Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Materials Science & Engineering)
Join the forefront of materials innovation.
Join the forefront of materials innovation.
To create high-performance materials, you need a solid background in materials science. This degree will put you at the forefront of innovation, enabling you to develop materials that are lighter, greener and stronger.
Everything we use is made of materials, yet only a handful of these materials occur naturally. All the rest have been microscopically engineered originally by nature, but increasingly by materials engineers/scientists.
Materials science is the foundation for creating high-performance materials such as metals, ceramics, polymers and composites. In this degree, you’ll learn about developing high-performance materials that are lighter, greener and stronger – for use in every aspect of technology. You’ll also develop the theoretical and practical skills to improve materials for aerospace, automotive, biomedical and information technology-based industries.
This degree builds a foundation in mathematics, chemistry and physics, before moving into the fundamental properties and structures of materials. You’ll investigate aspects of engineering design and the application and selection of materials before concentrating on a research project to sharpen your experimental and analytical skills.
This multidisciplinary degree uses a combination of lectures, practical hands-on laboratory work and research and design projects. It also incorporates components of professional communication, management aspects of business and industrial training.
• Physical Metallurgy: involves the shaping, alloying, heat treatment, joining, corrosion protection and testing of materials
• Functional Materials: explores the use of functional materials, which possess highly specific native properties and functions
• Process Metallurgy: extracting metals from their ores to make refined alloys
• Materials Engineering: making materials lighter, greener and stronger
• Ceramic Engineering: using ceramic raw materials to manufacture products
Study with the best
Materials science at UNSW is ranked 38th in the world.* The School of Materials Science and Engineering is well equipped with a wide range of advanced computing, thermal analysis, mechanical testing, X-ray and optical and electron microscopy facilities. You’ll be provided with education and industrial training that will prepare you for a significant and impactful professional career.
Our unique course offering
UNSW’s School of Materials Science and Engineering is the only school in Australia that offers professional courses in ceramic engineering, metallurgical engineering and materials engineering. We also provide postgraduate specialisations in these fields.
Leverage our industry partnerships
We have a number of partnerships and collaborations with leading industry names such as Boral, CSIRO, Hitachi Chemical Limited, OneSteel and Weir Minerals. Our strong industry links will provide you with great opportunities to develop valuable relationships with Australian materials engineering enterprises.
Connect with industry-leading research centres
UNSW is home to advanced developments in the field through its highly regarded research centres including the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology, Materials and Manufacturing Futures Institute and ARC Centre of Excellence for Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies.
*QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023
At UNSW, we are committed to ensuring prospective students have all the information they need in order to make informed decisions about their study options.
To assist you in gaining a better understanding of how Admissions works at UNSW, we have provided you with a summary of ATAR offers and the student profile.
We hope this information will help you identify the degree that is right for you.
Mathematics Extension 1, Physics
We offer a range of adjustment factor schemes that reward students for academic performance and extra-curricular achievements. These schemes also take into account a range of personal and educational disadvantages that may have affected your studies.
HSC Plus
This scheme rewards students who perform well in Year 12 subjects that are relevant to their preferred UNSW degree. You may be awarded up to five points.
Elite Athletes, Performers and Leaders (EAPL)
This program recognises achievements in the areas of sport, academia, leadership and music at an elite level. You may be eligible for up to five points.
Educational Access Scheme (EAS)
Factors such as illness, financial hardship, language difficulties or attending a particular school can mean you don't always get the best possible marks in Years 11 and 12. If one of these situations applies to you, submit an application for the Educational Access Scheme (EAS) via UAC. Eligible students can receive between 1 and 10 points towards their chosen UNSW degree.
Your ATAR is not the only measure of your potential to succeed, which is why we offer a range of pathways into university. Explore your options below and get in touch with our future student advisors to discuss your path to UNSW.
