Materials Engineering B.Sc.

 

Sharkskin, bioceramics, enormous stadium roof structures, or ultra lightweight car bodies – about 70 percent of all technical innovations are based on newly developed materials. Engineers are always on the look-out for the perfect material or tailored material combinations for certain areas of use, for example automobiles, airplanes, or smartphones.

Material design creates the fundamental requirements: here both pure materials and innovative combinations are tested, in which different materials are combined with each other creating a tailored product with characteristics from both original materials. This is how, for example, new metals combined with wood fibers are produced, which are extremely lightweight and don't conduct heat.

Another research area optimizes the manufacuture of materials: glasses, ceramics, and different metals are developed to fit precisely in order to produce intelligent surfaces or biocompatible materials for lightweight construction.

A third focus of materials engineering is on innovative processing techniques for new materials, for example to improve vehicle concepts or the manufacture of tailored machines for casting and recasting. When optimizing manufacture, process, and recycling techniques consideration is not only given to efficiency but also to environmental compatability: emissions are reduced, waste products reused, and energy regenerated.

Functionality is not the only important factor in the development of materials – the focus of research is also on the sustainable use of resources.

If you think of dirty halls and basic handwork when thinking of materials engineering, you're wrong. High-tech research is primarily conducted: materials engineers experiment in highly specialized labs. Top modern comupter simulation programs make it possible for them to conduct research that mirrors reality, is cost efficient, and conserves resources. Not only metals like steel and aluminum are important. In fields such as medical technology, mineral materials are in great demand. T

Materials engineers educated at RWTH possess expertise ranging from metallic to mineral materials to the necessary process skills. In order to fully appreciate the breadth of the discipline, the Bachelor's program does not offer an opportunity to specialize. Students in the Master's program can choose from a plethora of specializations.

 

Degree Content

Curriculum

Semester	Mathematics/Natural Sciences	Subject-Specific Fundamentals	Specialization
1	Linear Algebra I, Differential & Integral Equations I, Chemistry	Technical Mechanics I, Crystallography
2	Linear Algebra II, Differential- & Integral Equations II, Physics	Dynamics of Technical Systems, Technical Mechanics II, Fundamentals of Electric Drive Technology, Materials Chemistry I, Materials Science of Plastics
3	Physical Chemistry	Materials Physics I and II, Process Measurement Engineering, Heterogenous Equilibria	Transport Phenomena I, Simulation Technology
4		Machine Components	Materials Technology of Metalls, Metallurgy and Recycling, Transport Phenomena II
5		Materials Characterization, Process Characterization	Materials Processing: Casting and Shaping, Materials Technology: Glass and Ceramics, Materials Chemistry II
6	Business administration, industry internship, Bachelor's thesis

Practical Insight and Internship

Small group exercises are offered for most of the lectures in the fundamental modules. In this exercises, students explore what they have learned further and apply it. In a block of institute internships and excursions – both of which are possible worldwide – students learn subject-specific work methods in research and production during their studies and gain a look early on at different fields of application. Students complete an industry internship last twelve weeks during the sixth semester.

Non-Technical Subjects

Additional subjects such as Methods of Project Work and Introduction to Business Administration take into consideration that engineers also increasingly work in management or in positions responsible for projects. Additional non-technical subjects can be selected from a set course catalog.

Programs Abroad

Germany is currently a worldwide recognized hotspot for materials development and exports the corresponding expertise. International experience is becoming increasingly important for budding specialists.

The Division of Materials Science and Engineering maintains research and teaching collaborations with a number of European and non-European universities. Student mobility is at the focus of our activities abroad.

The ERASMUS program ERASMUS+ offers students the opportunity to study at another European university for one or two semesters. Over 60 universities on all continents are available to choose from. The Division maintains partnerships with 34 universities in Asia alone. A number of partner universities are located in North and South America and Australia.

