MSc Materials Science and Engineering University of Birmingham - College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Metallurgy and Materials Science at Birmingham is a major research centre with world-class facilities. Our research is at the leading edge of Materials Science and Engineering, and we work closely with a range of industrial partners to ensure that the potential of our discoveries is maximised.

New materials underpin development and progress across a wide variety of sectors. New technologies, from planes to batteries, from hip implants to electronic devices, are made possible, and often limited by, the materials we currently know and use. Materials Scientists and Engineers work hard to understand how and why materials behave the way they do and exploit this knowledge to develop new materials with amazing properties.

Studying Materials Science and Engineering, you will develop a fundamental understanding of how the properties of a material, such as strength, electronic properties and biocompatibility, are affected by the material’s structure, such as its crystal structure or microstructure.

This knowledge can then be used to formulate strategies to develop new materials, such as alloys able to operate at higher temperatures for jet engine blades or high-toughness ceramics for armour applications. This programme will equip you with the skills required to join a wide variety of industries in the capacity of materials specialist, or continue your education at a PhD level.

Why study Materials Science and Engineering Masters at Birmingham?

• Materials underpin almost all industrial sectors and the global challenges have increased the demand for new materials. Accordingly, there is a growing demand for materials engineers and researchers worldwide and in rapidly developing countries in particular. The School of Metallurgy and Materials has long been a centre of excellence in materials research and education.
• The course is designed for graduates who want to acquire knowledge, concepts and research skills in advanced materials in order to seek a research or technology development career in materials. It will also provide excellent preparation for those wishing to undertake the classic PhD, new PhD with integrated studies and EngD.
• One of the best centres for materials research in the UK.
• World-leading and unique facilities, such as the £60M High-Temperature Research Centre.
• Strong collaborations with a large number of industrial partners, including Rolls-Royce, Baosteel and many others.
• Wide range of research activities, from the atomic scale to components.

Modules

This course consists of 180 credits distributed over 12 months. Two-thirds of the content (120 credits) consists of taught modules. One-third of the content (60 credits) is the individual research project, which is carried out in the summer.

Core modules

The core modules will ensure you will gain an adequate background to tackle most aspects of Materials Science and Engineering and ensure you will develop key professional and research skills. You will learn the fundamentals of materials science, and how materials can be analysed and studied.

• Introduction to Materials * - 10 credits
• Materials Characterisation - 10 credits
• Presentation and Communication Skills/Team Skills development - 10 credits
• Effective Project Management - 10 credits
• Research Project - 60 credits

*module is only compulsory for those students who do not have a materials background from their undergraduate degree.

Optional modules

Choose remaining credits from the below example modules (all 10 credits):

• Design Against Failure
• Functional Materials
• Sensors and Composites
• Surface Engineering
• Introduction to Materials Modelling
• Materials for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies
• Materials for Sustainable Environmental Technologies (MSET)
• Net Shape Manufacturing
• Physical Metallurgy (Titanium and Nickel)
• Polymer Science and Soft Matter

Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Our graduates go on to become engineers and scientists at a wide variety of industrial partners or opt to continue their studies at the PhD level.

Typical employers

• BAE Systems
• Rolls-Royce
• Royal Air Force
• British Petroleum

University Careers Network

Preparation for your career should be one of the first things you think about as you start university. Whether you have a clear idea of where your future aspirations lie or want to consider the broad range of opportunities available once you have a Birmingham degree, our Careers Network can help you achieve your goal.

Our unique careers guidance service is tailored to your academic subject area, offering a specialised team (in each of the five academic colleges) who can give you expert advice. Our team sources exclusive work experience opportunities to help you stand out amongst the competition, with mentoring, global internships and placements available to you. Once you have a career in your sights, one-to-one support with CVs and job applications will help give you the edge.