Gateway Admission Pathway
This scheme is open to students in Years 11 and 12 who attend Gateway schools. It significantly adjusts the ATAR requirements for your preferred UNSW degree and provides you with an early conditional offer to UNSW.
Entry programs for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
We offer entry programs for Indigenous Australians, including the Indigenous Preparatory Programs and the Indigenous Admission Scheme (IAS). The entry pathway program you apply for will depend on the degree you want to study.
You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on your educational background and citizenship. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.
If you’re completing an Australian Year 12 qualification (e.g. NSW HSC or equivalent), you do not need to provide anything extra to prove your proficiency. Your qualification will be used as evidence of your English proficiency.
If you do need to provide evidence of your English proficiency, this will be indicated in your application. You can prove this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:
If you need to improve your English skills before you start your degree, UNSW College’s Academic English Programs are for you. The programs are suitable for various English levels and help you prepare for university studies and life in Australia.
We do not accept secondary qualifications from this country. We may accept tertiary study results, please contact us for more information.
Please contact us for direct entry requirements.
If you do not meet the requirements for direct entry into your chosen degree, you may be eligible for a pathway program with UNSW College. UNSW College provides alternative entry options using university-approved content so that you can start your UNSW journey with confidence.
You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on whether you are from an English-speaking background or non-English speaking background. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.
If English is not your first language, you’ll need to provide proof of your English proficiency before you can be given an offer to study at UNSW. You can do this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:
If you need to improve your English skills before you start your degree, UNSW College’s Academic English Programs are for you. The programs are suitable for various English levels and help you prepare for university studies and life in Australia.
Your studies begin with a strong foundation in mathematics, chemistry and physics. You’ll then delve deeper into the discipline with courses in fundamental properties, structures of materials, application and selection of materials and aspects of engineering design. Your study will become more specialised in the later stages of the degree through electives, practicals and the honours research project.
The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Materials Science & Engineering) is offered as either a standalone degree or as part of a double degree:
As a single degree, the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Materials Science & Engineering) is made up of 30 courses taken over four years of full-time study. This includes the following components:
As a double degree, the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Materials Science & Engineering) is made up of 26-28 courses taken simultaneously with courses from your other degree. Students undertaking a double degree do not take general education or free elective courses.
Physical metallurgy Involves the shaping, alloying, heat treatment, joining, corrosion protection and testing of materials. This specialisation provides training appropriate to both the metal and product manufacturing industries. The profession is very broad and includes careers in metal manufacturing companies, product manufacturing companies (e.g. white goods, automotive, aircraft), utilities, airline overhaul and maintenance operations, consulting companies and research organisations. Graduates may be employed in production, technical control and development, quality assurance, technical marketing and management.
Functional materials are those which possess highly specific native properties and functions such as ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, magnetism and energy storage. They are found in all classes of materials: metals, ceramics, polymers and organic molecules. Functional materials show great promise for many strategic technological advances that will change the way in which materials are used. Typical applications include:
Process metallurgy is concerned with extracting metals from their ores to make refined alloys. This specialisation provides training appropriate to the primary metallurgy industry. The profession is very broad – you could be involved in production, technical control or development in metal or mineral producing industries.
This specialisation is concerned with making materials lighter, greener and stronger. It covers:
This specialisation is concerned with the use of ceramic raw materials, which include clays as well as high-purity chemicals, to manufacture products that can show useful properties such as:
Materials processing is at the heart of fabrication and design for every commercial-scale product that is manufactured. Materials scientists design and oversee a huge range of industrial functions that are used to develop new products and to improve on product design. Professionals in this field research the processes that go into developing the physical properties of materials that make up finished products.
Sustainability in materials processing
Sustainable processing engineers help to reduce our ever-growing pollution problems by developing and modifying new materials that replace non-biodegradable materials. Sustainable materials processing, particularly of our mineral resources, is vital to the long-term future of Australia and the international industry.
