Decisions and guidelines

Decision to establish the education programme

This syllabus was established by the Board of the Faculty of Science and Technology on October 22, 2019 to be applied as of July 1, 2020. The Master Programme in Materials Engineering is established at Uppsala University according to a decision by the Vice-Chancellor (UFV 2019/1098).

Translations

Degree of Master of Science (120 credits) is called "Masterexamen" in Swedish.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university.

Also required is:

• 50 credits in materials science and/or materials engineering, including a minimum of 10 credits materials chemistry, 10 credits engineering materials and 5 credits materials physics;
• 25 credits mathematics.

Language requirements

Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6. This requirement can be met either by achieving the required score on an internationally recognised test, or by previous upper secondary or university studies in some countries. Detailed instructions on how to provide evidence of your English proficiency are available at universityadmissions.se.

Aims

The program provides substantially in-depth knowledge of applied material science and the connections between the composition, structure and properties of materials. The program offers students the knowledge and skills in materials engineering required for the development of new materials, new technologies and new types of technical systems. Important parts are process technology, technology for characterization and analysis of materials as well as strategies for material selection and development of materials for specific applications.

The program prepares for a professional activity in business or for further education at postgraduate level. After the program, the student should be able to independently be responsible for research, development and / or investigation work in the subject area.

Learning outcomes

Objectives of the Degree of Master of Science (120 credits)

The Swedish Higher Education Act

The Swedish Higher Education Act contains provisions about the higher education institutions that are accountable to the Government.

The Higher Education Ordinance

According to the Higher Education Ordinance the Degree of Master (120 credits) has the following learning objectives.

Knowledge and understanding

For a Degree of Master (120 credits) the student shall:

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the main field of study, including both broad knowledge of the field and a considerable degree of specialised knowledge in certain areas of the field as well as insight into current research and development work, and
• demonstrate specialised methodological knowledge in the main field of study.

Competence and skills

For a Degree of Master (120 credits) the student shall:

• demonstrate the ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge and analyse, assess and deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations even with limited information
• demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate issues critically, autonomously and creatively as well as to plan and, using appropriate methods, undertake advanced tasks within predetermined time frames and so contribute to the formation of knowledge as well as the ability to evaluate this work
• demonstrate the ability in speech and writing both nationally and internationally to clearly report and discuss his or her conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which they are based in dialogue with different audiences, and
• demonstrate the skills required for participation in research and development work or autonomous employment in some other qualified capacity.

Judgement and approach

For a Degree of Master (120 credits) the student shall:

• demonstrate the ability to make assessments in the main field of study informed by relevant disciplinary, social and ethical issues and also to demonstrate awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work
• demonstrate insight into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in society and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used, and
• demonstrate the ability to identify the personal need for further knowledge and take responsibility for his or her ongoing learning.

Layout of the programme

Description of the programme

General description

The Master programmes in technology at Uppsala University are coherent two-year programmes. The programmes contain recommended courses of study to assure the quality of the degree, presenting students with a choice of courses closely aligned with the learning objectives of the Higher Education Ordinance. There are also designated elective courses with opportunities for specialisation through successive selections of courses. The programme ends with a degree project.

Each academic year is divided into four study periods, two during the autumn semester and two during the spring semester.

Second-cycle courses involve a considerable amount of independent work and responsibility for one's own learning. This results in increased depth and complexity within the main field of study. It also leads to students acquiring the ability to communicate in English, both orally and in writing.

Description of the Master Programme in Materials Engineering at Uppsala University

During the first year, courses are mainly offered at an advanced level in material analysis, thin film technology, material mechanics, microsystem technology, nanomaterials and biomaterials. The first year starts with an introduction to advanced level studies, the subject area and the program. Within the final year, courses are given that are largely linked to current research and development within and outside the academy, as well as a degree project. Sustainable development is an important topic that is dealt with in a special course, but which also permeates education. The elective courses provide the opportunity for in-depth study in three areas of application: technical materials, medical materials or materials for energy applications.

Eligibility for all courses in the program is not guaranteed by the program eligibility but may depend on the content of the bachelor's degree and the student's choice of courses in the master's program. Some of the courses are studied together with other master's programs.

The recommended courses for all profiles are balanced to suit both continuing education at the doctoral level as well as professional activities in the business world. The final independent degree project can be carried out within the university or at a company.

