The Department of Materials, formerly named the Institute of Polymer Technology and Materials Engineering has roots going back virtually 40 years and throughout this time we have been contributing to the advancement and application of knowledge in Materials Science and Engineering by means of teaching, scholarship and research. Our philosophy is based on the engineering application and use of materials which, when processed, are altered in structure and properties. This encompasses design considerations and business implications.
Undergraduate Teaching
We offer a range of accredited degree programmes that are enhanced by our extensive research activities and extremely close contacts with industry. We offer BEng and MEng courses in both Materials Engineering and Automotive Materials; a BEng course in Materials with Management Studies and a BSc programme in Applied Design (Product Performance and Safety). All the courses are accredited by the Institute of Materials, Mining and Minerals (IoM3) whilst the Applied Design course is also accredited by the Institution of Engineering Design. Wide ranging laboratories, our extensive facilities in the areas of materials processing and characterisation, and significant experience of industry are all very much an integral part of our courses. In addition, we also offer an industrial placement sandwich year leading to an additional Diploma in Industrial Studies for of all of our undergraduate programmes. The result is that our students obtain degrees that are very highly desirable to employers.
Postgraduate Teaching
At postgraduate level, we run MSc degree courses in Polymer Technology, Materials for Industry and Packaging Technology. The aim is maximum flexibility and these programmes are available via a number of different formats including full-time and part-time study and distance learning options or combinations of them. In addition, it is sometimes possible to start the courses at different times in the academic year. We are also very proud of our links with a number of top Chinese universities via our Loughborough-China Materials Partnership (LCMP) Programme. Students come across to us for 2 years, spending the first year amongst our undergraduates taking specialist materials modules as well as English language and other modules before moving on to take a one year, full time MSc. Overall, we have around 300 students in the department – and the number is increasing significantly every year as we grow.
Research
In terms of our research, we cover the full range of materials including polymers, metals, ceramics and their composites. Most of our academic staff have international reputations and all have a substantial commitment to research. They also have extensive networks and interactions with other researchers in the UK, Europe and worldwide. In a broad sense we are concerned with interactions of the structure, morphology and properties of materials with processing and product performance. Individual research programmes are associated with research groups and team effort, often interdisciplinary, is regarded as being of prime importance in achieving work of the highest quality. An informed awareness of the current and future needs of the broad range of industries dependent on knowledge of materials science and engineering significantly influences our research areas.
Our current annual research income is over £2.5M, it sources include the Research Councils, Government, the European Union and industry both in the UK and world-wide. At any given time, we have about 20 research associates and well over 50 PhD students. Some of the latter are based in industry, which highlights our close and comprehensive contacts with the manufacturing sector. Our work is supported by excellent technical and administrative support as well as extensive facilities ranging from materials synthesis to processing and characterisation, the latter provided by the Loughborough Materials Characterisation Centre which houses state-of-the-art, world-class facilities as well as providing a service to industry.
Summary
The Department of Materials offers genuinely world-class facilities and the highest possible standards in all aspects of our teaching and research.