Materials Science and Engineering

With an MEng you’ll benefit from an integrated Master’s programme in Engineering with a longer and enhanced term of study than on a BEng. You’ll develop your skills and work on broader and more involved individual and group projects. The MEng can lead to Chartered Engineer status, and a qualification that will help you stand out in the job market. As an MEng student you will have to do a work placement over the summer period, lasting from 12 to 16 weeks. As we have strong links with organisations in Europe, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and East Asia you can even choose to go abroad.

In the first two years of any degree with us you will cover all the fundamentals of Materials Science and Engineering through a series of core modules. These core modules are essential in giving you a broad understanding of Materials Science and Engineering (about both the physical and application aspects). They will open as many opportunities as possible for you to choose from a range options in the third and fourth years of your degree. These modules also include business elements.

Core modules:

Materials Chemistry and Biology
Materials Engineering
Materials Physics
Mathematics and Computing
Mechanical Behaviour
Microstructure and Properties of Materials
Project Management

Third year

Core and optional modules

Materials Characterisation
Materials Engineering Portfolio, including Engineer in  industry, Design Study and Literature  Review, Business Plan, IP and QA Essay

Options - Choose 5

Biomaterials 

Ceramic and Glasses 

 Electronic Structure and Optoelectronic Behaviour 

 Engineering Alloys 

 Nanomaterials I 

 Polymers and Composites 

 Metals Processing 

 Modelling 

 A course offered by the Centre for Co-Curricular Studies or Imperial College Business School

Placement
Four-month placement - may be either in the UK or abroad.

Fourth year

Core and optional modules

Core component - choose 3 :

 Advanced Biomaterials** 

 Advanced Nanomaterials* 

 Advanced Structural Ceramics 

 Advanced Thin Film Manufacturing  

 Advanced Tissue Engineering**  

 Business/Co-curricular studies 

 Electroceramics 

 High Performance Alloys

Options - choose  1  (NB: updated annually)
Design-led Innovation and New Venture Creation 
Environmental Impact Assessment 
Introduction to Bioinformatics 
Modelling and Control of Multi-Body Mechanical Systems
Nuclear Chemical Engineering
Nuclear Reactor Physics 
Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics

Placement and research project
Placement report
Placement project

*Students considering this option are recommended to have taken Nanomaterials in Year Three 
**Compulsory for MEng (Bio); Year 3 Biomaterials is a necessary prerequisite

Minimum A-level grades
• A in Mathematics
• A in Physics
• A in a third A-level (Chemistry and Biology are the most common)

Scottish Advanced Highers: AAA including Maths and Physics

IB: 38 overall with 6 in Maths and Physics at Higher level

Advanced Placements (AP):
• 5 in Calculus BC
• 5 in Physics B or C
• 5 in Chemistry

We also require an English qualification, for example at least a B grade at GCSE, 6.5 at IELTS, or 5 out of 7 at subsidiary level IB.

Ceres scholarship

Value - £5,000 /year
Available - 1

Minimum academic grades of A*, A*, A (two of these A-levels must be in Maths and Physics), IB 40 with 7 in Maths at Higher Level and 7 in Physics Higher Level or international equivalent, and who excel at their interview. You will also need demonstrate an interest in the areas of Energy.

To continue with the scholarship into years 3 and 4 you will need a 1st average in each of the previous two years, and to choose energy related modules. The scholar will also be considered for summer placements at Ceres Power. 
You do not need to apply for this scholarship. You will be selected from your UCAS application form and after your admissions interview. 

Applicants to the Ceres scholarship will be selected through a second interview with one of our Admissions tutors.

Departmental scholarships
Value - £1,000 /year
Available - 4
Minimum academic grades of A*, A*, A (two of these A-levels must be in Maths and Physics), IB 40 with 7 in Maths at Higher Level and 7 in Physics Higher Level or international equivalent, and who excel at their interview.

To continue with the scholarship into years 3 and 4 you will need a 1st average in each of the previous two years
You do not need to apply for this scholarship. You will be selected from your UCAS application form and after your admissions interview.

Third Year Work Placement

An important part of the MEng Course is the work placement, which may be either in the UK or abroad. The placement will give you a greater understanding of the relevance of your academic studies and experience of a working environment. Placement projects vary greatly;  you may become involved in the day-to-day running of a production facility, or work in the marketing division of a firm or even a museum. 

MEng work placements last approximately 12-16 weeks from late May or early June until the end of September. At the end of the placement you are required to write a marked report on your project
 

Fourth Year Research Project

The Research Project is probably the most important and enjoyable single piece of work that you will do in the course. You will have been allocated a project at the end of Year 3.
Each project will have one supervisor (occasionally, projects may also have a second supervisor) and one assessor.