Master in Materials Science & Engineering

Combine chemistry with physics and mechanical engineering and become an expert in the exciting and innovative field of materials engineering.

From designing solar cells to the newest generation of batteries, and from smartphone screens to knee implants: materials form the starting point in the development of any (new) product or technology. But developing and applying novel materials implies more than chemistry alone. It takes an in-depth understanding of physics and mechanical engineering as well. The specialisation in Materials Science & Engineering will equip you with a broad foundation in all of these fields, enabling you to become a true multidisciplinary materials scientist or engineer.

This specialisation is a collaboration between the Master’s in Chemical Science & Engineering, Applied Physics and Mechanical Engineering. Depending on your previous education, you can apply for this specialisation within one of these three master’s. Within each master’s, the core courses are slightly different.

What to expect?

Which type of material is light-weighted, but still efficient enough to be applied in solar cells? What material would you recommend to a biomedical engineer designing a hip prosthesis? And how can you make sure that a material prevents erosion in offshore windmills? In this specialisation, a specific application or (real-life) challenge will mainly be the starting point of your thinking process. You will use in-depth knowledge of atomic and molecular properties and behaviour of materials in assessing their suitability for specific purposes in engineering and technology.

Examples of courses you will follow during this specialisation:

How do you make sure that a material has the right chemical properties? The course AMM Characterisation will give you in-depth insights into advanced characterisation techniques, in order to define material properties, detect impurities or even create new chemical substances.
Properties of materials are often determined or limited by their surface. During the course Surfaces and Thin Layers, you will explore a.o. the structure and (electronic) properties of surfaces, diffraction and scanning probe techniques and the growth of thin films, including thermodynamic and kinetic aspects.
The course Phase Transformation and Manufacturing will provide you with a deeper understanding of the changes certain materials undergo based on changes in external conditions, such as temperature or pressure.

This multidisciplinary specialisation will equip you with fundamental chemical knowledge in the field of materials science and engineering while complementing it with courses of the Master’s in Applied Physics and Mechanical Engineering. With close ties to the industry, you will be able to contribute to many real-life challenges yourself. For example, throughout the year you get to attend multiple colloquia in which topics of the industry will be discussed. It is a great way to earn some extra study credits while also getting acquainted with the career field.

What will you learn?

As a graduate of this Master's and this specialisation, you have acquired specific, scientific knowledge, skills and values, which you can put to good use in your future job.

Knowledge
After completing this Master’s specialisation, you:
- have in-depth chemical, physical and mechanical knowledge in the field of materials science;
- have both theoretical and practical knowledge of synthesis and characterisation techniques for the qualitative and quantitative determination of properties of chemical substances;
- understand materials’ atomic and molecular level implications and macroscopic properties and combine this with strategies of materials selection, preparation and characterisation for engineering and technology.
Skills
After successfully finishing this Master’s specialisation, you:
- can design, manufacture, apply and characterise new materials and (bio)molecular structures with high-tech features by making use of different properties;
- can give useful, extensive (technical) advice to third parties regarding materials use in production processes
- are able to critically examine existing theories, models or interpretations in the area of materials science and are able to conduct research independently at a master’s level.
Values
After completing this Master’s specialisation, you:
- value multidisciplinary collaboration;
- take into account environmental, social and safety aspects in researching, developing and selecting novel materials;
- are aware of the changeability of a (research) process due to external circumstances or progressive insights and you are able to adjust this process accordingly.

Other master’s and specialisations

Is this specialisation not exactly what you’re looking for? Maybe one of the other specialisations suits you better. Or find out more about these related Master’s:

Curriculum