Admissions

UCAS Course Code: FJ22

Brief Course Outline

Duration of course: 4 years
Degree awarded: MEng

Course statistics for 2012 entry

Intake: 35
Applications shortlisted for interview: 69.9%
Successful applications: 29.3%
(including MEM applicants)

Open days

26 and 27 June, and 20 September 2013. Please see department website.

26 September: Lesser Spotted Science Day

Contact details

The Undergraduate Admissions Secretary, Department of Materials, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PH
+44 (0) 1865 273710
Please email us at undergraduate.admissions@ materials.ox.ac.uk
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Studying Material Science at Oxford University Brochure

Materials Science

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Years 1–3

There are three terms in the Oxford academic year, each eight weeks long. Students usually arrive a week early in the first term of their first year for welcome and induction activities. During years 1 and 2, the work is divided between lectures (about ten a week), tutorials/classes (about two a week), and practicals (two or three afternoons a week). Typically the work for each tutorial or class is expected to take six to eight hours.

Year 3 starts with a two-week design project, and about eight lectures and two classes/tutorials a week for the first two terms. The first two weeks of the second term of year 3 are devoted to a coursework-based module chosen from two options: Characterisation of materials or Materials modelling. The third term is set aside for revision.

Year 4: Extended terms

The fourth year is entirely devoted to research - a unique feature of the Oxford course - consisting of a full-time research project under the supervision of a member of the academic staff. This final year has three extended terms of 12 to 13 weeks and is 37 weeks in total. You will learn how to break down a complex problem, design an experiment or model, manage your time and project, maintain systematic records, present your work orally and write a substantial report. These research skills are transferable to other career paths and are valued highly by employers. Significant scientific publications sometimes result from these projects.

1st year

Courses

Directly examined

Structure of materials
Properties of materials
Transforming materials
Maths for materials and earth sciences

Continual assessment

Practical work
Crystallography classes

Additional elements

Engineering drawing & CAD classes
IT skills
Industrial visits
Career planning
Foreign language (optional)
Introduction to errors in measurement

Assessment

First University examinations:
Four written papers; continual assessment components equivalent to a fifth paper

2nd year

Courses

Directly examined

Structure and transformation of materials
Electronic properties of materials
Mechanical properties
Engineering applications of materials
Foreign language (optional)
Supplementary subject (optional)

Continual assessment

Practical work
Industrial visits
Entrepreneurship course, assessed by written business plan

Additional elements

Mathematics
Experimental error analysis
Industrial talks
Communication skills

3rd year

Courses

Directly examined

Option courses in materials

Continual assessment

Team design project, assessed by written report and oral presentation
Characterisation of Materials or Materials Modelling module assessed by written report
Industrial visits

Assessment

Final University examinations, Part I:
Six written papers; continual assessment components equivalent to a further two papers

4th year

Courses

Research project (full-time)
Additional elements

Presentation skills
Project management skills
Industrial visits
Careers events
Information skills
Writing skills and IPR
Foreign language option
Technology transfer
Reference management
Workshop skills
Lab VIEW

Assessment

Final University examinations, Part II (equivalent to 4 papers):
Part II dissertation submitted and assessed;
Oral examination of project dissertation