Undergraduate Courses. - University of Sheffield · Materials Science and Engineering...

UndergraduateCourses.

Department OfMaterialsScience &Engineering.

J37584_Materials Science 18/10/10 15:38

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ContentsWhat is Materials Science and Engineering? 3

What do materials scientists and engineers do? 3

Why choose to study Materials at The University of Sheffield? 4

What courses are available? 5

Materials Science and Engineering courses 6

What do our courses involve? 8

Where are our graduates now? 8

First and Second Year course structure 9

Third and Fourth Year course stucture 10

Industrial liaison, sponsorship and awards 11

Student life 12

Location and facilities 13

Living in Sheffield 13

Admission process 14

Entry requirements 15

Please ask if you require copies of this brochure in alternative formats(eg Braille).

Pictures in this brochure weresupplied and used with kindpermission by Alamy Images, BNFL plc,and The University of Sheffield.

Designed and printed by Northend Creative Print Solutions,Sheffield.

©2010 The University of Sheffield.

Materials Scienceand Engineering iskey to most of thetechnology uponwhich societydepends.


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What is Materials Scienceand Engineering?Materials Science and Engineering is key to most of thetechnology upon which society depends. It covers areasranging from lightweight alloys for aircraft tosemiconductors for PCs, photovoltaics for energygeneration, superconductors for whole body scanners inhospitals and implants for human body repairs.

Materials scientists and engineers are employed in theareas of materials design, materials performance andmaterials selection, tailoring the properties of materials tomeet design requirements in a wide range of engineeringcontexts. To do this, they apply their understanding of howcomposition and processing conditions affect the structureand properties of materials. Some develop sophisticatedcomputer modelling programs to help them predict theoutcome of changes to these variables.

The demands for miniaturisation, reduction ofenvironmental impact, replacement body parts, smartmaterials, information technology, changes in the builtenvironment and transport all influence materialsdevelopment. By studying Materials, you can be part of thisvital and dynamic process.

What do materialsscientists and engineers do?A degree in Materials Science and Engineering will equipyou for many different careers in a wide range of industriesand professions, from Research and Development toProcess Engineering on a large industrial plant.

Some of our graduates go on to work with materialsproducers, such as glass or composites manufacturers.Others gain employment in a materials-user industry, suchas the automotive industry, telecommunications or the sportsequipment industry. Our graduates are also employed inrelated industries, such as food processing, forensics,environmental engineering, teaching, sales and finance.

After graduation, many take on increasing managerialresponsibilities, with some going on to become companydirectors. Others progress to become specialist consultantsas they gain experience.

Our courses help you develop many transferable skills,including• Good analytical and problem-solving skills.• The ability to apply scientific understanding and

engineering principles to large and smaller scaleprocesses.

• The ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team.• The ability to manage projects, people, resources

and time.

For more information about graduate destinations, see 'Where are our graduates now?' (Page 8).


Strong teaching record

The Department of Materials Scienceand Engineering has a reputation forexcellent teaching, and was awarded22 out of a possible 24 in the latestHEFCE teaching quality assessment.Our 2007 Accreditation Report fromthe Institute of Materials, Mining andMinerals noted that 'The departmentis “very active, well respected in theFaculty, and University at large”.’

Teaching on our courses is mostlycarried out by full-time academic staff,with occasional lectures contributedby visiting industrialists.

Accredited programmes

Our Materials Science and Engineeringdegree programmes are accredited bythe Institute of Materials, Minerals,and Mining. This facilitatesprogression to Chartered Engineerstatus (CEng) if you enter a Materials-related profession after graduating.

International reputation

The University of Sheffield has astrong international reputation. In thelast national Research AssessmentExercise in 2008 the department wasrated as one of the leadingdepartments in the country with all itsresearch activity rated as being

“recognised internationally in terms oforiginality, significance and rigour” orabove. Our academic staff are regularlyinvited to give keynote lectures abroad,publish extensively, and hold keyoffices in international organisations.This means that you are taught byacademic staff who are at the cuttingedge of their particular field.

