First established in the early 1950s, the MMet course has produced over 700 graduates, with many now working in senior positions within metallurgical companies across the globe.
You’ll receive an in-depth and up-to-date understanding of current developments in metallurgy and metallurgical engineering. You’ll learn the fundamentals of thermodynamics, structure and mechanical behaviour. As well as the option to study the more advanced courses on engineering alloys, processing, modelling and performance in service.
Fully accredited by the IoM3 graduates will have the underpinning knowledge for later professional registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).
A friendly, forward-thinking community, our students and staff are on hand to welcome you to the department and ensure you settle into student life.
Your project supervisor will support you throughout your course. Plus you’ll have access to our extensive network of alumni, offering industry insight and valuable career advice to support your own career pathway.
Prospective employers recognise the value of our courses, and know that our students can apply their knowledge to industry. Our graduates work for organisations including Airbus, Rolls-Royce, the National Nuclear Laboratory and Saint-Gobain. Roles include materials development engineer, reactor engineer and research manager. They also work in academia in the UK and abroad.
90 per cent of our graduates are employed or in further study 6 months after graduating, with an average starting salary of £27,000, the highest being £50,000.
We have invested in extensive, world-class equipment and facilities to provide a stimulating learning environment. Our laboratories are equipped to a high standard, with specialist facilities for each area of research.
Tools and production facilities for materials processing, fabrication and testing, including wet chemical processing for ceramics and polymers, rapid solidification and water atomisation for nanoscale metallic materials, and extensive facilities for deposition of functional and structural coatings.
Our £3million advanced nuclear materials research facility provides a high-quality environment for research on radioactive waste and disposal. Our unique thermomechanical compression and arbitrary strain path equipment is used for simulation of hot deformation.
You’ll have access to newly refurbished array of microscopy and analysis equipment, x-ray facilities, and surface analysis techniques covering state-of-the-art XPS and SIMS. There are also laboratories for cell and tissue culture, and facilities for measuring electrical, magnetic and mechanical properties.
The Kroto Research Institute and the Nanoscience and Technology Centre enhance our capabilities in materials fabrication and characterisation, and we have a computer cluster for modelling from the atomistic through nano and mesoscopic to the macroscopic.
An interdisciplinary research-led department; our network of world leading academics at the cutting edge of their research inform our courses providing a stimulating, dynamic environment in which to study.
Working alongside students and staff from across the globe, you’ll tackle real-world projects, and attend lectures, seminars and laboratory classes delivered by academic and industry experts.
You’ll be assessed by formal examinations, coursework assignments and a dissertation.
New materials underpin development and progress across a wide variety of sectors. New technologies, from planes to batteries, from hip implants to electronic devices, are made possible, and often limited by, the materials we currently know and use.
Materials Scientists and Engineers work hard to understand how and why materials behave the way they do, and exploit this knowledge to develop new materials with amazing properties.
This one-year master course comprises 12 taught modules (two-thirds of the year) taken in Semesters I and II and an individual research project (one-third of the year) carried out in Semester III and summer in a broad range of topics related to Materials Science and Engineering in any of the Research Groups within the School of Metallurgy and Materials.
Studying Materials Science and Engineering, you will develop a fundamental understanding of how the properties of a material, such as strength, electronic properties and biocompatibility, are affected by the material’s structure, such as its crystal structure or microstructure.
This knowledge can then be used to formulate strategies to develop new materials, such as alloys able to operate at higher temperatures for jet engine blades or high-toughness ceramics for armour applications. This programme will equip you with the skills required to join a wide variety of industries in the capacity of materials specialist, or continue your education at a PhD level.
This one-year master course comprises 12 taught modules (two-thirds of the year) taken in Semesters I and II and an individual research project (one-third of the year) carried out in Semester III & summer. In addition to technical modules, the course also provides training for transferable skills such as Communiation Skills and Effective Project Management.
