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
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Qualification
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MSc
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Duration
1 year
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Start date
September 2025
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Study mode
Full-time
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Fees
£18,500 Home
£42,900 Overseas
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Delivered by
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Location
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South Kensington
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Minimum entry standard
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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.
If you’ve previously taken the first two modules on an undergraduate Materials degree at Imperial, then you must take the alternative form.
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 specialism in Materials for the Energy Transition, you must select four optional modules listed under "Materials for the Energy Transition". Your research project should be energy-related.
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.
Gain insights into the emerging applications of nanotechnology through a series of topically relevant case studies and explore its impact on human health.
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.
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.
Gain a thorough overview of the typical analytical techniques used to characterise surfaces and buried interfaces.
Develop an appreciation of materials issues associated with nuclear reactor technology and how this information is used when designing reactor systems.
Advance your knowledge of the chemical and chemical engineering processes associated with the production of nuclear fuel, the operation of nuclear reactors and the processing of nuclear waste.
Improve your understanding of the reactor physics of nuclear reactors, including neutron conservation, neutron diffusion, and other reactivity feedback mechanisms.
Explore the thermal hydraulics of nuclear reactors and associated issues in fluid mechanics.
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
Key
- Lectures
- Workshops
- Independent study
- 7% Lectures
- 2% Workshops
- 91% Independent study
Teaching and learning methods
- Laboratory work
- Lectures
- Oral presentations and small group discussions
- Practical sessions
- Tutorials
- Written reports
Balance of assessment
Key
- Coursework
- Examinations
- 70% Coursework
- 30% Examinations
Assessment methods
- Coursework
- Examination
- Practical
- 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 1 closes on Thursday 16 January 2025
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.
Application rounds
Round 1
- Applications open on Friday 27 September 2024
- Applications close on Thursday 16 January 2025
- Decision by Thursday 6 March 2025
Round 2
- Applications open on Friday 17 January 2025
- Applications close on Thursday 27 March 2025
- Decision by Thursday 1 May 2025
Round 3
- Applications open on Friday 28 March 2025
- Applications close on Thursday 15 May 2025
- Decision by Thursday 17 July 2025
There is no application fee for MRes courses, Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, or courses such as PhDs and EngDs.
If you are applying for a taught Master’s course, you will need to pay an application fee before submitting your application.
The fee applies per application and not per course.
- £80 for all taught Master's applications, excluding those to the Imperial College Business School.
- £100 for all MSc applications to the Imperial College Business School.
- £150 for all MBA applications to the Imperial College 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 this information when applying for an ATAS certificate to study this course:
- CAH code: CAH10-03-02
- Descriptor: Materials technology
- Supervisor name: Professor Sandrine Heutz
Get guidance and support for obtaining an ATAS certificate.
Tuition fees
Home fee
2025 entry
£18,500
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.
For courses starting on or after 1 August 2024, the maximum amount is £12,471. The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Overseas fee
2025 entry
£42,900
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.
For courses starting on or after 1 August 2024, the maximum amount is £12,471. The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
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.
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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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