We are also particularly proud of thequality of our graduates, many ofwhom have received national honours,for example:

Michael Robinson, 22, whograduated from the department inJuly 2009, received the MorganCrucible Award for Best MaterialsStudent at the 2009 Science,Engineering & Technology Awardsfor his project on High-SpeedMachining of Aerospace TitaniumAlloys supervised by Dr MartinJackson. Michael has now started onthe Engineering ProfessionalExcellence Graduate Programme atRolls-Royce. Michael said: "It was areal honour to receive such aprestigious award, particularly havingbeen competing against studentsfrom other top universities in thecountry." My final year projectproduced some really original

research and will form the beginningof much further work into the area. I think the achievement shows thestrength of the Materials Science and Engineering Department at The University of Sheffield, both interms of teaching and research."

Excellent resources

Our high level of research fundingprovides excellent resources that areused by undergraduate students aswell as postgraduate students andstaff; for example, our second yearundergraduate students use scanningelectron microscopes, and state-of-the-art testing and other characterisationmachines for practical classes, andour final year students have access tothe latest technology for their finalyear research projects.

Friendly atmosphere

Our latest Accreditation Report notedthe 'good rapport' between students,academic and technical staff, and thegood 'sense of community' within thedepartment. The Turner Museum, anationally recognised glass museum, islocated in the department, providing adepartmental cafe and a pleasantenvironment for a break. It encouragesour students to socialise and creates arelaxed but stimulating atmosphere.

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“The Department ofMaterials Science andEngineering has areputation for excellentteaching”

Why choose to study Materials at The University of Sheffield?

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We offer Materials Science andEngineering courses leading to eitherBEng or MEng qualifications, involvingthree or four years of study respectively.We also offer the opportunity to take aspecialised MEng course in Metallurgy.Some of our students study MaterialsScience and Engineering with a ModernLanguage, or Materials Science withIndustrial Management courses. Thisinvolves taking either managementmodules, or language modules in French,German, Italian or Spanish throughoutthe course, as well as a work placementin the case of the MEng degree courses.One recent addition to our portfolio isthe Materials Science with a Year inJapan course, which provides a uniqueopportunity to spend a year in Japan inindustry or at a research institute. Ourpopular Aerospace Materials coursesprovide our students with thenecessary skills to work at theinterface between science andengineering, and help contribute to theaerospace industry of the future.

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If you wish, you can also spend one ortwo semesters studying at a foreignuniversity on the Erasmus exchangeprogramme. (This opportunity isavailable to students on all our MaterialsScience and Engineering courses).

Alternatively, if your entry qualificationsare not in the required subjects,Materials Science and Engineeringwith a Foundation Year will get yourMaths, Physics and Chemistry up tospeed before you begin your MaterialsScience and Engineering course.

What coursesare available?


BEng or MEng?

Our courses leading to BEng or MEngqualifications involve three or fouryears of study respectively. The firsttwo years of study are common toboth routes. This means that,regardless of which route you registerfor initially, you can defer making yourchoice about which qualification tostudy for until the end of the secondyear. The entry requirements for theMEng route are higher than for theBEng route. However, if you registerinitially for the BEng degree courseand do well in your first two years, youcan transfer to an MEng course. Theadvantages of the different routes are

BEng (three years):

The BEng course provides thequickest route to graduation, enablingyou to gain employment or progressto higher degree studies one yearearlier. You can then acquire theindustrial/research experience andundertake the further study needed togain CEng (Chartered Engineer) statusonce you begin employment.

MEng (four years):

The MEng course includes extra, higherlevel courses and provides problem-solving and group project exerciseswith some management emphasis.

This course includes a five-monthwork placement starting in April of thethird year.

The MEng course provides fasterprogression to CEng (CharteredEngineer) status after graduating. This is because you will meet some of the industrial training requirementsof the Engineering Council on yourwork placement and all academicstudy requirements are covered onthe course.

