- UCAS course code
- J500
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Science (BSc)
BSc Materials Science and Engineering
Material scientists tackle some of the planet's greatest challenges and help shape the future of our world.
Duration: 3 years
Year of entry: 2025
UCAS course code: J500 / Institution code: M20
- Key features:
Scholarships available
Accredited course
- Typical A-level offer: AAB including specific subjects
- Typical contextual A-level offer: ABB including specific subjects
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: BBB including specific subjects
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 35 points overall with 6,6,5 at HL, including specific requirements
Fees and funding
Fees
Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £38,000 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
The University of Manchester is committed to attracting and supporting the very best students. We have a focus on nurturing talent and ability and we want to make sure that you have the opportunity to study here, regardless of your financial circumstances.
For information about scholarships and bursaries please visit our undergraduate student finance pages and our the Department funding pages.
Course unit details:
Engineering Alloys in Service
| Unit code | MATS24102 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 10 |
| Unit level | Level 5 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Offered by | Department of Materials |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
Case studies in the transport and power industry; e.g. weight reduction strategies in future automotive designs, performance vs. cost; economics of corrosion prevention in nuclear power generation.
Aims
The unit aims to:
- Demonstrate the ways that the metallurgical principles can be used to engineer the microstructure of metallic alloys in order to control their mechanical performance and degradation in service; through the use of case studies.
- Introduce the industrial application of materials engineering by using examples to illustrate the requirement to balance performance against cost, environmental impact and component lifetime, in commercial products.
Learning outcomes
A greater depth of the learning outcomes will be covered in the following sections:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Intellectual skills
- Practical skills
- Transferable skills and personal qualities
Teaching and learning methods
Lectures, group tutorials (problem sessions), recommended textbooks, web resources, past exam papers, Pod casts, web-based self-evaluation and supporting information (Blackboard), peer-assisted study sessions (PASS).
Knowledge and understanding
- Ability to relate the economic and environmental context for materials engineering in product development.
- Basic knowledge to apply the physical principles (e.g. thermodynamics, kinetics, mechanical behaviour) of the discipline to engineer microstructures for optimisation of performance.
- Identify the principles of microstructure control in casting and thermomechanical processing.
- Outline skills to employ the basic principles involved in design for high temperature including creep and oxidation resistance.
- Ability to apply basic thermodynamics and kinetics to evaluate corrosion and oxidation.
- Relate the scientific and engineering related knowledge on the application of surface engineering to improve materials performance, in service-life, and the control of corrosion.
Intellectual skills
- Show improved logical reasoning, problem solving and ability in applied mathematics.
- Ability to identify the effect of changing the chemistry and microstructure/architecture of a material on its properties and performance in service.
Practical skills
- Ability to apply the laboratory skills that require for corrosion testing and related experiments.
Transferable skills and personal qualities
- Skills to convert word problems into equations and numerical answers.
- Recognize the metallurgical related concepts to determine best technical options.
Assessment methods
| Method | Weight |
|---|---|
| Written exam | 70% |
| Written assignment (inc essay) | 30% |
Feedback methods
Verbal and written
Recommended reading
- “Phase transformations in Metals and Alloys”, D.A. Porter, K.E. Easterling, M. Sherif, Pub. Chapman and Hall, 2009.
- Materials Science and Engineering - An Introduction, W. D. Callister, D. G. Rethwisch, Pub. Wiley, 2010.
- Shreir's corrosion, R. A. Cottis, M. Graham, R. Lindsay, L. S.B., J. A. Richardson, D. Scantlebury and H. Stott, eds., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2009.
- Corrosion Engineering, Mars G. Fontana, Tata McGraw-Hill, 2005.
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 20 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 80 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Wajira Mirihanage | Unit coordinator |