Engineering - Materials Science & Engineering

Materials Science and Engineering is an interdisciplinary field investigating the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. ME Materials Science and Engineering Programme assists manufacturing-based engineering by training students for work in industry sectors as diverse as biomedical, energy, electronic, automotive and aerospace. This programme will provide advanced engineering education in subject areas related to design and application of materials such as metals, ceramics, polymers, composites and semi-conductors. The core knowledge in this field is essential in currently evolving advanced technologies such as additive manufacturing (also known as 3D-Printing) and nanotechnology.

Graduates from this programme will be fully qualified professional engineers, capable of working anywhere in the world at an advanced technical level.

- Focus on real-world materials used for the manufacture of advanced engineered components and systems such as biomedical implants.

- Integrated theoretical, conceptual and practical knowledge.

- Technical research project in collaboration with world leading research groups and researchers.

Vision & Values Statement
This programme is aimed at students with a primary degree in engineering or cognate physical science who wish to develop a career or engage with further studies in materials science and engineering leading to a professionally accredited qualification. We value and therefore encourage students to be engaged, autonomous learners who have a critical and problem-solving approach to materials as they are used in both common and advanced engineering applications. Of key importance within the learning experience is the ability of the student to work individually or within teams and to communicate their ideas and outcomes effectively. Students should also not lose sight of the ethical, environmental or human perspectives within which they work. We aim to provide a stimulating learning environment with a wide-ranging and relevant taught curriculum that is underpinned by a hands-on laboratory experience that will encourage students to develop a deep understanding of structure-property relationships in materials. A significant period of structured internship at an industrial partner is a key component of the programme. A variety of teaching, learning and assessment strategies are used to achieve the desired outcomes including individual and team assignments, technical presentations, internship assessment and a significant supervised research project. These are subject to assessment on both a continuous and end-of-semester basis.

Student Internships
The Professional Work Experience (PWE) module is incorporated into the two-year Masters of Engineering Programme and is designed to integrate a student's academic and career interests with practical work experience for a 6-8 month period.

The module provides students with the perfect opportunity to gain increased experience and understanding of their chosen field, assess where their strengths and weaknesses lie and maximise their knowledge of the available career possibilities. The practical skills acquired during this placement will give graduates a competitive advantage when applying for positions upon graduation.

Related Programmes
ME Mechanical Engineering FT
MEngSc Materials Science and Engineering FT

Stage 1 Option
Chemistry of Materials CHEM30090
Advanced Characterisation Tech CHEN40510
Applied Chemistry: Selected Frontier areas CHEN40610
Bio-material Interactions CHEN40790
Nanomaterials CHEN40810
Solid State Devices EEEN20070
Materials Science and Engineering IIMEEN30090
Professional Engineering (Finance) MEEN30140
Manufacturing Engineering IIMEEN40030
Computational Continuum Mechanics IMEEN40050
Fracture Mechanics MEEN40060
Technical Ceramics MEEN40080
Energy Systems and Climate Change MEEN40090
Advanced Polymer Engineering MEEN40110
Materials Thermodynamics and Kinetics MEEN40160
Professional Engineering (Management)MEEN40430
Medical Device Design MEEN40600
Biomaterials MEEN40630
ME MSE PWE (Short) MEEN40750
ME MSE PWE (Long) MEEN40760
Advanced Metals Processing MEEN41150

Stage 2 - Core
Research Skills and Techniques MEEN40560
ME MSE Project MEEN40740

Stage 2 - Option
Advanced Characterisation Tech CHEN40510
Applied Chemistry: Selected Frontier areas CHEN40610
Bio-material Interactions CHEN40790
Nanomaterials CHEN40810
Solid State Devices EEEN20070
Materials Science and Engineering IIMEEN30090
Professional Engineering (Finance) MEEN30140
Manufacturing Engineering IIMEEN40030
Computational Continuum Mechanics IMEEN40050
Fracture Mechanics MEEN40060
Technical Ceramics MEEN40080
Energy Systems and Climate Change MEEN40090
Advanced Polymer Engineering MEEN40110
Materials Thermodynamics and Kinetics MEEN40160
Professional Engineering (Management) MEEN40430
Medical Device Design MEEN40600
Biomaterials MEEN40630
Advanced Metals Processing MEEN41150

An honours undergraduate degree (NFQ Level 8) with a minimum upper second class honours or international equivalence in an Engineering or cognate Physical Sciences degree programme.

Applicants whose first language is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.5 (no band less than 6.0 in each element), or equivalent.

Students meeting the programme's academic entry requirements but not the English language requirements, may enter the programme upon successful completion of UCD's Pre-Sessional or International Pre-Master's Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/

These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes

How to Apply?
The following entry routes are available:
ME Materials Science & Engineering FT (T275)
Duration
2 Years
Attend
Full Time
Deadline
Rolling*

* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised.

2 years full-time.

Career & Graduate Study Opportunity
If you are a graduate of the ME Materials Science and Engineering programme you can look forward to limitless employment opportunities in leading companies of the manufacturing, biomedical, aerospace, energy and electronic sectors. Manufacturing accounts for 24% of Irish economic output and employs 20% of the Irish workforce directly or indirectly. Ireland's aerospace and aviation industry is worth over €4.1 billion to the Irish economy, and there are more than 250 companies involved in the aerospace, aviation and space sectors in Ireland, providing employment for around 42,000 full-time workers. Moreover, Ireland hosts 18 of the world's top 25 medtech companies and a multi-national semi-conductor manufacturing company (Intel Leixlip), overall employing over 40,000 people. UCD materials graduates have taken up roles such as data scientist, manufacturing engineer, development engineer, and research engineer, in different industrial sectors including aerospace (General Electric, Rolls Royce, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics), electronics (Intel), biomedical (Boston Scientific, Stryker, DePuy Synthes) and energy (Siemens).