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Materials Science andEngineering courses

Course title Qualification UCAS codeMaterials Science and Engineering MEng J500

Materials Science and Engineering BEng JH51

Materials Science and Engineering (Biomaterials) MEng JH5P

Materials Science and Engineering (Biomaterials) BEng JH56

Metal Science and Engineering (Metallurgy) MEng J200

Materials Science and Engineering with Industrial Management MEng FH21

Materials Science and Engineering with Industrial Management BEng FHF1

Materials Science and Engineering with a Year in Japan MEng JH5C

Materials Science and Engineering with a Year in Japan BEng JH5D

Aerospace Materials MEng H403

Aerospace Materials BEng H401

Materials Science and Engineering with a Modern Language MEng J5T9

Materials Science and Engineering with a Foundation Year BEng/MEng J501

All of these courses lead to classified degrees with Honours.


Specialised Materials courses

As well as our MEng and BEng coursesin Materials Science and Engineering,we also offer the opportunity to take aspecialised MEng course in Metallurgy.This course shares a common firstand second year with the MaterialsScience and Engineering courses. Aslong as you do well in the first twoyears, you can also make the decisionto specialise in Metallurgy at the endof your second year.

The broader approach widens youremployment options; specialist firmswill also employ graduates with ageneral Materials training. You will alsoappreciate better the options availablefor a particular engineeringapplication and understand theadvantages of using certain materialsin combination.

Alternatively, you may develop a stronginterest in one subject area and weencourage this approach too. If youare planning a research or productioncareer where knowledge of aparticular product, process and itsdevelopment is required, yourspecialism can give you an advantageover the broad-based student.

Materials Science with IndustrialManagement

Our Materials with IndustrialManagement course incorporatesbusiness modules in each year ofstudy. They aim to meet the increasingdemand for graduates who are highlytrained and experienced in bothmanagement and materials issues.

Materials Science with a Year in Japan

This course will give you a soundknowledge and understanding of

Japanese language and culture, as wellas the intellectual and professionalskills needed to contribute in one ofthe world’s largest business markets.An integral part of this course is theopportunity to spend a year in Japanworking in industry or at a researchinstitute.

Aerospace Materials

This course will provide you with thetechnical knowledge and skills neededto work at the interface between purescience and engineering, develop newmaterials, and new technologies, andcontribute to the internationalaerospace industry of the future.

Materials Science and Engineering(Biomaterials)

This new course, due to launch in 2011,develops an understanding of bothmaterials engineering and humananatomy, physiology and cell biology.This understanding is developed in thecontext of applications in bothresearch and in industry. There is aclear demand for graduates skilled inthe field of biomaterials science andengineering. This course provides abroad-based training for industry,which is nonetheless a suitablydetailed background for studentswishing to pursue research.

Materials Science and Engineeringwith a Modern Language

Each year of the Materials with aLanguage course offers an opportunityto develop your language skills. Thelanguages studied are French, German,Italian or Spanish. The coursestructure is basically the same as ourstandard MEng programme inMaterials. The difference is that youstudy extra language modules. Yourwork placement in Year 3, an integral

part of the MEng course, is in acountry appropriate to your choice oflanguage. This degree is offered as afour-year MEng course only, to ensuresufficient time for language teaching.

Materials Science and Engineeringwith a Foundation Year

If you have academic qualifications atthe right level but in the wrongsubjects, we can offer a FoundationYear course to get you up to speed inall the underpinning sciences. TheFoundation Year is part of your degreecourse and gives you access to all thesame University facilities as other firstyear students.

On successfully completing the yearyou can enter any of our mainstreamundergraduate courses.

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“We provide you with a solidbasis in the underlyingscience, taught in astimulating intellectualenvironment.”


What do ourcourses involve?Our courses are all about giving youthe ability to tackle situations thatmaterials scientists and engineersencounter on an everyday basis.

We provide you with a solid basis in the underlying science, taught in astimulating intellectual environment, and we use a hands-on approach andexposure to real situations to give you a good understanding of practicalapplications. Case studies, designprojects, group industrial projects,laboratory work, manufacturing plantvisits and tutorials are central to yourdevelopment as a scientist and engineer.

We aim to develop your skills inknowledge acquisition, research, ITand written and oral communication,and to equip you for lifelong personaldevelopment in a stimulating andsatisfying career.

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Where are ourgraduates now?In recent years our new graduates havebegun their careers with companiessuch as Pilkington, Airbus, Rolls-Royce,Sheffield Forgemasters, Corus, MorganCeramics, and TWI. Others have goneinto teaching, the army and the police.Many others choose to continue theireducation by taking taught Mastersdegrees, Knowledge TransferPartnerships, or PhDs.