Career opportunities
This degree will prepare you to work in a range of areas, including:
Many successful professionals in the field also go on to do postgraduate study in a specialised area, such as the Master of Materials Technology - a degree unique to UNSW.
This degree is accredited by Engineers Australia - the largest professional body for engineers in the country. Through your membership with Engineers Australia, you’ll connect with over 100,000 professionals and enjoy the benefits of being connected to your future profession’s biggest advocate.
"I was drawn to the interdisciplinary possibilities of Materials Science. Bridging science and engineering, the subject matter had a good coverage of both the theory of why and how materials have the properties they do, and practical applications in industry. Being both a scientist and engineer meant working with a diverse group of students and academics, so I had a fantastic time at uni! In the later years, the close-knit community at MSE really shone through, especially the support we gave each other during our honours thesis research projects."
Holstein Wong
Business Development Manager, Emesent
"I chose materials science because it was a unique field of study that bordered on both science and engineering. There are aspects of materials science which draw heavily on fundamental chemistry, biology and physics, and another side which is focused on real life applications of materials technology. Being one of the top 50 universities in the world, I could not think of a better place than UNSW to begin my career as a materials scientist."
Alan Xu
Materials Scientist at ANSTO & Adjunct Lecturer at UNSW
Applications for undergraduate study from domestic students (Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, Australian permanent humanitarian visa holders and New Zealand citizens) are processed by the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC).
Visit the Apply section of the UAC website and you can nominate up to five degrees in order of preference, with the first being your most desired degree and university.
On-time applications for admission usually close at the end of September each year for Term 1 admission. Late applications can be submitted, but a late fee will apply. For study starting in Term 1, the majority of offers are made in December and January. Visit the UAC website for key dates for admission outside of Term 1.
For most international students, applications are submitted via our Apply Online service. We encourage you to submit your completed application as early as possible to ensure it will be processed in time for your preferred term.
Some high-demand programs with limited places, may have an earlier application deadline or may have an earlier commencement date. For more information visit our international applicant information page.
*If you are an international student studying an Australian qualification, go to the Universities Admission Centre (UAC) for application and UAC key dates. Note: If you are under 18 years of age, you need to make special arrangements. Read more.
Commonwealth Supported Place: Student Contribution Band 2
*The student contribution for a Commonwealth Supported Place is an indication only of the amount payable in Year 1 based on a standard full-time load of 48 credit points (1.0 EFTSL). The actual student contribution you will be liable for depends on your individual program of study and the calendar year in which you enrol. Actual fees are calculated upon enrolment. Student contribution amounts are subject to annual review by the university and may increase each year during your studies (subject to caps determined by the Australian Government), effective at the start of each calendar year.
The indicative fees listed here are based on an estimated average and are for tuition only - other fees and charges are not included.
*Fees are subject to annual review by the University and may increase annually, with the new fees effective from the start of each calendar year. The indicative fees listed here are based on an estimated average and are for tuition only other fees and charges are not included. The amount you pay will vary depending on the calendar year to enrol, the courses you select and whether your study load is more or less than 1 Equivalent Full Time Student Load (8 courses per year).
Indicative fees are a guide for comparison only based on current conditions and available data. You should not rely on indicative fees. More information on fees can be found at the UNSW fees website.
Indicative fees to complete the program have been calculated based on a percentage increase for every year of the program. Fee increases are assessed annually and may exceed the indicative figures listed here.
Indicative fees to complete the program include tuition plus an estimate of study-related costs of approximately $1,000 per year. To find out more about other costs, visit UNSW International.
At UNSW, we award over $83 million in scholarships each year. We pride ourselves on rewarding excellence and making university accessible to students from all walks of life. Whether you’re a domestic or international student, our range of scholarships, prizes and awards can support your journey.
At UNSW, we award over $83 million in scholarships each year. We pride ourselves on rewarding excellence and making university accessible to students from all walks of life. Whether you’re a domestic or international student, our range of scholarships, prizes and awards can support your journey.