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Have you ever wondered how a Formula One car can weigh so little, how the touchscreen on your mobile works or what an artificial heart valve is made of?
Our Materials Engineering programme will give you a strong grounding in the physical and chemical structure, properties, manufacturing and design of materials.
The first year has been designed to offer a very broad skills based engineering background, to discover how materials engineering interacts with all the different engineering disciplines in practice. You’ll build a strong foundation in fundamental engineering concepts such as fluid mechanics, design, materials and mathematical modelling, whilst being introduced to Materials Engineering through our ‘Explore Materials’ module. Modules in design and experimental practice, will help you to develop the practical workshop and laboratory-based skills necessary for all engineers, and put core programme material into perspective and to practical use.
Our specialised second year modules have been designed to help you focus on developing an understanding of the relationships between the structure and composition of materials and their properties and functionality, and the broad range of applications for different materials.
The third-year design project will provide you an opportunity to use your skills and knowledge to address topics associated with the four Grand Challenges for the future as identified by the UK Government - artificial Intelligence and data, ageing society, clean growth and the future of mobility. For example, with projects tackling issues ranging from the development of bespoke devices for personalised healthcare to the use of sustainable energy to create the next generation of transportation systems.
Students who choose to take the MEng degree will carry out an industry or research-linked project that focuses on solving real engineering research and design problems.
We've recently undertaken a review of our programmes to ensure that they will prepare you for life beyond 2030 and ensure they reflect the global challenges facing both our society and your future as engineers. We have developed the modules we offer in consultation with our students, staff and industry to enhance your student experience and graduate employability.
We have mapped the modules in our programmes to a range of attributes that we would like our students to attain, within the areas of creativity, resilience, communication and professional practice in order to produce well-rounded, interested and highly employable graduates. This not only ensures that students develop the required technical knowledge and understanding as they progress through their degree, but also gives us the confidence that students will graduate with skills they can apply to a range of future careers or higher-level study.
Our Materials Science and Engineering programmes have been accredited by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) under licence from the UK regulator, the Engineering Council.
Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by the Engineering Council in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC).
An accredited degree will provide you with some or all of the underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills for eventual registration as an Incorporated (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng). Our BEng programmes meet the academic requirements for IEng and our MEng programmes meet the academic requirements for CEng.
Some employers recruit preferentially from accredited degrees, and an accredited degree is likely to be recognised by other countries that are signatories to international accords.
You can complete your Materials Science and Engineering degree in three, four or five years. A typical BEng programme will comprise 3 years of study, whilst a typical MEng programme will comprise 4 years of study. Study abroad can be taken in Year 3 and Year 3 modules will instead be taken in Year 4. Industrial Experience can be taken in Year 3 or 4 of a BEng programme or Year 3, 4 or 5 of an MEng programme. Please note that students cannot do both study abroad and a year in industry.
Foundation
One Year-long double module allocated based on previous maths qualifications:
Semester 1
Semester 2
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
You'll study a range of core principles including:
Students choosing the MEng option spend an additional year studying advanced specialised modules and working on a group project. Recent projects include Design and Fabrication of a Futuristic Concept Bike; Smart cord-rubber composites with integrated sensing.
Specialist 4th year modules include:
Apply for this degree with any of the following options. Take care to use the correct UCAS code - it may not be possible to change your selection later.
Students who do not have the required high school qualifications for admission to this degree, and students who do not meet their UCAS Conditional offer may be considered for the 4 year degree (foundation year plus the 3 year degree).
International students with Year 12 or a completed international high school certificate qualify for the one year foundation programme commonly known as the ISEFP.
The foundation programme offers a range of transferable skills and an opportunity to improve on your knowledge content for relevant Maths and Science subjects.
You will enrol on a Materials Science MEng, BEng/BSc with Foundation which will offer progression to a range of degrees in the School of Engineering and Material Sciences including BEng or MEng Materials Science and Engineering. At the end of the foundation programme, students will be required to meet the progression requirements for admission to BEng or MEng Materials Science and Engineering.
Apply for our Materials Science and Engineering BEng or MEng with Industrial Experience to spend a year in industry. You'll have the opportunity to put your understanding of materials science and engineering into practice in a real-world environment, gaining invaluable experience for your future career.
Take an extra year to gain specialised knowledge through a high-level group project and your choice of advanced modules. Apply for our Materials Science and Engineering MEng, ideal if you want to go into research and development, or to give you an edge in the job market.
Go global and study abroad as part of your degree – apply for our Materials Science and Engineering BEng or MEng with a Year Abroad. Queen Mary has links with universities in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia (partnerships vary for each degree programme).
Find out more about study abroad opportunities at Queen Mary and what the progression requirements are.
You can do either a year in industry or a year abroad - you cannot combine these options.
I really enjoyed the student-centred learning module. The thought process involved in solving the tasks they set you is really engaging and extremely varied. One week I would be looking at characterisation techniques and the next I would be building a boat. I had a lot of fun with this module and developed a lot of other skills while doing it.
You will be taught through a mix of traditional lectures and student-centred approaches, such as problem-solving classes, laboratory practicals and coursework.
You should plan for 14-17 hours of formal teaching each week, plus time spent on group projects. For every hour spent in class, you’ll complete a further one to two hours of independent study.
Assessment typically includes a combination of coursework, written reports, projects, presentations, group work and exams in the summer.
The School offers excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:
Our undergraduate students talk about their experience of studying a Materials Science subject.
Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification.
For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq
This programme requires ATAS clearance. Students who are not EEA or Swiss nationals may require ATAS clearance to undertake this course. The CAH3 code for this course is CAH10-03-07. Further information on ATAS can be found on our Advice and Counselling webpages.
We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.
Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.
You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.
See our general undergraduate entry requirements.
UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.
Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.
Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.
Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.
We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.
Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:
The materials industry is one of the world’s biggest industrial sectors, and is growing every year.
Graduates can work directly with materials, for example as a materials engineer, identifying the best materials at all stages of the manufacturing process. Other potential careers include working as a metallurgist, research scientist, technical engineer, biomedical engineer, manufacturing systems engineer or patent examiner.
Recent Materials Science and Engineering graduates have been hired by:
The School of Engineering and Materials Science holds a weekly careers session where employers provide information, advice and skills training. We also run networking events for students to meet employers and alumni.
The Queen Mary careers team can also offer:
Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.
Materials Science and Engineering - BEng (Hons)
Materials Science with Foundation - BEng (Hons)
Materials Science and Engineering with Industrial Experience - BEng (Hons)
Materials Science and Engineering with Year Abroad - BEng (Hons)
Materials Science and Engineering - MEng (Hons)
Materials Science and Engineering with Industrial Experience - MEng (Hons)
Materials Science and Engineering with Year Abroad - MEng (Hons)
The Discover Uni dataset (formerly Unistats)
The School of Engineering and Materials Science attracts some of the brightest minds from across the country, and the world. The most recent national assessment of the quality of university research (REF 2021) placed us seventh for our engineering research (Times Higher Education) and second for the quality of our research outputs.
Our academic staff have extensive contacts with major industrial companies in engineering and materials science, and there is constant interaction between industry, research and our teaching.
Our students benefit from personal contact with approachable teaching staff in small-group settings, where discussion and feedback is actively encouraged.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 8736
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