Materials Science and Engineering, BEng (Hons)

International applicants can refer to our undergraduate international entry requirements.

The entry requirements for the BEng Materials Science and Engineering degree are:

ABB-BCC at A level

Recommended subjects include:
Chemistry
Mathematics
Physics
Further Mathematics
Design Technology
IT/Computing
Biology

Variable offers made dependent on subjects studied and all applications are considered on an individual basis, with GCSE grades, AS Level subjects and grades, work experience, references and personal statement taken into account.

Or 32 in IB 4 at HL or 5 at SL English Language.

Students studying for BTEC qualifications in relevant subjects require D*D*D* - D*D*D to include B at A Level Mathematics. If they are not taking A Level Mathematics, they must achieve a minimum D in ‘Mathematics for Technicians’ and D in ‘Further Mathematics for Technicians’ modules of the BTEC. Students are also required to have minimum two A grades at GCSE, to include a minimum grade B in Mathematics and two other Science subjects.

Find out the entry requirements for an international student.

Students with industrial experience and qualifications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If you have studied access or vocational qualifications, you are advised to apply for the Integrated Foundation Year.

If you are applying for Level Two (second year) entry, in order to be considered, you will need to have already covered the topics offered in Swansea at Level One (first year) in a certified qualification, with a high overall score.

We are proud to provide an outstanding educational experience, using the most effective learning and teaching approaches, carefully tailored to suit the specific needs of your course. Apart from a small number of online-only courses, most of our courses consist of in-person, on-campus teaching, enabling full engagement with your lecturers and fellow students.

Practical skills sessions, lab work seminars, and workshops predominantly take place in person, allowing for group working and demonstrations. We also operate virtual labs and Simulated Learning Environments which will facilitate greater access to training opportunities in the future. However, our approach also includes the use of some online learning to support and enhance traditional face-to-face teaching. 

Online learning may take place ‘live’ using software such as Zoom, allowing you to interact with the lecturer and other students and to ask questions. Lecture recordings also allow for more flexibility to revisit material, to revise for assessments and to enhance learning outside of the classroom. Some modules have extra resources in Canvas, such as videos, slides and quizzes enabling further flexible study.

This course may offer some modules taught through the medium of Welsh or bilingually for students who consider themselves to be fluent Welsh speakers. For more details on the provision available see the Welsh Provision expander below.

No Provision

Unfortunately, there is currently no formal Welsh-medium provision on this course. If you would like to let us know that you are interested in pursuing an element of your course through the medium of Welsh, please email astudio@abertawe.ac.uk to indicate your interest along with your year of entry and we will do our best to see what is possible.

Whilst this course does not offer academic content delivered in Welsh, the University can provide you with the following, and Academi Hywel Teifi is here to support you:

• An interview through the medium of Welsh when applying for a place.
• The option to receive your personal correspondence in Welsh, English or bilingually.
• The option to write and submit your coursework or exams through the medium of Welsh (even if you have chosen to study in English), and your work will be marked in Welsh.
• A Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor.
• One-to-one support to improve your academic Welsh language skills.
• An opportunity to gain an additional free qualification that serves as evidence of your Welsh language ability for future employers.
• Opportunity to be a member of the Swansea University Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

To learn more about the above and all the opportunities available to you through the medium of Welsh, visit Academi Hywel Teifi's undergraduate pages.

The BEng Materials Engineering course at Swansea University is accredited by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of partially meeting the educational requirement for Engineering Council registration as a Chartered Engineer.

Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by the Engineering Council in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC). Study on an accredited degree will provide you with some of the underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills needed as a Chartered Engineer. Some employers recruit preferentially from accredited degrees, and an accredited degree is likely to be recognised by many countries that are signatories to international accords.

You will be taught by world-class lecturers who are all active researchers. Their research areas of expertise include Metallurgy and Coatings, Fossil-Free Steel Making, Energy Store Materials and much more.

See all the Materials Engineering staff here.

Fees for full time undergraduate UK students may increase in subsequent years of study in line with the maximum regulated fee level set by the Welsh Government

Fees for full time Undergraduate International students will increase by 3% for each subsequent year of study.

