Materials Science and Engineering with a Foundation Year
Materials science and engineering is the discipline that asks what things are made of and how that composition determines their behaviour. From the steel in a bridge and the silicon in a microchip to the composites in a racing car and the polymers in a medical implant, every technology depends on choosing and engineering materials whose properties match the demands placed on them. Understanding and controlling those properties at the molecular and microstructural level is what materials science and engineering is about.
At Swansea University, this four-year full-time programme explores how the properties of matter can be controlled, enhanced, and manipulated to improve performance in existing applications and to establish entirely new ones. You will study the structure of materials at atomic and microstructural scales, the processes used to manufacture them, and how their properties, including mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, optical behaviour, and resistance to corrosion and wear, depend on that structure. Applications range from aerospace and automotive engineering to biomedical devices, electronics, renewable energy, and consumer products.
A foundation year is included for students who need to build their scientific and mathematical preparation before entering the main programme. The typical entry tariff is 104 UCAS points.
Graduates of materials science and engineering programmes find careers in advanced manufacturing, aerospace and automotive engineering, electronics, energy technology, biomedical engineering, defence, and materials research. The combination of scientific depth and engineering application makes graduates attractive to employers in both research and development and production environments. Many graduates pursue professional accreditation toward Incorporated or Chartered Engineer status, and postgraduate study in materials, nanotechnology, or engineering is a natural path for those who want to develop specialist research expertise.