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Advanced Materials Science and Engineering
Specialise in materials for energy transition and develop your passion for exploring and creating innovative materials.
Study this professionally accredited degree and foster your interest in exploring and creating innovative materials
Access high-level knowledge by working alongside our established research groups
Produce a specially designed independent project within an active research area
Course key facts
Qualification
MSc
Duration
1 year
Start date
September 2026
Study mode
Full-time
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Fees
£19,400 Home
£45,000 Overseas
Delivered by
Location
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South Kensington
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Minimum entry standard
2:1 in Materials, Mechanical/Civil/Chemical Engineering, Physics or Chemistry
Course overview
Learn how to solve problems in materials science on this Master's course, designed to suit talented engineers and scientists with a passion for understanding and creating innovative materials.
You'll acquire core materials science and engineering knowledge that can be applied to a wide range of materials-based careers. This flexible programme covers many aspects of both the science of materials and engineering applications through coursework and original research components.
You'll advance your understanding of the characterisation of materials, in particular their structural, thermal, morphological and chemical properties.
This course also offers you the chance to work on real research projects as part of established research groups. This collaborative work will see you design, assess, implement and review solutions to real-life engineering problems.
You will be given the option to specialise in Materials for the Energy Transition, or Theory and Simulation of Materials, and if you meet the additional criteria will be eligible for the following extra annotation on your degree certificate: "Specialising in Materials for the Energy Transition" or "Specialising in Theory and Simulation of Materials".
Structure
This page is updated regularly to reflect the latest version of the curriculum. However, this information is subject to change.
Find out more about potential course changes.
Please note: it may not always be possible to take specific combinations of modules due to timetabling conflicts. For confirmation, please check with the relevant department.
You’ll take all of these core modules.
Core modules
Gain a firm foundation in the fundamentals of the characterisation of the structure of materials.
Become familiar with a selection of important modelling techniques and use these methods to perform simulations.
Obtain the knowledge and skills needed to support your research project, including opportunities to attend and report on current research seminars.
For the standard course, you’ll choose four optional modules from the list provided, and all will be assessed.
Materials for the Energy Transition
For the specialisation in Materials for the Energy Transition, you must select three optional modules listed under 'Materials for the Energy Transition', with the fourth module from any other area.
Theory and Simulation of Materials
For the specialism in Theory and Simulation of Materials, you must select all three optional modules listed under "Theory and Simulation of Materials", with the fourth module from any other area. Your research project should focus on a topic related to theory and simulation.
General optional modules
Draw together key concepts within the ‘“processing-microstructure-properties-performance’” domain to consider the opportunities and challenges of using engineering alloys in real components.
Assess the main methods and fundamental principles used for the processing of engineering and glass ceramics and understand the factors that influence their mechanical properties.
Investigate the fundamentals of nanoscience and how it can be applied in technological devices.
Build your foundational knowledge of biomaterials and explore the materials needed for various medical applications and how to synthesise and characterise them.
Examine aspects of processing through to resultant microstructure and properties and consider alloy structural behaviour and performance in service.
Review microstructural aspects of the behaviour of major ceramic families and examine the factors that control stability, mechanical performance and damage accumulation under service conditions.
Discover the latest developments in hard tissue biology and learn how to describe the main classes of natural polymers, their structure and their applications.
Analyse modern developments in tissue engineering, and the principles on which they are based.
Understand the transformative potential of quantum technology and which materials this technology requires.
Materials for the Energy Transition modules
Discover the materials in electronic devices used to emit, transmit and detect light and how these elements can be combined to create integrated systems.
Appreciate the fundamental science governing the electronic and ionic conductivity of metal oxides and use this knowledge to describe the operation of devices based on these properties.
Develop an appreciation of materials issues associated with nuclear reactor technology and how this information is used when designing reactor systems.
Learn about the material challenges that need to be tackled to produce energy from nuclear fusion.
Theory and Simulation of Materials modules
Engage with the modelling of materials with density-functional theory and learn how to compute the properties of real materials from first principles.
Learn the fundamentals of statistical research tools used for materials modelling and develop your understanding of how composition-structure-property information can be suitably used for machine learning.
Explore the use of essential methods used to solve quantum mechanical problems, and show how they can be applied to common materials science obstacles.
Undertake a significant independent investigation of a research topic and present the results in a report and talk.
You’ll also learn about the ethics of research.
Professional accreditation
This course is professionally accredited by The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
Achieving a professionally accredited degree demonstrates to employers that you have achieved an industry-recognised standard of competency. It also brings international recognition of your qualification, which is particularly useful for students preparing for a career abroad.
Our accreditation agreement with The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining is renewed every 5 years, and the current agreement runs between 2023 and 2028.
