Materials Science and Metallurgy
The MPhil in Advanced Materials for the Energy Transition is an eleven-month Master Programme that is designed to deliver outstanding postgraduate level training in the sciences related to the development of new materials for low-carbon energy technologies.
Global warming and energy challenges are putting strong constraints on our society and will lead to major economic and societal changes in the future. To overcome these challenges and promote a sustainable modern society, it is necessary to develop new technologies with minimum environmental impact for example with low energy consumption and low carbon production.
The development of these energy-materials-based new technologies necessitates an interdisciplinary expertise in scientific and technological domains such as Physics, Chemistry, and Materials Science. This interdisciplinary training is necessary to understand and model new materials properties, find ways to synthesize them, and develop new zero-carbon energy technologies.
The Master level degree responds to this demand and it is shaped to address it. It combines core elements with general and specialised training with a strong research project element. The training will combine different scientific disciplines.
The Master’s Programme is to take students with undergraduate degrees in a scientific or engineering discipline and train them in materials growth, characterisation, device design, and related techniques and toolsets to understand, develop, and deploy the next generation of energy-efficient materials-based technologies to replace fossil fuels. This will help to meet the UK’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The diverse topics addressed in the course will prepare students for long-term careers in a rapidly growing zero-carbon energy sector where broad knowledge of flexible and agile energy materials and systems is required to deliver a secure and sustainable global energy landscape.
The course offers a multidisciplinary approach to energy materials, such that graduates are well placed to work in a diverse range of energy-related areas that are in high demand from employers.
Throughout the year the students will have lectures, practicals, and research projects under the guidance of experts across all relevant research areas at the University of Cambridge, as well as leaders from the energy industry.
The course encompasses different educational and societal objectives, and responds to the growing demand for highly trained scientists to design and develop the new generation of energy-efficient technologies, societal demand to replace fuel-based technologies by zero-carbon technologies, and importance of interdisciplinary expertise to better respond to the complexity of challenges faced by modern societies.
The objectives of the course are to provide students with: deep knowledge in all scientific areas for the growth and characterization of new materials, knowledge and practical experience in device design to develop new technologies, and awareness of the wide range of industrial applications of these new technologies.
Expectations:
The programme is intended for those with a good first degree in the physical sciences and engineering who wish to develop research skills and a commercial awareness in advanced materials for the energy transition.
The programme is modular in structure and lasts eleven months. It is envisaged that all students attend all modules, which consist of no more than 12 hours of lectures per module with additional discussion groups and personal study time. The modules are taught in the first two terms and are followed by formal examinations.
The final term is devoted to a research project lasting approximately sixteen weeks. A large number of project topics will be proposed each year by staff at the University and colleagues in industry. After the examinations, students will work exclusively on their projects until end of July when they submit a dissertation. An oral examination will be held in August.
Departments:
This course is advertised in the following departments:
Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy
Other:
CamGuides – a free online resource for all Master’s students with a taught element, designed as an introduction to some of the academic, digital and research practices that they will engage in at the University of Cambridge. It encourages students to think about ways they can prepare for their Master’s degree before it starts.