Materials Science

Our highly rated materials courses offer a great mix of science, engineering, design, and hands-on practical work, with strong demand for our graduates from employers.

£28k average starting salary for Materials and Bioengineering Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2019-20 graduates
Top 5 in the UK for Student Satisfaction in Materials Technology The Complete University Guide 2024
Top 10 in the UK for Materials Technology The Complete University Guide 2024

Material Science and Engineering at Loughborough

Materials Science is the study of what things are made of, how they are structured and why they have the properties that they do. Materials engineering makes use of this knowledge and applies it to discover new and improve existing materials.

Our courses cover a range of materials such as food packaging, novel batteries, fuel cells, power electric vehicles more advanced materials for biomedical applications such as implants. They will give you the knowledge and understanding you need to develop new materials to meet society’s challenges.

Materials science and engineering has been a core strength at Loughborough for over 50 years and we are one of just a few dedicated Materials departments in the UK. We are an open and friendly department with a high staff-to-student ratio, allowing us to support our students strongly during their degrees.

Links with industry

All our courses offer the option to complete a salaried year in industry, where you can gain an extra qualification (Diploma in Industrial Studies – DIS). Our close links with industrial partners mean we can provide our students with considerable help in sourcing, securing, supporting and assessing their placement.

Our students join a variety of companies on their placement. These include Airbus, BAE Systems, BMW, Bosch, Caterpillar, CERN, GSK, Jaguar Land Rover, Johnson & Johnson, Tata Steel and VW Group.

The industrial contacts in the Department are substantial and hold an annual research income of over £3 million. Our industry-sponsored student projects, many related to our bigger research programmes, add real relevance for our students and many of the same companies offer year-long and summer placement jobs.

These contacts not only provide potential employment for our students but also bring invaluable experience from within industry which is reflected in our teaching.

Facilities

The Department is superbly well-equipped with extensive laboratories containing state-of-the-art equipment in materials processing, testing, analysis, simulations and characterisation, electron microscopy, x-ray, thermal and surface analysis.

Our newly refurbished building houses an extensive array of industrial and pilot-scale materials processing machines and equipment for preparation, formulation and testing. Our computer laboratories offer IT, CAD, modelling, materials selection and process simulation applications.

Accreditation

Our established degree courses are accredited which is the first step towards professional qualifications such as Chartered Engineer (CEng) for our students. We finance membership of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) for all our students and strongly believe in the benefits professional institutes and industry bodies can bring.

Career opportunities

Materials graduates are in high demand since the subject covers a wide breadth of engineering and manufacturing activity across many sectors.

Our degrees prepare our students for careers in a wide range of sectors, including aerospace, automotive, biomedical, energy and sustainability, consumer goods, sports, and defence. Our graduates go on to work in large and small companies in the UK and internationally. Some remain in the Higher Education sector to study for research degrees.

The average starting salary for our graduates is £28,000 (Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2020-21 graduates)*.

*Average salary 15 months post-graduation – UK domiciled.

Some graduate destinations include:

  • Bentley
  • Bombardier
  • Bosch
  • Caterpillar
  • Dyson
  • Jaguar Land Rover
  • Nissan

Some graduate roles include:

  • Materials Scientist/Engineer
  • Design Engineer
  • Research Scientist
  • Technical Sales
  • Consultancy
  • Metallurgist
  • Project Manager
  • Biomedical Engineer
  • Product/Process Development Scientists
  • Technology Entrepreneur

 

Student experience

We pride ourselves in ensuring our students have an unforgettable experience while they are with us and the stats speak for themselves.

Our Department is 2nd in the UK for Overall Satisfaction in Materials Technology (NSS, 2022), 3rd in the UK for Student Experience in Materials Technology (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024) and in the Top 5 for Student Satisfaction in Materials University (The Complete University Guide 2024).

By studying Bioengineering with us at Loughborough University, you'll be joining a highly regarded Department where you'll thrive in our vibrant community of students, academics and support staff.