Research projects can be carried out in a broad range of topics related to Materials Science and Engineering in any of the Research Groups within the School of Metallurgy and Materials or in industry. The project involves full-time research for one third of the academic year.
Related links
All students take twelve modules for a total 120 credits, plus a research project.
The programme is currently delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, project-based and laboratory-based teaching and learning methods.
Our graduates go on to become engineers and scientists at a wide variety of industrial partners, or opt to continue their studies at PhD level.
Typical employers:
University Careers Network
Preparation for your career should be one of the first things you think about as you start university. Whether you have a clear idea of where your future aspirations lie or want to consider the broad range of opportunities available once you have a Birmingham degree, our Careers Network can help you achieve your goal.
Our unique careers guidance service is tailored to your academic subject area, offering a specialised team (in each of the five academic colleges) who can give you expert advice. Our team source exclusive work experience opportunities to help you stand out amongst the competition, with mentoring, global internships and placements available to you. Once you have a career in your sights, one-to-one support with CVs and job applications will help give you the edge.
If you make the most of the wide range of services you will be able to develop your career from the moment you arrive.
This programme comprises a major research project and six taught modules, four compulsory and two optional.
The research project can be taken full-time or part-time and can be carried out in the University or by industrial collaboration with a company.
This programme can be taken on a full- or part-time basis. This one-year Course (full-time) comprises a major research project (two-thirds of the year) and six taught modules (one-third of the year), which are taken intermittently throughout the year.
Students with an appropriate technical background (a Materials Science first degree) can start the course at any time. Students without a background in Materials Science are required to take the Introduction to Materials module (see module section), and must start the MRes Course at the beginning of the academic year, in September.
Related links
The programme is currently delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, project-based and laboratory-based teaching and learning methods.
Examples of MRes in the Science and Engineering of Materials Research Projects
University Careers Network
Preparation for your career should be one of the first things you think about as you start university. Whether you have a clear idea of where your future aspirations lie or want to consider the broad range of opportunities available once you have a Birmingham degree, our Careers Network can help you achieve your goal.
Our unique careers guidance service is tailored to your academic subject area, offering a specialised team (in each of the five academic colleges) who can give you expert advice. Our team source exclusive work experience opportunities to help you stand out amongst the competition, with mentoring, global internships and placements available to you. Once you have a career in your sights, one-to-one support with CVs and job applications will help give you the edge.
If you make the most of the wide range of services you will be able to develop your career from the moment you arrive.
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Materials Engineering at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
Engineering at Swansea University has key research strengths in materials for aerospace applications and steel technology. As a student on the Master's course in Materials Engineering, you will be provided with the depth of knowledge and breadth of abilities to meet the demands of the international materials industry.
Through the MSc Materials Engineering course you will be provided with training and experience in a broad range of topic areas, including metallurgy and materials selection, modern methods used for engineering design and analysis, the relationship between structure, processing and properties for a wide range of materials, materials and advanced composite materials, structural factors that control the mechanical properties of materials, and modern business management issues and techniques.
The MSc Materials Engineering course is an excellent route for those who have a first degree in any scientific or technical subject and would like to become qualified in this field of materials engineering.
MSc in Materials Engineering programme is modular in structure. Students must obtain a total of 180 credits to qualify for the degree. This is made up of 120 credits in the taught element (Part One) and a project (Part Two) that is worth 60 credits and culminates in a written dissertation. Students must successfully complete Part One before being allowed to progress to Part Two.
The part-time scheme is a version of the full-time equivalent MSc scheme, and as such it means lectures are spread right across each week and you may have lectures across every day. Due to this timetabling format, the College advises that the scheme is likely to suit individuals who are looking to combine this with other commitments (typically family/caring) and who are looking for a less than full-time study option.
Those candidates seeking to combine the part-time option with full-time work are unlikely to find the timetable suitable, unless their job is extremely flexible and local to the Bay Campus.
