MEng Materials Science and Engineering / Course details

Materials Science is a synthesis of physics, chemistry, and engineering. It is the building block on which modern industry has and will continue to advance.

This programme provides a thorough grounding in the scientific principles governing the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of all solid materials, and the opportunity to specialise in the study of a particular class of material (metal, ceramic, or polymer) through a choice of options.

The extensive (half year) final year project enables you to tackle a topic at the forefront of Materials Science in depth. It will develop further practical and analytical skills. Formal teaching in communication and transferable skills, including basic management and organisational behaviour, computing and presentation techniques, is given to complement the academic training.

Lectures and tutorials are led staff who are all experts in their field with a deep knowledge of the subjects they teach.  Our courses are constantly revised with inputs from both students and industry to cover the latest developments and deliver learning in the most effective way. Students on our courses have access to library and computer facilities that are dedicated to supporting their learning.

• Provide a broad and balanced curriculum in Materials Science and Engineering, meeting the requirements for accreditation with the professional body, in order to equip students with the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding to pursue successful careers in both industrial and research environments.
• Provide a teaching environment in which undergraduate students can interact with academic staff at the forefront of research in Materials Science and Engineering, through advanced course units and project work.
• Foster subject-specific and transferable skills, including experience of materials processing and characterisation methods, oral and written communication, group work and IT skills.
• Provide students with effective academic and pastoral support, to cater for students from a wide range of educational backgrounds and enable all students to acheive their full potential.
• Monitor, review and enhance educational provision to ensure that it remains relevant to the needs of student progression and to current developments in research and industry.

• The course is accredited by the Institute of Materials (IOM ³ ) and counts as academic training towards the professional qualification of Chartered Engineer
• A high staff to student ratio means students receive excellent individual attention and frequent tutorial sessions
• A final year research project enables students to gain an in-depth experience of working in a research team conducting a cutting-edge project., providing a grounding for working in R&D or going on to study at PhD level
• On-site factilities and equipment that students are both allowed and encouraged to use
• The average salary of our graduates 15-months after graduation is £28,356 (Graduate Outcomes survey 2019).
• The Department of Materials has excellent Research ratings.

At Manchester you will be taught by academic staff who are leading experts in Materials Science and Engineering, in a diverse and inclusive learning environment. Teaching and Learning will be delivered using a variety of methods, including: 

• Lectures
• Small group tutorials
• Laboratory classes
• Group work
• Individual research projects
• PASS sessions and peer mentoring 

Some activities will be delivered face-to-face and others online, following a blended learning approach.

The course contains strong practical elements: practical activities and laboratories associated to specific units in year one and two, a practical group project in Year 3, and an individual research project in Year 4. Each year is designed to build your skills, knowledge, and confidence towards becoming a materials scientist or engineer. 

A typical week in your first year of study will comprise on average up to 35 hours of activity, of which approximately 10 hours will be timetabled study, 2 hours of laboratory/hands on activities and up to 25 hours will be independent or self-directed study.

As you progress through the course, an increasing emphasis will be placed on independent study, and this reflects you applying your knowledge and skills in substantial individual and group projects. In your third year of study, between 20 and 30 hours each week will typically be independent study. You will be supported by staff through all of your independent study, and this transition to being able to explore your own ideas through project work is an important attribute of a graduate engineer. The course is assessed by a variety of methods, each appropriate to the topic being assessed. These methods include coursework exercises, written examinations, online examinations, and presentations. You will also have many opportunities to self-assess your progress using online quizzes and tutorial exercises.  

PASS (Peer Assisted Study Sessions) and Peer Mentoring

We're proud of our innovative PASS (Peer Assisted Study Sessions) and Peer Mentoring scheme. The PASS scheme provides additional support around the current week's tutorial. It's entirely voluntary and consists of second, third and fourth-year current students helping first years to tackle problems defined by the content of the current tutorial. The emphasis is on showing students how to think about the problems, how to develop problem-solving skills and how to get the most from the educational resources available.

More about blended learning  

Some of your activity will be synchronous, where you learn live with your lecturer / peers and can interact as appropriate, helping you get support and feel part of a community. At other times it will be asynchronous, where you access materials like presentations, video content, online discussion boards or collaborative documents in your own time (within a framework provided by your programme).

We believe this blended approach will help each individual study in a way that works best for them and will ensure students receive the best student-experience.

The course is assessed by a variety of methods, each appropriate to the topic being assessed. These methods include coursework exercises, written examinations, online examinations, and presentations. You will also have many opportunities to self-assess your progress using online quizzes and tutorial exercises.

Coursework is a key element across all units, with a minimum of 30% coursework based assessment for each unit.