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Materials Science and Engineering Scholarships

The Materials Engineering department offer a variety of scholarships throughout their degree programmes. These include entrance scholarships of up to £1500 for students with high A level grades (or equivalent), travel scholarships of £1000 for those on the year abroad schemes and high performance scholarships are given to students at the end of each year.

To find out more details on these scholarship opportunities please email engineering@swansea.ac.uk.

How to Apply

Application is not necessary, bursaries are awarded automatically by the Portfolio Director and Admissions Tutor following enrolment.

Students will receive formal notification of their scholarship award before the start of term.

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

• Travel to and from campus
• Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
• Purchase of books or texts
• Gowns for graduation ceremonies

The tuition fees for the BEng Materials Science and Engineering degree do not cover costs incurred personally by the student such as the purchase of books or stationery, printing or photocopying costs.

Recommended textbooks for this course are available in the library. All software needed for the course is available on the Engineering network, for use within our PC rooms at Swansea University.

Free wireless internet access is available across the whole of the University campus and halls of residence.

Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) will support you at each stage of your career journey helping you build a bright future.

Our career support services include:

• Employability workshops, employers’ talks, bespoke events and careers fairs
• Individual advice and guidance from professionally qualified Careers Advisers
• Help with finding jobs, internships, work placements and volunteering opportunities
• Access to information resources on a wide range of career management topics
• Advice and guidance on postgraduate study and funding
• Funding to support student internship opportunities and Student Society/Club events.

We also provide help and advice for Swansea University Alumni up to two years after you graduate.

We are very proud of the excellent career prospects of our Engineering graduates.

We are continually striving to improve the employability of our students, by cultivating strong relationships with graduate employers and by ensuring our students are as prepared as they can be for the world of work. Find out more about our Careers & Employability service.

As well as subject specific support by college teaching staff and your personal tutor, the Centre for Academic Success provides courses, workshops and one-to-one support in areas such as:

• Academic writing
• Maths and statistics
• Critical thinking
• Time management
• Digital skills
• Presentation skills
• Note taking
• Revision, memory and exam techniques
• English language skills (if English is not your first language).

In addition, if you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), disability, mental health or medical condition, the Centre for Academic Success have Specialist Tutors to support your learning, working alongside the Disability Office and Wellbeing Service to support all your needs and requirements whilst studying at Swansea University.

Providing the best student experience possible is of the utmost importance to us , and we have well-established systems and support staff in place in order to facilitate this. We have regular Maths, Chemistry and Software Cafes for students to develop their skills within these areas. Find out more about the student support we offer here.

To learn more about study abroad, visit our Go Global webpages. Enrolment on a programme with a semester/year abroad does not guarantee you a semester/year abroad placement. Spaces are limited and subject to a competitive selection process. In the event you do not secure a semester/year abroad placement, you will be transferred to the standard variant of your degree scheme without a semester or year abroad.

International summer programmes are open to students from all schools. Programmes typically range from 2 to 6 weeks, across destinations such as Sri Lanka, South Korea, Fiji, Bali, the USA and across Europe. For more information about programmes and eligibility visit our Summer Abroad webpages.

Apply now – UK, EU and international students.

For further guidance please visit our how to apply pages.

EU students - visa and immigration information is available and will be regularly updated on our information for EU students page.

We recommend that you submit your application to our courses as early as you can in advance of our application deadlines. Courses will close earlier than the application deadlines listed if all available places are filled. You can find further information on our Application Deadlines webpage.

My role specialises in failure analysis, particularly for the petrochemical, oil and gas, and power generation industries. I manage the operational activities of the consultancy business, business development and the investigative metallurgical work. This includes failure analysis, quality problems and product liability issues for a variety of industries, particularly in power generation, petrochemical and process plant for an international client base.

I also manage the consultancy business’ research and development programmes; an ongoing project is an Innovate UK funded study to develop a novel integrity model for stainless steels in high temperature nuclear applications in partnership with EDF Energy. This project follows on from a previous Innovate funded project and the master’s I completed with Swansea University on the thermal degradation of austenitic stainless steels.