The range of possible career pathsopen to materials scientists andengineers is as wide ranging as thesubject itself.


First and Second Yearcourse structure:

Examples of some of the modulestaken in the first and second years ofour Materials Science and Engineeringcourses are given below:

Introduction to MaterialsChemistry (Year 1)

The aims of this module are todevelop a qualitative and quantitativeunderstanding of crystal chemistryand molecular structure for both smalland macromolecules and todemonstrate the application of crystaland molecular structures to materialsproblems.

Introduction to MaterialsEngineering (Year 1)

This module introduces students tothe mechanical behaviour of both hardand soft materials, including naturalmaterials. The module will emphasisethe links between the microscopicbehaviour and the macroscopicperformance of materials.

Introduction to MaterialsProperties (Year 1)

This module considers materialsproperties as the link between what isdone to a material and how thematerial responds and hencediscusses linking properties to devicesand structures. Topics covered includethe behaviour of magnetic, electricaland optical materials.

Biomaterials (Year 1)This module introduces the humanbody from an engineering perspective;looking at it as a structure, amechanism and a sensor. It thenintroduces both natural andreplacement biomaterials discussingproperties in relation to function usingAshby charts. Finally, the coursediscusses lessons that can be learntfrom biomaterials by materialsengineers in general (biomimetics).

Deformation and Failure ofMaterials (Year 2)

This module describes the plasticdeformation of metals, polymers andglasses indicating the fundamental

mechanisms that give rise to samplestrain in response to applied stress orarising from thermally induced effects.The deformation mechanisms arerelated to microstructure andprocessing and the implications fordesign considered.

Industrial Materials Processing(Year 2)

This module provides a broadoverview of the main industrialprocessing and manufacturing routesfor metallic, glass, ceramic andpolymeric materials and components.Important engineering principles suchas viscosity, heat transfer and fluidflow will be introduced where relevantand a number of case studies will beused in order to highlight theequipment, technology and philosophybehind the choice of process andmanufacturing route for thesematerials.

Advanced Mechanics and Selectionof Materials (Year 2)

This module aims to build acomprehensive understanding of theinterrelationship between materialsselection, materials processing,product design and productperformance in order to develop aholistic approach to optimumselection of materials for engineeringand industrial applications.

Practicals and Transferable Skills

Materials Science is a very hands-ondiscipline and you will have two orthree laboratory sessions per week inthe first and second years. Eachmodule will have a number oflaboratory practicals associated withit, and in these you will build on whatyou have already learned in themodule, as well as learning aboutexperimental design and techniques,and data analysis.

In the first semester of Year 1, you willtake part in Skills Week. This involvestwo industrial visits, a number ofworkshops aimed at developingtransferable skills, seminars given by

the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and the UK Centre forMaterials Education amongst others,and a group activity involving problem solving, presentation skills,communication and teamwork. Here’s what some of our students have to say about Skills Week

“Skills Week made the course morerelevant and allowed me to see wheremy degree would fit into a career.”Caroline Gabbott

“I feel I have really benefitted fromSkills Week in terms of informationreceived and skills developed. Idefinitely think it was a worthwhileexperience and I really enjoyed it.” Alys Davies

Optional modules

Each academic year is split into twosemesters and carries 120 creditsoverall. Depending on which courseyou are taking, you may have someoptions to choose from. You mayselect options from this department(on Nanomaterials or Materials andthe Environment) or from otherdepartments (eg Philosophy,Management or Modern Languages). If you wish, you can also spend one ortwo semesters studying at a foreignuniversity. This does not increase thelength of your course because youcontinue to study Materials while youare abroad. This opportunity isavailable to students on all ourMaterials courses. See 'Travel Abroad'(page 12) for more details.

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The structure of your third yeardepends largely on two importantchoices made at the end of the secondyear: whether to take a three-yearBEng or four-year MEng degree (seepage 6), and whether to specialise(see page 7).

