Description

Contents

The programme prepares students to become academic engineers with the acquired knowledge to understand and engineer the complex relations between production, structure, properties, and applications of materials. In this way they can assume a prominent role in the development, production, design and application of traditional as well as advanced materials. Aspects of safety and environment of the production and use of materials are also taken into consideration.

At the end of the programme, it is expected that the student has fundamental scientific knowledge in the field of physics, chemistry and mathematics and is able to translate this knowledge into useful applications. The student will also have a prominent knowledge of design methodologies and skills. The student will have developed a strong analytical and problem solving attitude and will be equipped to conduct fundamental as well as applied scientific research. The student will be capable of transferring technological knowledge aided by his/her communication capacities and supported with insights in ethical, social and economic problems.

The student can easily acquire new insights, methodologies and results within his own discipline and apply these in a research or industrial environment. Finally the student will be able to assume the role of the engineer in society in a critical way and will have developed an overall quality reflex.

Graduates of the Materials Engineering programme will also obtain the following specific competencies:

* A broad-based fundamental knowledge of the production, processing and properties of structural materials (metals, ceramics, polymers and composites)
* A perceptive knowledge of the properties and structure of functional materials
* A comprehensive knowledge of the main material characterisation techniques and modelling techniques relevant to the production and design and use of materials
* An understanding of the sustainability aspects of materials

The Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering (MTM) is involved in several strategic fields of materials research and development: advanced alloys and production processes, ceramics, nanomaterials, high temperature processing of liquid metals, intermetallics, polymers and composites, computational thermodynamics, deformation processing, materials performance and degradation, non-destructive testing, surface engineering, biomaterials and nanomaterials.

A healthy mix of people working both in experimental and computational materials science makes it a very dynamic place (currently about sixty PhD students and twenty post-doctoral fellows, with a majority of international researchers). The department operates as one unit with one departmental manager and a high level infrastructure. MTM is also the driving force of the Leuven Materials Research Centre (Leuven MRC).

Facilities, activities, and social events

* Industrial visits
* Computer and wifi internet facilities
* Campus library across the road in a beautiful and historical environment
* Unique research environment and infrastructure
* Monthly house seminars about hot topics
* Social activities: soccer, monthly sports activity , film, barbecue, parties, etc.

Requirements

Direct access:

- Bachelor of Science in de ingenieurswetenschappen, major subject materiaalkunde
- Bachelor of Science in de ingenieurswetenschappen, major subject elektrotechniek / geotechniek en mijnbouw / werktuigkunde / chemische technologie, with subprogramme materiaalkunde

Admission decisions are based upon evaluation of a complete application file:

- Bachelor of (Science in) Engineering (or equivalent diploma)
Except for native speakers, students should present proof of a test of English proficiency: Grade Point Average 75 % + TOEFL paper test (550) or computer test (213) or iBT (92).

English Language Requirements

Funding

Scholarship and funding opportunities
EU

INCOMING

* Central bilateral agreements - Grants for Phd students and staff
* FWO Research Funding
* DBOF - PhD Scholarships
* F+ - Fellowships for incoming postdocs
* AXA Research Fund

NON - EU

INCOMING

* Coimbra group Scholarships programme for young researchers and professors from Latin America
* Coimbra Group Hospitality Scheme (Ukraine and Balkans)
* Coimbra Group scholarships Programme for Young Researchers from European Neighbouring Countries
* Coimbra Group scholarships Programme for Young African researchers
* Erasmus Mundus Partnerships
* FWO Research Funding
* Doctoral Scholarships in the framework of the Interfaculty Council for Development Cooperation
* Travelling allowances for teaching staff and professors in the framework of the Interfaculty Council for Development Cooperation
* Specialisation grants for researchers from developing countries
* VLIR-UOS Scholarships for short training programme ITP (developing countries)
* VLIR-UOS Scholarships for Master Programmes ICP (developing countries
* VLIR-UOS Scholarships for ICP PhD students
* Science without Borders Brasil (2012-2014)
* Belgian bilateral cooperation grants for study and training for nationals of partner countries (Algeria - Benin - Bolivia - Burundi - DR Congo - Ecuador - Mali - Morocco -Mozambique - Niger - Palestinian Territory - Peru - Rwanda - Senegal -South Africa - Tanzania - Uganda - Vietnam)
* DBOF - PhD Scholarships
* F+ - Fellowships for incoming postdocs
* Latin America Fund
* EU-ALFA III (Latin-America)
* EU-ACP (Africa, Carribean and Pacific)
* EU-ASEM
* EU-SARC (South Asia)
* EU-SARC (South-East Asia)
* EU - Central Asia
* EU - ENPI (Neighbourhood and Russia)EU - Central Asia