Modules on the MSc Materials Engineering course can vary each year but you could expect to study:
Composite Materials
Polymer Processing
Environmental Analysis and Legislation
Communication Skills for Research Engineers
Simulation Based Product Design
Aerospace Materials Engineering
Structural Integrity of Aerospace Metals
Ceramics
Environmental Analysis and Legislation
Physical Metallurgy of Steels
The MSc Materials Engineering course at Swansea University is accredited by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3).
This degree is accredited as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who have already acquired an Accredited CEng (Partial) BEng(Hons) or an Accredited IEng (Full) BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree.
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). 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.
Our new home at the innovative Bay Campus provides some of the best university facilities in the UK, in an outstanding location.
Within Engineering at Swansea University there are state-of-the-art facilities specific to Materials Engineering.
- Comprehensive computer systems for specialist and general purposes.
- World-leading equipment for characterisation of the mechanical properties of metallic, ceramic, polymeric and composite materials.
- Extensive range of laboratories housing scanning electron microscopes with full microanalysis and electron backscatter diffraction capabilities.
Materials engineering underpins almost all engineering applications and employment prospects are excellent.
Employment can be found in a very wide range of sectors, ranging from large-scale materials production through to R&D in highly specialised advanced materials in industries that include aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, sports, and energy generation, as well as consultancy and advanced research.
Materials engineering knowledge is vital in many fields and our graduates go on to successful careers in research and development, product design, production management, marketing, finance, teaching and the media, and entrepreneurship.
The internationally leading materials research conducted at Swansea is funded by prestigious organisations including:
Rolls-Royce
Airbus
Tata Steel
Rolls-Royce
The Institute of Structural Materials at Swansea is a core member of the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre in Materials.
This venture supports a wide ranging research portfolio with a rolling value of £6.5 million per annum addressing longer term materials issues.
Airbus
Over £1m funding has been received from Airbus and the Welsh Government in the last three years to support structural composites research and development in the aerospace industry and to support composites activity across Wales.
Tata Steel
Funding of over £6 million to continue our very successful postgraduate programmes with Tata Steel.
Other companies sponsoring research projects include Akzo Nobel, Axion Recycling, BAE Systems, Bayer, Cognet, Ford, HBM nCode, Jaguar Land Rover, Novelis, QinetiQ, RWE Innogy, Timet, TWI (Wales), as well as many smaller companies across the UK.
These industrial research links provide excellent opportunities for great research and employment opportunities.
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 ranks Engineering at Swansea as 10th in the UK for the combined score in research quality across the Engineering disciplines.
The REF assesses the quality of research in the UK Higher Education sector, assuring us of the standards we strive for.
The REF shows that 94% of research produced by our academic staff is of World-Leading (4*) or Internationally Excellent (3*) quality. This has increased from 73% in the 2008 RAE.
Research pioneered at the College of Engineering harnesses the expertise of academic staff within the department. This ground-breaking multidisciplinary research informs our world-class teaching with several of our staff leaders in their fields.
Offered as part of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme.
Full-time and part-time students study a number of one-week short-course modules comprising lectures, laboratory sessions and tutorials.
The modules cover metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, nanomaterials, bonding, surfaces, corrosion, fracture, fatigue, analytical techniques and general research methods. Each module is followed by an open book assessment of approximately 120 hours.
There is also a materials-based research project, which is made up of the Research Project Planning and the Project modules.
The MSc in Advanced Materials is accredited by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) and by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) when a Project is undertaken.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time over five academic years. It consists of eight taught modules and a compulsory Project.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and understanding
Intellectual / cognitive skills
Professional practical skills
Key / transferable skills
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Mechanical Engineering at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
Mechanical Engineering at Swansea maintains a high standard of teaching and research, set in a relaxed and sociable atmosphere. As a student on the Master's course in Mechanical Engineering, you will be provided with a high quality overview of the techniques of modern mechanical engineering, presenting examples of use from a wide range of disciplines and industries.