For either route you undertake a FinalYear Research Project, which is wortha quarter or a third of the final yearmarks and involves approximately oneand a half days work per week for 20 weeks. The Final Year Project isyour chance to use some of thisdepartment’s world-class researchfacilities. It allows you to spend timestudying a topic that particularlyinterests you and gives you hands-onexperience in advanced researchtechniques, such as:

Materials Processing – for example,synthesising electrically conductingpolymers or manufacturing glass-polymer composites; MaterialsCharacterisation – using, for example,

an electron microscope or X-raydiffraction – or testing the optical,electrical, mechanical, or magneticproperties of a novel material.

Third and fourth year lecture coursesinclude advanced classes in materialsmodelling, as well as metals, glasses,ceramics and polymers. The MEngcourse also includes a 12 week groupindustrial project, and case studies aswell as a five-month work placement.

Five-month industrial placement(MEng only)

By April of the third year you are readyto carry out your paid industrial workplacement. We can help by providingyou with the contact details ofcompanies in the UK or abroad whoare happy to employ our students. Weexpect you to be able to carry out auseful project or assignment for thecompany. Placements are usuallyhighly successful and our studentsfrequently warrant glowing praisefrom their employers.

One of our recent graduates, Andrew,carried out a placement at TWI inSouth Yorkshire. He says, “I greatlyenjoyed my placement for the varietyof jobs and tasks that I was able toundertake, which has benefited megreatly. It also gave me a valuableinsight into working with materials in aprofessional environment as well asthe running of a global businessorganisation.”

We continually update our courses toreflect the latest developments in thesubject. For more detailed and up-to-date information on course content,including full module descriptions,please visit our web pages:www.sheffield.ac.uk/materials/

Third and Fourth Year course structure


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We encourage you to think about youreventual career aims and to take everyavailable opportunity to develop yourtransferable skills. With this goal,companies and industrialists areactively involved in teaching ourcourses. Their input includespresentations on current topics andhosting visits to manufacturing plantsand research centres. We encourageyou to go to technical lecturesorganised by local branches of thenational Materials organisations andwe subsidise attendance at theirannual dinners. We also supportstudent membership of the Institute ofMaterials, Minerals and Mining, theIoM3. The Institute provides valuablehelp with professional development aswell as technical information.

The University Careers Serviceprovides an integrated guidance,vacancy information and workexperience service for currentstudents and recent graduates of theUniversity.

Vacation work

Relevant summer vacation workprovides you with a breadth ofexperience and skills that are attractiveto employers. The University CareersService advertises summer workvacancies and we can provide you withthe contact details of companiesseeking to recruit Materials Scienceand Engineering students. The MEngcourse involves a five-month placementof paid industrial training, and a fewstudents take a year out in industry. Wecan help to arrange placements both inthe UK and abroad. In addition, somefinal year projects can be undertakenwith industrial partners, and many ofour students have been offeredemployment after graduation, partly asa result of a successful project.

Sponsorship

Several firms and trade organisationsare willing to sponsor able studentswhose long-term goal is a job inindustry. Sponsorships involve abursary and paid vacation work

experience. Some are available fromYear 1 but if you do not wish to commityourself initially you may also receiveoffers in later years. Continuationusually depends on satisfactoryprogress. Henry was sponsored byBNFL: "Sponsorship has given me anopportunity to get involved with acompany and learn much more aboutwhat they do and how they do it –hopefully making my first job easier tofind. It also pays well! A bonus to getme through the year!"

Awards

If you enter our courses with highacademic qualifications, you may beeligible for a First Year EntranceBursary. More information aboutEntrance Bursaries is included in ouraccompanying literature, or you canask any member of our admissionsteam. Our contact details are on theback of this brochure.

Our department and the EngineeringFaculty are well endowed with prizesfor students at each level of the course.

Industrial liaison, sponsorshipand awards

Hui Zheng whograduated in 2010 is seen receiving an award fromProfessor AllanMatthews, the headof department.


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University life presents countless newopportunities. Here are some of thepossibilities for broadening yourhorizons during your time at University.

TRAVEL ABROADOur courses provide you withnumerous opportunities to travelabroad. For example, we haveexchange schemes with an Americanuniversity and with universities inFrance, Spain, Portugal, Finland andAustria. An exchange can be for onesemester or a whole year withoutincreasing the length of your coursebecause you continue to studyMaterials while you are abroad.Students from our partneruniversities join our courses inSheffield and you have theopportunity to enhance your culturalexperience by meeting them.