Teaching and assessment
Balance of teaching and learning
This is a general guide to how teaching and learning are usually balanced across this course. The methods used may change based on the modules you take.
Key
- Lectures
- Workshops
- Independent study
- 7% Title 1 goes here
- 2% Title 2 goes here
- 91% Title 3 goes here
Teaching and learning methods
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Laboratory work
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Lectures
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Oral presentations and small group discussions
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Practical sessions
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Tutorials
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Written reports
Balance of assessment
This is an example of how assessments are usually divided, based on a typical pathway through the course. The actual breakdown may be different depending on the modules you choose.
Key
- Coursework
- Examinations
- 70% Title 1 goes here
- 30% Title 2 goes here
Assessment methods
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Coursework
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Examination
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Practical
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Research project
Entry requirements
We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.
How to apply
Apply online
You can submit one application form per year of entry. You can choose up to two courses.
Application deadlines – Round 2 closes on Wednesday 7 January 2026
We operate a staged admissions process with several application rounds throughout the year.
Apply by 23.59 (UK time) on the closing date of an application round, to ensure you receive a response on your application by the relevant decision date.
Round 1
Business School courses only.
Round 2
- Applications open on Monday 29 September 2025
- Applications close on Wednesday 7 January 2026
- Decision by Wednesday 4 March 2026
Round 3
- Applications open on Thursday 8 January 2026
- Applications close on Wednesday 11 March 2026
- Decision by Wednesday 6 May 2026
Round 4
- Applications open on Thursday 12 March 2026
- Applications close on Wednesday 29 April 2026
- Decision by Thursday 2 July 2026
We recommend applying as early as you can – we cannot guarantee that places will be available, or that courses will remain open, in later rounds.
There is no application fee for Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, or courses such as PhDs and EngDs.
If you are applying for a Master’s course, you will need to pay an application fee before submitting your application.
The fee applies per application and not per course.
The application fees for postgraduate courses are:
- £90 for all Master's applications, excluding those to Imperial Business School
- £125 for MSc applications to Imperial Business School
- £150 for MBA applications to Imperial Business School
If you are facing financial hardship and are unable to pay the application fee, we encourage you to apply for our application fee waiver.
Find out more about how to apply for a Master's course, including references and personal statements.
Unless you are from an exempt nationality, you will need an ATAS certificate to obtain your visa and study this course.
Nationals from the following countries are exempt: Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, USA and EEA members.
Use the details relevant to your stream when applying for an ATAS certificate to study this course:
Generic course: Advanced Materials Science and Engineering
- CAH code: CAH10-03-02
- Descriptor: Materials Technology
- Supervisor name: Professor Sandrine Heutz
Specialist streams: Materials for the Energy Transition; Theory and Simulation of Materials
- CAH code: CAH10-03-07
- Descriptor: Materials Science
- Supervisor name: Professor Sandrine Heutz
Get guidance and support for obtaining an ATAS certificate.
Fees and funding
Home fee
2026 entry
£19,400
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
The maximum value of the loan is £12,858 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2025.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Please note:
- The loan is only available if you’re studying a full Master’s course from the start.
- If you start on a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) or Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) and later move on to the Master’s, you won’t be eligible for this loan.
Overseas fee
2026 entry
£45,000
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
The maximum value of the loan is £12,858 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2025.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Please note:
- The loan is only available if you’re studying a full Master’s course from the start.
- If you start on a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) or Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) and later move on to the Master’s, you won’t be eligible for this loan.
How will studying at Imperial help my career?
Engineers and scientists from a variety of backgrounds can build on their expertise and experience with this broad and flexible degree.
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Supplement your engineering and science experience with transferable skills, and training that will prepare you for a career in academia or industry.
With specialised knowledge, Materials graduates are highly sought after in a range of sectors.
These include: nuclear power, aerospace, biomedical, automotive, energy, manufacturing & technology, communications and electronics industries.
Testimonials
Further links
Contact the department
- Telephone: +44 (0)20 7594 6728
- Email: materials@imperial.ac.uk
Course Director: Professor Johannes Lischner
Visit the Department of Materials website.
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Meet our students
Hear from our students and see what life at Imperial College London is like and what they enjoy about their courses.
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Request info
Find out more about studying at Imperial. Receive updates about life in our community, including event invites and download our latest Study guide.
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Events, tasters and talks
Meet us and find out more about studying at Imperial.
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Terms and conditions
There are some important pieces of information you should be aware of when applying to Imperial. These include key information about your tuition fees, funding, visas, accommodation and more.
You can find further information about your course, including degree classifications, regulations, progression and awards in the programme specification for your course.
Programme specifications