Materials Science and Engineering MSc

Materials science is at the forefront of providing innovative solutions for many global challenges — from creating new materials for energy generation to developing storage that helps reduce carbon emissions.

Our Materials Science and Engineering MSc has been designed to meet the present needs and future challenges of advanced materials and manufacturing. Whether you’ve got a background in science, mathematics, technology or other engineering disciplines, studying this course will give you the specialist skills and knowledge you’ll need to pursue a career in this growing and fast-moving field.

Taught by leading researchers in world-class facilities, you’ll study topics such as materials structures, processing-structure-property relationships, characterisation and failure analysis. This MSc also allows you to choose optional modules to focus your specialism to suit your own career plans and interests.

Why study at Leeds:

• Graduate with an MSc in Materials Science and Engineering that has been accredited by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3).

• Tailor the course to specialise in your career interests through an extensive, individual research project in an area of your choice.

• Advance your knowledge surrounding the needs and challenges relevant to critical areas such as transportation, bioengineering, energy, electronics and information technology, sport and sustainable development.

• Conduct your own individual research project as part of your course and gain industry and academic experience in developing and executing an innovative research plan, whilst building professional skills in project management, teamwork and decision making.

• Access research-grade equipment, specialist facilities for making and characterising a wide range of materials and labs equipped with the latest technology.

• Experience excellent practical and theoretical teaching delivered by a programme team with a wealth of expertise and experience across many relevant areas such as experimental materials science techniques.

• Our courses are shaped by our world-leading research. You’ll interact with academic staff who are members of the Sir Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials and the Bragg Centre for Materials Research, giving you the opportunity to develop professional relationships with researchers at the forefront of the industry.

Accreditation

This degree is accredited by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). IOM3 Accreditation is the formal recognition of academic programmes and company development schemes. Programmes are accredited in line with Engineering Council and Science Council requirements.

Academic accreditation relates to individual programmes (not departments or institutions), which are accredited to ensure they meet the high standards set by the profession. Graduates from an accredited degree programme will have achieved part or all of the underpinning knowledge for later professional registration.

In the first semester, you'll study four compulsory modules that teach you the foundations of materials science. You’ll learn about processing-structure-property relationships, which lie at the heart of the discipline, as well as examining topics such as mechanical, physical and chemical behaviour, phase transformations and how the structure and local chemistry of materials may be characterised. You’ll also cover materials and process selection and their role in design, and extend this into the principles and practice of failure analysis.

In the second semester, you’ll participate in an industry-focused interdisciplinary design project and also study advanced materials modelling methods. Further semester 2 modules will cover advanced materials science such as novel alloys, composites, functional materials and nanomaterials.

Project work

Every student undertakes an extensive research project that runs throughout the year. This project allows you to apply what you’ve learned to a piece of research focusing on a real-world problem, and it can be used to explore and develop your specific interests.

Throughout the research project, you’ll produce an independent study, reflecting the knowledge and skills you’ve acquired. This will enable you to gain experience of planning, executing and reporting a research work of the type you'll undertake in an industrial or academic environment. You’ll also have access to some of the outstanding facilities in School of Chemical and Process Engineering.

You’ll choose your topic – normally related to one of our world-class research areas – and work closely with your supervisor and their research group to apply what you’ve learned to a real-life problem. Examples of past project topics include:

• Temperature variable X-ray diffraction of high temperature piezoelectric material

• Fabrication of glass waveguide devices by femtosecond laser inscription

• Microstructure development in drop-tube processed cast iron

• Validation of cooling rate models of drop-tube processing

• Characterisation of graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) produced by solvent exfoliation of graphite

• Studies of the effect of milling variables in the production of nanoparticles

• Microstructural investigation of spray atomized powders

Want to find out more about your modules?

Take a look at the Materials Science and Engineering module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Materials Science and Engineering MSc in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

Learning and teaching

Our groundbreaking research feeds directly into teaching, and you’ll have regular contact with staff who are at the forefront of the discipline. You’ll learn through lectures, laboratory work, seminars, tutorials, small group work and project meetings. Independent study is also an important part of the course, as you’ll develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.