The exchange to Alfred University inNew York State, which specialises inCeramics and Glasses, is particularlypopular. Some travel bursaries areavailable to support this. Robert spenthis first semester of the second yearat Alfred University. He says, "I wasable to do some travelling during mystay, including a trip to the NiagaraFalls, both the American and Canadiansides. Over the Thanksgiving break, my

Spanish friend, Lluis, and I went on a road trip to Montreal, Canada andNew York City, where we saw theMacey's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Our Chinese friend, Jun, showed usaround China Town, which again wasan insight into a very different culture.Academically, I have experienced avery different style of teaching andassessment, and socially, I have grownin confidence, while experiencing adifferent culture and way of life."

Many MEng students choose to carryout their five-month work placementabroad, recent destinations includeNew Zealand, India, the USA andHolland. Various scholarships areavailable to support students who planindustrial visits or placements abroad.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIESThe Materials Society (MatSoc), is runby students and provides a socialfocus for students in the department.The elected MatSoc Officers have asmall budget raised by membershipfees plus a departmental grant. Socialactivities for staff and students includea Christmas Party and Annual Dinner.

NATIONAL PRIZESOur graduates have been notablysuccessful in winning many national

awards for their achievements. Forfive out of the last six years, at leastone of our students or new graduateshas been awarded a national orinternational prize. These haveincluded two of the coveted RoyalCharter prizes awarded to the topMaterials graduate in the country, aBEST award for Engineering students,and winners at the national SETawards.

Student life


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The Department of Materials Scienceand Engineering is located in the Sir Robert Hadfield Building. This issituated in the St George’s complex,alongside the other Engineeringdepartments. Many self-cateringresidential blocks are just a five-minute walk away and the Halls ofResidence at the Endcliffe andRanmoor Student Villages are within25-minutes walking distance. Thereare frequent public transport linksand some cycle routes. After Year 1most students move into privateaccommodation in neighbouring areas.

The city centre and Students’ Unionare a 10-minute walk from thedepartment, and the Goodwin SportsCentre, with its state-of-the-artfacilities, is just a mile away. ASupertram stop adjacent to theUniversity takes you to the railwaystation, and to the Meadowhallshopping and leisure complex.

There are lecture theatres andpractical laboratories in the Sir Robert Hadfield Building andusually you are taught here or inbuildings nearby. Networkedcomputer rooms are availablethroughout the University.

The St George’s Library, which coversall Engineering disciplines, is just athree-minute walk away.

Soft drinks and light snacks are sold in the department; local outlets offerexcellent value for lunch or you canbring your own and eat in the TurnerMuseum (see page 4).

For more information aboutaccommodation at the University,please visit the University web pagewww.sheffield.ac.uk/accommodation

Location andfacilities

Sheffield is England’s fourth-largest cityand is located on the edge of the PeakDistrict National Park and about twohours by train from London. Sheffield isa thriving city with theatres, cinemas,shopping facilities, bowling, ice-skating,nightclubs, art galleries and museums.Shopping facilities include Meadowhall,the popular shopping and leisure complex,and Division Street, a fashionablestudent haunt that is a two-minute walkaway from the Faculty of Engineering.

Sheffield has world-class sportsfacilities, and the nearby Peak Districtprovides excellent facilities for climbing,walking, caving, canoeing, sailing,windsurfing, gliding, hang-gliding andmountain biking. We also have thelargest dry ski slope and snowboardingfacilities in Europe, two climbing walls,reservoirs that offer a variety of watersports and more trees per head ofpopulation than any other UK city! TheNatWest Student Living Index ratedSheffield as one of the cheapest cities inthe UK to live and study, and accordingto the Home Office, Sheffield is amongthe safest major cities in the UK.