RWTH students profit not only from the Faculty's exchange programs but also from the University's strategic partnerships with international universities. They can, for example, complete short stays at one of the IDEA League universities while completing a term paper. The UROP Abroad program, the only one of its kind in Germay, offers the possibility to participate in research projects at international universities during Bachelor studies. These stays abroad are partially funded by RWTH-specific funding.

All of RWTH's collaborative programs are listed on the webpages about studying abroad. The division also offers its own advising system to help students plan their stay abroad.

 

Prerequisites

Personal Prerequisites

If you wish to study materials engineering, you should be interested in mathematics, chemistry, and physics. We rtecommend taking these subjects as advanced subjects during secondary school, but we do not require it. Your personal interest and involvement in grappling with mathematic-natural science content during the start of your studies are deciding factors. RWTH Aachen offers a bridge course program to intensify and complete your knowledge before beginning studies. We highly recommend taking this course. If you are still deliberating, we especially recommend taking the bridge course "Intensivkurs Differential- und Integralrechnung I".

Enrollment Prerequisites

RWTH "Georesources and Materials Technology" Self Assessment

 

Decision Aids

The course of study Materials Engineering definitely belongs among the engineering sciences. Your interest in technology is fundamental to successful and happy studies in materials engineering. The related course of study Materials Science has much more to do with natural sciences. Materials engineering deals with the combination of different materials, processes, and the manipulation of diverse materials. Materials scientists are more focused on basic research, meaning they design the material before it is further developed and processed by materials engineers. Before beginning studies, you should reflect on whether you are more interested in the technical or natural scientific side.

Studies in materials engineering require a high level of motivation and self-initiative. As in other engineering courses of study, you complete basic studies in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. In comparison to materials science or mechanical engineering, the math is reduced and less demanding. It serves as the foundation for all the subjects afterwards. If you would like to review your interests, you are welcome to attend lectures as a school student. You can gather initial impressions at the Schüleruni, during the University Visitation Week, or in Sample Studies for Girls.

 

Media Library

Do you want more glances and impressions? Use our diverse information resources! You can find our recommendations in the Media Library.

 

Career Prospects

The career prospects are excellent for materials engineers. Job offers outnumber graduates, because they studied in an exclusive, engineering niche. Materials development and recycling are becoming increasingly important, especially with regards to growing environmental demands and the scarcity of raw materials and resources. A further reason why job prospects look good is that Germany is considered one of the leading sites of materials research and development internationally.

RWTH graduates are able to work in many fields due to their expertise. They primarily work in industries that produce and process materials but also in research institutions, development departments, and at agencies. They especially work in materials development, production, and testing as well as in metal production and processing; other fields of work include process, installation, and process control engineering.

Due to the breadth of their training engineers educated at RWTH also find work in other fields such as environmental protection, sales, damage analysis, medical technology, and consulting. They may also work at service providers in the materials testing and inspection.

The Division's website also offers information about professional possibilities and interesting graduate profiles.

 

Master's Degree Prospects

In the Materials Engineering Master's program students can choose from a number of specializations: general metallurgy and metal physics, plastic shaping, iron metallurgy, iron casting, glass and ceramic composites, high temperature technology, ceramics and fireproof materials, metallurgy, iron and steel, metalurgical process technology, corrosion and corrosion protection.

During an industry internship during their studies students become familiar with various companies and fields of work and establish important contact for later employment.

 

Examination Regulations

Regulations that apply for all Bachelor and Master courses of study as well as detailed information about the necessary documentation of required language skills can be found in RWTH’s Comprehensive Examination Regulation. Examination regulations are only published in German as they are legally binding.

Subject Specific Exam Regulations regulate academic goals, the course of study layout, and exam procedures. The appendix to the regulations contains the description of the modules, from which the course of study is composed.

 

Faculty

The Bachelor's course of study Materials Engineering is offered by the Division of Materials Science and Engineering in the Faculty of Georesources and Materials Engineering.

The Division of Materials Science and Engineering is one of world's leading innovation centers in materials engineering. In its teaching and research it has created a unique symbiosis between the research of material properties shaped by the natural sciences and the development of materials, processing techniques, and materials applications oriented towards engineering.