Materials Science & Engineering (SS)

Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is the enabling science/engineering discipline par excellence. Progress in all scientific, engineering and technological fields is inconceivable without advances in materials. Advanced materials enable multiple industries, including those aimed at addressing challenges in clean energy, national security, and human welfare.  While MSE grew out of the disciplines of metallurgy and ceramics, our discipline nowadays encompasses a very wide range of classes of materials: metal, ceramics, polymers, electronic and magnetic materials, optical materials, biomaterials, nano-materials, etc. 

The discipline of MSE serves as an umbrella of unifying principles that enables understanding and control of the processing and fabrication of materials, of their structure and properties and ultimately of their performance during utilization. 

Studies in the department of Materials Science and Engineering focus in the following theme:

• Optical Materials
• Integrated Computational Materials Science and Engineering
• Materials Synthesis, Processing and Fabrication
• Materials for Energy
• Heritage Conservation

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Where are the jobs?

Opportunities for materials graduates are available in the manufacturing sector related to materials science and engineering. As well as materials companies (e.g. paints, steel), employers may be in oil and gas, aerospace, utilities, pharmaceuticals, the nuclear industry, the armed forces and defence. Opportunities are also available in teaching and research.

There are also many emerging and growth areas where materials graduates can find career openings, including nanotechnology, biomedical materials, high performance textiles, composites and the development of sustainable materials.

Opportunities are also available in a wide range of other industries such as finance (e.g. accountancy, banking, stockbroking and consultancy), publishing, advertising, the civil service and general administration.

For an insight into potential employment areas see
 

• Engineering and manufacturing - a diverse sector encompassing many different fields and roles. Engineering includes consultancy, management, sales and research and development, as well as pure engineering roles. Manufacturing includes aerospace, chemicals, electronics and food and drink
   
• Energy and utilities - in the UK, these sectors include oil, gas and petroleum, nuclear power, coal, renewable energies, waste management and water industries.