Specialist facilities

You’ll benefit from the chance to study in cutting-edge facilities where our researchers are pushing the boundaries of materials science, engineering and metallurgy. We have state-of-the-art preparative facilities for making and characterising a wide range of materials, as well as equipment and instrumentation for carrying out more fundamental studies into their process-microstructure-property relationships.

Our labs are equipped with the latest technology, including scanning electron microscopes, X-ray diffractometers, chemical processing unit operations and more.

Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.

You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

Programme team

The Programme Leader, Dr Andrew Scott, is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds who has extensive experience of a range of theoretical and experimental materials science techniques. His research interests primarily include functional materials, nuclear graphite, electron energy loss spectroscopy and crystallisation.

The wider programme team has a broad and extensive experience across a range of chemical and process engineering disciplines.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including case studies, technical reports, presentations, in-class tests, assignments, vivas and projects.

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:2 (hons) in engineering, a physical science or mathematics discipline.

Applicants must have strong marks across a breadth of relevant modules, including mathematics and physical sciences.

Relevant professional qualifications and experience may also be considered.

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. For more information please contact the Admissions Team.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Engineering (6 weeks) and Language for Science: Engineering (10 weeks). 

We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. You could study a part-time online course starting in January, or a full-time course in summer. Find out more about online pre-sessionals.

You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.

How to apply

Application deadlines

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

30 July 2023 – International applicants
10 September 2023 – UK applicants

Apply

This link takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.

If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

The UK Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) operates a scheme called the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS). If you are an international (non-EU/EEA or Swiss citizen) applicant and require a student visa to study in the UK then you will need an ATAS certificate to study this course at the University of Leeds.

To apply for an ATAS certificate online, you will need your programme details and the relevant Common Aggregation Hierarchy (CAH) code and descriptor. For this course, the CAH code is: CAH10-03-07 and the descriptor is Materials Science. Your supervisor will be Andrew Scott.

More information and details on how to apply for your ATAS certificate can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academic-technology-approval-scheme.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2023

Fees

• UK: £13,000 (total)
• International: £28,000 (total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.

Additional cost information

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government.  Find out more at Masters funding overview.

There is an increasingly high demand for qualified materials scientists, materials engineers and metallurgists. Career prospects are excellent and cover a wide range of industries concerned with the research and development of new and improved materials, materials synthesis and commercial production, and materials exploitation in cutting-edge applications in engineering and technology.

Plus, the University of Leeds is in the top five most targeted universities in the UK by graduate recruiters, according to High Fliers’ The Graduate Market in 2022 report.

Our graduates who studied materials science and engineering with us have secured positions at companies such as:

• Lead Engineer, Jaguar Land Rover

• Project Leader, Saint-Gobain

• Materials Engineer, Jaguar Land Rover

• Junior Research Fellow, University of Cambridge

• Scientist, Hexcel Corporation

• Materials Engineer, Genesis Oil and Gas Consultants

Careers support

At Leeds, we help you to prepare for your future from day one. Our wide range of careers resources — including our award-winning Employability team — are on hand to offer guidance and support, ensuring you are prepared to take your next steps after graduation and get you where you want to be.

• Employability events — we run a full range of events including careers fairs in specialist areas and across broader industries — all with employers who are actively recruiting for roles.

• MyCareer system — on your course and after you graduate you’ll have access to a dedicated careers portal where you can book appointments with our team, get information on careers and see job vacancies and upcoming events.

• Qualified careers consultants — gain guidance, support and information to help you choose a career path. You’ll have access to 1-2-1 meetings and events to learn how to find employers to target, research before interviews and brush up on your interview skills.

• Opportunities at Leeds — there are plenty of exciting opportunities offered by our Leeds University Union, including volunteering and over 300 clubs and societies to get involved in.

Find out more about career support.