The programme courses

Study plan

The following in-depth levels are used for the courses in the study plan:

G1N first cycle, has only upper-secondary level entry requirements

G1F first cycle, has less than 60 credits in first-cycle course/s as entry requirements

G1E first cycle, contains specially designed degree project for Higher Education Diploma

G2F first cycle, has at least 60 credits in first-cycle course/s as entry requirements

G2E first cycle, has at least 60 credits in first-cycle course/s as entry requirements, contains degree project for Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science

A1N second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirements

A1F second cycle, has second-cycle course/s as entry requirements

A1E second cycle, contains degree project for Master of Arts/Master of Science (60 credits)

A2E second cycle, contains degree project for Master of Arts/Master of Science (120 credits)

GXX first cycle, in-depth level of the course cannot be classified

AXX second cycle, in-depth level of the course cannot be classified

Main Field of Study

Education in the main field of technology is available both as first-cycle courses and second-cycle courses, both as courses in Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Programmes, as well as independent courses.

For a Master of Science degree in technology, the main field of technology is used for Master of Science in Engineering. For courses within Master programmes in technology, specific main fields of study are used. These are Bioinformatics, Renewable energy production, Embedded systems, Industrial engineering, Materials engineering, Water engineering and Molecular biotechnology. They are connected to the main specialisations of the programmes. The main fields of study constitute a specific part of the broader definition of the main field of technology and thereby fulfil the requirements for the main field of technology.

The Main Field of Technology

A course can and should be classified as belonging to the main field of technology if mostly dealing with at least one of the following areas:

• Methods for development, construction, commissioning, verification, use or maintenance of physical systems of practical use to improve the living conditions of mankind, or equivalent for components of such systems. The components need not be physical, but can take the form of algorithms or software.
• Methods for efficient organisation of the processes involved in implementing the elements referred to in the above paragraph. Examples of courses that fall within this category are quality engineering, production management and technology-based business development.

A course that fulfils the above criteria can be classified also in another main field of study, given that all criteria of the additional main field of study are fulfilled.

A course mostly dealing with a different main field of study than technology can and should be classified also as technology if it contains elements that describe how the main content of the course can be applied in practice in a context of technology (defined by the above criteria). These elements should form a significant part of the course, they should be clearly indicated in the course syllabus, be taught at a level corresponding to the course level and be part of the examination. A decided double classification in technology should be reconsidered if the course differs from these criteria.

The Main Field of Materials Engineering (advanced level)

The Main Field of Materials Engineering combines theoretical knowledge of the field with competence to develop new materials, new technology, and new kinds of technical systems that relate to the main field.

A course can and should be classified as belonging to the main field of Materials engineering if mostly dealing with at least one of the following areas:

• Methods for the development, construction, commissioning, validation, use or maintenance of physical systems, based on materials engineering, of practical use to improve the living conditions of mankind, or equivalent for components of such systems. The components need not be physical, but can take the form of e.g. computer models.
• Methods for the efficient organization of processes involved in the implementation of the operations stated above. Examples of courses within this category are quality engineering, production management, and technology-based business development.

Degree project

Common guidelines and instructions for degree projects apply to all programmes in technology at Uppsala University. Forms and instructions for students are available on the Faculty website http://www.teknat.uu.se/student.

Degree

A Bachelor degree, equivalent to a Swedish degree of at least 180 credits (i.e. three years of fulltime study), is required in order to obtain a Master of Science degree.

Master of Science (120 credits)

In order to entitle to a Master of Arts/Science (120 credits) the following requirements have to be fulfilled: Finished courses at second cycle totalling 120 credits (two years of full time studies). Of the courses included 30 credits maximum is allowed to be at first cycle. Not, however, courses already included in the underlying first cycle degree (i.e. Bachelor's). In addition to this, a main field of study of 60 credits minimum at second cycle, including a degree project of 30 credits minimum is required.

Other directives

Admission to a later part of the programme

Admission to a later part of a Master programme in technology normally requires at least 15 credits from relevant second-cycle courses, in addition to a Bachelor's degree, having been approved by the time of application. Application to a later part of the programme should be submitted no later than May 1 for the autumn semester and no later than December 1 for the spring semester.

Grading system and assessment

The form of assessment and the grading system are shown in the course syllabus. Information about exam registrations are available on www.studentportalen.uu.se (this does not apply to exams at other higher education institutions than Uppsala University).

For more regulations see "Guidelines on working conditions for first- and second-cycle students at Uppsala University" as of 2017-07-01.

Inclusion of course credits towards a Master of Science degree

Some courses may not be included in the same degree, due to content overlap. The course content is shown in each course syllabus and the Graduation Office decides which courses may be included in the degree.