Materials engineers make new materials and improve existing materials by making them more functional, sustainable and affordable.
Materials – metals, alloys, ceramics, polymers and composites – give manufactured products their functional and aesthetic qualities.
Materials engineers improve the way we do things. They apply their knowledge of the behaviour of materials to improve both the processing and the properties of a particular product.
You'll work across a broad range of industries on everything from your phone screen and running shoes to aircraft wings and artificial skin, and help to improve the performance of machines and structures.
Depending on your specialisation, career paths can include design, operation, management, research and consulting in the automobile, whitegoods, steel, aluminium and polymer industries.
Graduate in demand – UQ is the only university in Queensland to offer this highly specialised major.
Specialisations
To study this major, you'll have to choose an engineering specialisation first. The materials engineering major is available in the following specialisations:
Chemical engineers with a major in materials engineering develop strategies for effective reuse and recycling of products as we work towards a circular economy. You will learn how to design, select, and process materials to make valuable products.
Your studies will explore a wide range of applications, from biomaterials and nanomaterials to 3D printing at scale.
Materials engineers with a major in materials engineering assess mechanical processes and find ways to make them more efficient, safer, and deliver better quality. This means they directly affect almost every major mechanical industry in the world, from water supply and oil and gas through to pharmaceuticals and food manufacturing.
You will learn how to select, process and develop materials to design and make products, explore the impacts of temperature during processing, as well as the relationships between microstructures, mechanical properties, manufacturing and service performance.
Mechanical and materials engineers are employed by private companies such as AlumniTech, TechExpo and Integra LifeSciences Corp.
Career possibilities
Our programs prepare you for your first job and beyond. Here are some of the careers you could be on your way to:
- Materials engineer
- Materials and processing engineer
- Laboratory supervisor
- Chemical engineer
- Metallurgist
- Materials scientist
- Mechanical engineer
Average annual salary range
Materials Engineer
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During my first year design course I was required to build a glider that could propel over a long distance. I was quick to realise the importance of both creating a dynamically stable design and material selection. It was there and then I knew that Mechanical and Materials Engineering was the best choice for me.
I have always been fascinated by how materials are made and what makes them so good at what they do, so the decision to do a Materials major came naturally.
I chose to study chemical and materials engineering because it gives me the ability to create change in large-scale processing operations to better the environment and the lives of people.
My family and I were super excited to apply to study at UQ. As part of the Group of Eight Australia, Chemical Engineering at UQ has a good global ranking.
During my first year design course I was required to build a glider that could propel over a long distance. I was quick to realise the importance of both creating a dynamically stable design and material selection. It was there and then I knew that Mechanical and Materials Engineering was the best choice for me.
I have always been fascinated by how materials are made and what makes them so good at what they do, so the decision to do a Materials major came naturally.
I chose to study chemical and materials engineering because it gives me the ability to create change in large-scale processing operations to better the environment and the lives of people.
My family and I were super excited to apply to study at UQ. As part of the Group of Eight Australia, Chemical Engineering at UQ has a good global ranking.
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Stories
See all storiesUQ people
Studying overseas: a UQ engineering student experience
UQ people
Fighting fire with science: New tech to protect firefighters
How you'll learn
Your learning experiences are designed to best suit the learning outcomes of the courses you choose.
- Lectures
- Tutorials
- Work placements
- Overseas study
- Laboratory work
- Fieldwork
- Workshops
What you'll study
At UQ, subjects are called 'courses'. Here's a sample of the courses you could study:
- Statics and Materials
- Structures and Materials
- Biomaterials: Materials in Medicine
- Nanomaterials
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