The MSc Mechanical Engineering course is stimulating and our graduates are rewarded with excellent job prospects. It will equip you with the ability to make informed judgements on the most appropriate approach to a range of mechanical engineering problems.
The MSc Mechanical Engineering course covers the development of mechanical engineering tools, methods and techniques for problem solving, the ability to formulate an adequate representation of sets of experimental data, the use of these tools and techniques for real world applications, the ability to formulate an accurate representation of sets of experimental data, and business and management methods and their application in the field of engineering.
The research project undertaken as part of the MSc Mechanical Engineering course is industrially relevant and the topics of the course are of high industrial relevance.
Mechanical Engineering at Swansea University is recognised as one of the top 200 departments in the world (QS World Subject Rankings).
MSc programmes are modular in structure. Students must obtain a total of 180 credits to qualify for the degree. This is made up of 120 credits in the taught element (Part One) and a project (Part Two) that is worth 60 credits and culminates in a written dissertation. Students must successfully complete Part One before being allowed to progress to Part Two.
Modules on the MSc Mechanical Engineering course can vary each year but you could expect to study:
Strategic Project Planning
Additive Manufacturing
Entrepreneurship for Engineers
Optimisation
Composite Materials
Simulation Based Product Design
Advanced Thermo Fluid Mechanics
Advanced Solid Mechanics
Environmental Analysis and Legislation
Polymer Processing
Systems Monitoring, Control, Reliability, Survivability, Integrity and Maintenance
Process Metallurgy and Optimisation
Power Generation Systems
The MSc Mechanical Engineering course is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).
The MSc Mechanical Engineering degree is accredited as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who have already acquired an Accredited CEng (Partial) BEng(Hons) or an Accredited IEng (Full) BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree.
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). 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.
Our new home at the innovative Bay Campus provides some of the best university facilities in the UK, in an outstanding location.
Mechanical Engineering at Swansea University has extensive laboratory and computing facilities for both teaching and research purposes.
In the mechanical laboratories are two large rotating rigs. One is used to study the dynamics of high speed machinery whilst the other is devoted to the analysis of heat transfer in turbine blade.
The modules on the MSc Mechanical Engineering course are of high industrial relevance and the benefits to employability are immediate in a wide range of industries.
Members of staff work closely with a range of industries through knowledge transfer projects, consultancy and strategic research, which informs the practical problems used in our teaching.
Within Wales we have close interaction with large companies such as Tata Steel and Ford, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Across the UK there is or has been recent work with companies such as Astra-Zeneca, British Aerospace, Qinetiq, GKN and Rolls-Royce whilst further afield there is close working with companies such as SKF (Netherlands), Freeport (USA), One Steel (Australia), Barrick Gold (USA) to name a few.
The modules on the MSc Mechanical Engineering course are of high industrial relevance and the benefits to employability are immediate in a wide range of industries.
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 ranks Engineering at Swansea as 10th in the UK for the combined score in research quality across the Engineering disciplines.
The REF assesses the quality of research in the UK Higher Education sector, assuring us of the standards we strive for.
The REF shows that 94% of research produced by our academic staff is of World-Leading (4*) or Internationally Excellent (3*) quality. This has increased from 73% in the 2008 RAE.
Research pioneered at the College of Engineering harnesses the expertise of academic staff within the department. This ground-breaking multidisciplinary research informs our world-class teaching with several of our staff leaders in their fields.
“Every single day at the College of Engineering has been a learning process for me. The MSc in Mechanical Engineering involves leading world class professors, tutors and academics with whom we were lucky to be associated with. There is also a great peer group too.
I would like to pursue a PhD from Swansea University and become an entrepreneur. The College of Engineering has helped immensely with these ambitions.”
