Materials with a Foundation Year
Materials science is the study of the composition, structure, and properties of the solid materials that engineering and technology depend on, from metals, polymers, and ceramics to semiconductors, composites, and biomaterials. Understanding why materials behave as they do, how their properties can be tailored through processing, and how they perform under different conditions is fundamental to the design of everything from aircraft and microchips to medical implants and energy storage systems. It is a discipline that sits at the heart of technological innovation, since new materials often enable new capabilities that were previously impossible.
At Loughborough University this four-year programme includes a foundation year, which is specifically designed for students who have not studied the prerequisite subjects at the level usually required for direct entry, who have encountered adverse circumstances that affected their results, or who are mature students returning to education. The foundation year provides the scientific and mathematical preparation needed to succeed in the main degree. You will then develop a thorough grounding in the structure and properties of materials, the principles of materials processing and characterisation, and the engineering applications that different classes of material enable.
Loughborough's strengths in engineering and materials provide a research-informed environment for this study.
Materials science graduates work in aerospace, automotive, electronics, energy, biomedical technology, construction, and the chemical and process industries. Roles in materials research and development, quality assurance, process engineering, and technical consultancy are all common career paths. The discipline has a clear route towards professional engineering status with bodies such as the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in materials science, nanotechnology, biomaterials, or a specific applied materials field.