MEng Materials Science and Engineering with Polymers / Course details

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.

• We will provide a broad and balanced curriculum in materials science and engineering that both meets the requirements for accreditation with the professional body and equips you with the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding to pursue a successful career - in either an industrial or research environment.

• You will be taught by academic staff at the forefront of research in materials science and engineering, learning through both advanced course units and project work.

• You will foster subject-specific and transferable skills, including experience of materials processing and characterisation methods, oral and written communication, group work and IT skills.

• We will monitor, review and enhance educational provision to ensure it remains relevant to both the needs of your progression and to current developments in research and industry.

Excellent facilities and links

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 .

We're getting ready to move into a £400million Manchester Engineering Campus Development. Learn more

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.

Foundation Year available

You can prepare for the full degree course if you do not have the appropriate qualifications for direct entry by undertaking our foundation course first.

• 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 University of Manchester offers extensive library and online services to help you get the most out of your studies.

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

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, Dalton Cumbrian Facility and BP International Centre for Advanced Materials.

Manchester's Engineering Campus Development, MECD. 

Get ready to collaborate, create and innovate in a brand-new £400m purpose-built building which will allow you, our future engineers and material scientists, to come together and make your mark on the world. The Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD) will officially open from September 2022 and will include hundreds of flexible teaching and learning spaces with unrivalled world-class research facilities - whatever your inspiration, with MECD the possibilities are endless.   

Learn more