Arnab Dasgupta, MSc Mechanical Engineering
If you’re a graduate from a science, mathematics, technology or another engineering discipline, this programme provides the knowledge and skills to convert to a specialism in materials science and engineering or metallurgy to meet the present needs and future challenges of advanced materials and manufacturing in areas such as transportation, bioengineering, energy, electronics and information technology, sport and sustainable development.
Alternatively, if you’re already a professional engineer in the materials sector, you’ll have the chance to expand your expertise to enhance your career prospects.
Core modules cover key topics such as materials structures, processing-structure-property relationships, characterisation and failure analysis. You’ll also choose one from three groups of optional modules to focus your specialism to suit your own career plans and interests. Taught by experts in world-class facilities, you’ll gain the skills to thrive in a growing and fast-changing field.
This course is aimed at those who wish to study advanced topics in mechanical engineering with a focus on materials.
It's been developed to provide you with an in-depth technical understanding of advanced mechanical engineering topics. You’ll also develop generic skills that allow you to contribute effectively in developing company capabilities.
The course is designed to make you more employable and also satisfies the Further Learning requirements necessary to obtain Chartered Engineer status.
This course is particularly suitable for graduate engineers in these sectors:
You’ll have the opportunity to select technical and specialist classes.
Compulsory classes
You’ll study three compulsory classes:
Other specialist instructional modules
These focus on different technical aspects allowing you to tailor learning to your individual needs. When choosing technical modules, you’ll discuss the options with the course co-ordinator. These include:
Faculty-wide generic instructional modules
You’ll choose three faculty-wide generic modules which satisfy the broader learning requirements for Chartered Engineer status. You'll choose from:
Individual project
MSc students take on an individual project which allows study of a selected topic in-depth. This may be an industry-themed project or one aligned to engineering research at Strathclyde.
Our facilities include many laboratories and research centres including:
We have local access to a 3500-node region supercomputer.
As this is a new course starting in 2014/15, accreditation by IMechE is expected (as has been obtained for the Advanced Mechanical Engineering course), after it has been operational for one year.
Teaching methods include lectures and practical exercises. Site visits are also arranged.
Engineering graduates, particularly Mechanical Engineers, are in demand from recruiting companies. This course is designed to meet industrial demand for qualified staff in the area of Mechanical Engineering. This course is particularly suitable for Graduate Engineers in the following sectors:
This course was introduced last year and is aimed at students who want to study advanced topics in mechanical engineering with a focus on power plant technologies.
It provides mechanical engineering graduates with an in-depth technical understanding of advanced mechanical engineering topics relevant to the power generation industry. You’ll also develop generic skills that allow you to contribute effectively in developing company capabilities.
The course helps to make you more employable and also satisfies the further learning requirements necessary to obtain Chartered Engineer status.
You’ll have the opportunity to select technical and specialist classes.
Compulsory modules
You’ll study compulsory modules:
Other specialist instructional modules
These focus on different technical aspects allowing you to tailor learning to your individual needs. When choosing technical modules, you’ll discuss the options with the course co-ordinator. These options include:
Faculty-wide generic instructional modules
You’ll choose three faculty-wide generic modules which satisfy the broader learning requirements for Chartered Engineer status. You'll choose from:
Individual project
MSc students take on an individual project which allows study of a selected topic in-depth. This may be an industry-themed project or one aligned to engineering research at Strathclyde.
Our facilities include many laboratories and research centres including:
We have local access to a 3500-node region supercomputer.
Students take three compulsory modules and a selection of specialist and generic modules.
To qualify for the MSc, students undertake an individual project which allows study of a selected topic in depth, normally industry-themed or aligned to engineering research at Strathclyde.
Assessment is by written assignments, exams and the individual project.
This course is particularly suitable for graduate engineers in these sectors:
Welding is integral to the manufacture of a wide-range of products. This course provides the practical and theoretical knowledge required to become a welding engineer and a materials and joining specialist. The course covers modern welding techniques, automation, metallurgy, materials science, welding processes, weld design, and quality.
