MEng Materials Science and Engineering with Polymers

Begin your journey into Materials Science and Engineering at Manchester, with a degree in Materials Science and Engineering with Polymers. Material scientists are shaping our world and in the Department of Materials you will develop a true understanding of the science - in practical subjects that meet the needs of an ever-changing industry.

Manchester is home to the most diverse university activity devoted to materials research in Europe, with this four-year degree, aimed at students who wish to become specialists in a huge range of applications which use polymeric materials. 

Our four-year MSc course gives you extensive knowledge of both the fundamentals of materials science and engineering, and the opportunity to specialise in the in the areas that interest you most. In your final year, you'll study an extensive (half year) project that enables you to tackle a topic at the forefront of Materials Science in depth. 

You'll be taught by leading academics in their field - we are proud of the Department of Materials' excellent Research ratings, and our high staff-to-student ratio means you will receive close individual attention and frequent tutorial sessions. Known for our congenial atmosphere, we place emphasis on academic and pastoral support, helping students from a range of educational backgrounds to reach their full potential. 

What's more, our students typically go on to enjoy an average six-months-after-graduating salary in excess of £24,000 - significantly higher than the sector average.

• Provide a broad and balanced curriculum in Materials Science, 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 achieve 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.

Excellent facilities and links

In our new Home of Engineering and Materials , we're ripping up the rule book to offer a truly innovative teaching and learning experience. You'll have access to world-leading sustainable research facilities and some of the most unique, industry-leading equipment and instrumentation in the sector to meet today's requirements and those of the future.

Get hands-on with a fantastic range of on-site facilities and equipment . The Department of Materials is associated with a number of leading centres and institutes, including Graphene@Manchester and the Henry Royce Institute .

Project work opportunities

Our final-year research project will provide you with in-depth experience of working in a team conducting cutting-edge research. It can be the ideal grounding for progressing into work in research and development, or going on to study at PhD level.

Accreditation

The course is accredited by the Institute of Materials (IOM3) and counts as academic training towards the professional qualification of Chartered Engineer.

• Lectures

• Small group tutorials

• Laboratory classes

• Group work

• Individual research projects

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 in the area of the current week's tutorial. It's entirely voluntary and second, third and fourth-year students help 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.

Assessment is by a mixture of examinations, coursework, laboratory practical and tutorials. 

Most unit's assessments are split 70% exam/30% coursework. Although some 100% coursework units are also required. 

Examinations take place in January and May each year.

Practical units are usually assessed by experimental report and/or short written assignment.

The proportion of independent study assignments increases during each year of study.

The Department of Materials is home to an extensive array of unique facilities and equipment, across both materials science and engineering, and fashion business and technology.

Our new Home of Engineering and Materials opened in 2022 and is a place like no other. This is where engineers, material scientists and fashion students collaborate, innovate and make their mark on the world. Unleash your potential in our creative, academic playground that signals the evolution of a proud history of innovation spanning almost 200 years.

In this very special place, we're ripping up the rule book, offering you a truly innovative teaching and learning experience. As well as our creative classrooms, you'll also have access to world-leading sustainable research facilities in our new buildings.

Our variety of spaces allows for greater collaboration for all our students, and it is the place to connect and tackle real-life challenges together. So, a chemical engineer could be sat alongside a materials scientist working on clean water, or bump into a fashion student developing their own sustainable brand, or an aerospace engineer sending a rocket into space. It is a place like no other for interactions and one of the biggest communities of engineers and materials scientists in any University in the world.

Dive into a world of possibilities, whether you are interested in aerospace, robotics, or sustainable fashion, there's a home for you here. Explore Our Home for Engineering and Material Science .

We also benefit from close ties to a long list of leading centres, institutes and research hubs, including but not limited to, the National Graphene Institute, the Photon Science Institute, Henry Royce Institute, Electron Microscopy Centre, Dalton Cumbrian Facility and BP International Centre for Advanced Materials.