Future Students

Materials Engineering

It is concerned with investigating relationships between the structure and the properties of metals, polymers and ceramics (as well as composites of these) and with design, manufacturing and processing of materials with desired properties.

Level 1
When you start your materials engineering course at UWA, you will do a first year common with Mechanical, Mechatronics, Civil, Environmental and Resource Engineering students. You will be introduced to engineering dynamics, statics, electrical fundamentals and computer technology, as well as improving your skills in maths and physics.

Level 2
In level 2 you will be building your knowledge in a variety of engineering subjects and mathematics. You will get practical experience in our laboratories, and study subjects such as Solid Mechanics, Manufacturing, Thermofluids, Materials Engineering and Modelling and Computer Analysis.

Level 3
In third year, you will be increasing your knowledge and skills in a number of professional areas, including design and manufacture, and developing communication skills in seminars. You can choose some optional specialised courses and you will be starting practical project work. If you do a CEED project, you will also commence your major project, completing it as your fourth year project.

Level 4
In your final year, you will study the environment and engineering ethics in common with all engineering streams, a substantial engineering project, and select from a variety of more specialised mechanical engineering topics. As in third year, you will be improving your communication skills in class seminars.

During the Bachelor of Engineering, you will also complete at least 12 weeks full time (or equivalent part time) of professional work experience.

You can study Materials Engineering as part of a Bachelor of Engineering or you can combine your Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) with:

• Arts
• Commerce
• Science (in Applied Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Information Technology, Materials Chemistry, Mathematical Sciences, Mathematical Statistics, Physics or Pure Mathematics)
• Computer Science

Career opportunities

Materials engineers are in demand all around the world. The minerals industry is a major employer of materials engineers. Materials engineers find employment in a wide range of related industries including manufacturing and process industries dealing with metals, plastics, rubbers and ceramics, as well as electronic industries concerned with development of new solid state device technology.