This course will provide you with a fundamental understanding of welding technologies and an awareness of recent technical developments within the relevant industries. It will also improve your communication, presentation, analytical and problem solving skills. Our graduates are highly sought after by international companies using welding and joining technologies, and are able to attain positions of significant engineering responsibility.
In addition, you will be qualified to act as responsible persons as defined by European and international quality standards, and will have met a major part of the requirements for membership of the appropriate professional organisations with knowledge, skills and experience of managing research and development projects.
Welding is integral to the manufacture of a wide-range of products, from high power laser welding of large ships, to micro-joining of thin wires. Joining technologies continue to expand; and are used in the oil and gas; automotive; aerospace, nuclear, shipbuilding, and defense industries. Furthermore many of the student projects involve Wire + Arc Additive Manufacture which is a technology where Cranfield University is a world leader. All our projects are industrially linked and usually involve a new development never before undertaken. You will have the opportunity to be supervised by a world leading academic in this area.
There are numerous benefits associated with undertaking a postgraduate programme of study at Cranfield University, including:
Some organisations that we regularly work with and can be mentioned are:
The MSc in Welding Engineering is accredited by The Welding Institute (TWI), Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3), Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET), Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer. Candidates must hold a CEng accredited BEng/BSc (Hons) undergradudate first degree to comply with full CEng registration requirements.
Please note accreditation applies to the MSc award. PgDip and PgCert do not meet in full the further learning requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer.
The course comprises seven assessed modules, a group project and an individual research project. The modules include lectures and tutorials, and are assessed through practical work, written examinations, case studies, essays, presentations and tests. These provide the 'tools' required for the group and individual projects.
Group project
The group project experience is highly valued by both students and prospective employers. Teams of students work to solve an industrial problem. The project applies technical knowledge and provides training in teamwork and the opportunity to develop non-technical aspects of the taught programme. Part-time students can prepare a dissertation on an agreed topic in place of the group project.
Industrially orientated, our team projects have support from external organisations. As a result of external engagement Cranfield students enjoy a higher degree of success when it comes to securing employment. Prospective employers value the student experience where team working to find solutions to industrially based problems are concerned.
Individual project
This provides experience of undertaking research into a specific welding or Wire + Arc Additive Manufacture (WAAM) topic that is of interest and benefit to industry. For full-time students the project is performed using our state-of-the-art welding and WAAM equipment in the Welding Engineering and Laser Processing Centre. In some cases, it may be possible to undertake the research project with an industry sponsor at their premises. For part-time students, the research project is usually performed at their employer's premises.
Assessment
Taught modules 40%, Group projects 20%, Individual project 40%
Successful students develop diverse and rewarding careers in engineering management in a wide-range of organisations deploying welding technologies. Roles include the management of welding manufacturing operations, and management of design and fabrication of welded structures. The international nature of such activities means that career opportunities are not restricted to the UK. Cranfield graduates develop careers around the world in oil and gas, automotive, and aerospace sectors.
These courses provide training in the analysis, design and assessment of steel and composite (steel/concrete) structures.
All of our MSc courses are career-orientated and cover both theoretical background and practical design considerations. Lectures are given mainly by full-time staff but important contributions are made by visiting professors and guest lecturers who are eminent industrialists.
Many of our students continue their studies to undertake research towards a PhD.
The majority of new buildings in the UK have steel structures, the use of steel in construction is growing in many other parts of the world.
This specialist course aims to prepare structural engineers for careers in the global construction industry by providing advanced knowledge of the properties and applications of steel.
There is an active steel structures group within the department whose research feeds directly into our MSc (Eng) in Steel Construction.
We are one of the largest and most active civil engineering departments in the UK. All our masters courses are informed by our own world-leading research and industry needs. The 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) puts us in the UK top four.
Our structures-based courses are accredited by The Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, and Institute of Highway Engineers as satisfying part 2 academic base requirements for a Chartered Engineer under UK-SPEC.