For more information about living inSheffield, please visit the Universityweb page www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/studentlife

Living inSheffield


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To apply for a place on one of ourcourses you need to complete a UCASapplication form (see the Universityprospectus), or visit the UCAS websiteon www.ucas.com

Selection procedure

We receive a copy of your UCAS forma few weeks after its submission. Ifyou live in the UK and have a suitableacademic background, you will beinvited to an Open Day. We encourageyou to visit and learn more about ourcourses, the department, theUniversity and its surroundings, aswell as to learn about the variousaccommodation options and meetcurrent students and staff. We run anumber of Open Days each year,usually on Tuesdays or Thursdays interm, and offer parallel tours andpresentations for parents. Wecontribute towards your travel costs,and can usually arrange inexpensive,overnight accommodation for thosewith long journeys. During the OpenDay you will have the chance to talk on

a one-to-one basis to a member ofacademic staff. This is an opportunityfor you to ask questions and find outmore about the course, as well as forus to discover more about you.We are particularly pleased toencourage applications from studentswho wish to take a gap year beforeentering the course or from maturestudents.

If you are an overseas student, and areunable to attend an Open Day in person,we will arrange a telephone interviewwith a member of academic staff at atime that is convenient for you.

If you wish to visit outside the normalcycle of Open Days, particularly if youlive overseas, then please contact Mrs Louise Mason, our UndergraduateAdmissions Secretary (see back coverfor contact details).

Aspects of admission such asaccommodation, registration, fees andtheir payment are dealt with centrally

by the University and the prospectushas further information. They sendyou an accommodation pack andbooking form in March of your year ofentry although final allocations are notmade until August. You receive aregistration pack shortly before yourfirst week and this confirmsarrangements for your entry onto thecourse, including medical provision,how to pay fees, registration forcomputing facilities and library cards,as well as details of ‘Intro Week’, aninduction period which takes placeimmediately before the first semesterstarts. If you are an overseas student,you can arrive before Intro Week foran Orientation Programme to help youcope with the transition to life here,and you can also take English classesto improve your language ability.

Admissionprocess


To enter the University you needEnglish and Mathematics GCSE atgrade C minimum, or equivalentqualifications. Additionally, we setentry standards to ensure that you areable to cope with the demands of thecourse. If you are taking A Levels, weask for good results in at least two of Maths, Physics and Chemistry, and a B at GCSE level in the third (DualScience award is acceptable); theMaths qualification should includepure and mechanical elements. If youare taking A Level Design andTechnology, we also encourage you toapply. The Aerospace Materialscourses require A Level Mathematicsand one of either Physics or Chemistry.

Entry requirements are:

If you are unsure about theacceptability of your particularqualification please contact us forfurther details.

We read your personal statement andthe reference to assess your motivationand to learn more about you; youshould receive an offer unless our entrygrades seem beyond your reach. If youchoose Sheffield and meet the offeryour place is assured; if not we considerall aspects of your performance andyour potential to benefit from ourcourse. Although exam qualifications areimportant, they are not the onlyestimate of potential and students withresults just below the offer are notnecessarily excluded. Students withother backgrounds are welcome toapply and are considered on merit.Again we look for competance in atleast two of Maths, Physics andChemistry.

We also consider direct second yearentry if you have good overseasqualifications and your previouscourse overlaps sufficiently with ourfirst year. If you are well qualified buthave not studied appropriate scienceswe can offer a Foundation Year. Pleasecontact us if you are unsure aboutyour position in either case.

A qualification in Key Skills is not arequirement for entry to our courses.However, we encourage you tohighlight such skills in your application.

The improved fatigue characteristics of composite materials have allowedmajor developments in helicopter blade shapes.

Entry requirements

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Qualification Typical Entry Requirement (Course UCAS Code)GCE A Levels AAB (JH5C)

ABB (J500, H403, J200, J5R9, FH21, JH5P)

BBB (JH5D)

BBC (JH51, H401, FHF1, J501, JH56),

Scottish Highers AAAB-BBBB + AA-BC in Advanced Highers

Irish Leaving Certificate AABBB-ABBBB

BTEC Level N DDM in a relevant subject area including at least aMerit in Further Mathematics

International Baccalaureate 30-35 points


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Contact:Mrs Louise MasonUndergraduate Admissions SecretaryTel: +44 (0) 114 222 5467Email: [email protected]/materials

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy ofthe information given in this publication. However, theUniversity reserves the right to make changes.


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