaboration with institutions like University of Porto – FEUP, NASA Langley Research Center, University of Sheffield, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, among others.

The nature of the research ranges from fundamental, exploratory research to very focused research targeted at the immediate needs of society/industry.

The research conducted starts with a deep knowledge of the experimental behavior of the new materials/structures combined with the development of robust and reliable computational tools to simulate the mechanical/structural behavior.

The research programs conducted are funded by a wide variety of sources such as the European Commission, the Spanish and/or Catalan Government, and by independent institutions or private companies like AIRBUS, the European Space Agency, EADS, and APPLUS, for example.

The research activity of the group has obtained a wide international recognition as illustrated by the impact of the publications of the group (the most cited articles in the last five years of the journal Engineering Fracture Mechanics and of the journal Mechanics of Materials).

The main lines of research of the AMADE group, that are also studied in MMS master, are summarized below:

• Composite materials. Unlike the case of traditional materials, design and mechanical behavior prediction in these materials is highly peculiar and requires specific expertise.
• Simulation using numerical methods of the mechanical behavior of advanced materials. We develop behavior models that are implemented in numerical methods (finite elements) to obtain efficient design tools.
• Experimental determination of the mechanical properties of materials and structures and their degradation (standardized tests or tests adapted to particular components).
• Analysis, using conventional and advanced techniques, of the response of buildings and structural elements subjected to static and dynamic loads. Development and application of passive control elements in seismic-resistant buildings.
• Structural integrity analysis of buildings. Design of rehabilitation, repair and change-of-use strategies of a building.
• Thermal analysis and thermal treatments of materials. Study of the transformation undergone by materials (polymers, metals, and ceramics) using calorimetric methods.

Students that obtain a master's degree in Mechanics of Materials and Structures (MMS) can apply for admission to the Doctoral Programme in Technology at the University of Girona provided they have completed a minimum of 300 ECTS in their undergraduate and postgraduate studies at a university or other center of higher education. The applications will be reviewed by the Doctoral Council of the program.

The research group AMADE has been developing an intense research activity in the field of Composites since the late ’90s, balancing the fundamental investigations with the research on industrial applications of composites. AMADE is an excellent framework for the development of a Ph.D. due to the excellent network of relations with international centers, to the interaction with major companies in the field and to the complete experimental facilities available in the group (mechanical and physical characterization of materials, processing, inspection).

The knowledge provided by the MMS Master is an excellent background to perform a Ph.D.

Currently, there are more than 20 Ph.D. students in the group from different continents, which gives rise to excellent and open student life.

Ambassadors

Curious to what an MMS-Master’s year was really like? Contact a former MMS student from your own country/region for practical first-hand information (in your own language and from someone from your own culture).