Our graduates work for top UK and international consultancies, contractors, regulators, universities and other private and public sector organisations.
Many of them join engineering consultancies, in roles such as Structural Engineer, Building Services Engineer and Sustainability Consultant. Some join architecture practices. Employers include Arup, Buro Happold, Capita Symonds, Roger Preston and Partners, Cundall and Foster and Partners.
Lectures, design tutorials, computational tutorials, lab work and industrial seminars.
All courses use lectures by academic staff and industrial partners, laboratory work, site visits, design projects and dissertation. Assessment is by formal examinations, coursework assignments and a dissertation with oral examination.
Your research dissertation gives you the opportunity to work with an academic on a piece of research in a subdiscipline. We’ll give you training in research skills.
Scientific analysis is a key tool in the study of archaeological artefacts and assemblages. This MSc offers detailed training in the use of scientific techniques for the analysis of archaeological and heritage materials, and a solid background in the archaeology and anthropology of technology, allowing students to design and implement archaeologically meaningful scientific projects.
This degree aims to bridge the gap between archaeology and science by integrating both a detailed training in the use of scientific techniques for the analysis of inorganic archaeological materials and a solid background in the anthropology of technology. By the end of the degree, students should have a good understanding of the foundations of the most established analytical techniques, practical experience in their application and data processing, as well as the ability to design research projects that employ instrumental analyses to address archaeological questions.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of one core module (15 credits), four optional modules (75 credits) and a research dissertation (90 credits).
Core modules
Optional modules
You are then able to choose further optional modules to the value of 75 credits. At least 15 credits must be made up from the following:
At least 30 credits must be made up from the following list below:
In order to allow for a flexible curriculum, students are allowed to select up to 30 credits from any of the postgraduate modules offered at the UCL Institute of Archaeology under other Master's degrees
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 15,000 words.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical demonstrations and laboratory work. A popular aspect of this programme is its extensive use of analytical facilities. Assessment is through essays, practicals, projects, laboratory reports and oral presentations depending on the options chosen, and the dissertation.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Archaeological Science: Technology and Materials MSc
Given our strong emphasis on research training, many of our MSc graduates take up further research positions after their degree, and over half of our MSc students progress to PhD research. Their projects are generally concerned with the technology and/or provenance of ceramics, metals or glass in different regions and periods, but most of them involve scientific approaches in combination with traditional fieldwork and/or experimental archaeology.
Some of our graduates are now teaching archaeometry or ancient technologies at different universities in the UK and abroad. Others work as conservation scientists in museums and heritage institutions, or as finds specialists, researchers and consultants employed by archaeological field units or academic research projects.
Employability
Due largely to an unparalleled breadth of academic expertise and laboratory facilities, our graduates develop an unusual combination of research and transferable skills, including critical abilities, team working, multimedia communication, numerical thinking and the use of advanced analytical instruments. On completion of the degree, graduates should be as comfortable in a laboratory as in a museum and/or an archaeological site. They become acquainted with research design and implementation, ethical issues and comparative approaches to world archaeology through direct exposure to an enormous variety of projects. The range of options available allows students to tailor their pathways towards different career prospects in archaeology and beyond.
The UCL Institute of Archaeology is the largest and most diverse department of archaeology in the UK. Its specialist staff, outstanding library and fine teaching and reference collections provide a stimulating environment for postgraduate study.
The excellent in-house laboratory facilities will provide direct experience of a wide range of techniques, including electron microscopy and microphone analysis, fixed and portable X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, infra-red spectroscopy, petrography and metallography under the supervision of some of the world's leading specialists.
The institute houses fine teaching and reference collections that are extensively used by MSc students including ceramics, metals, stone artefacts and geological materials from around the world. In addition, the institute has a wide network of connections to museums and ongoing projects offering research opportunities for MSc students.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: Institute of Archaeology
73% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
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