Knowledge and understanding
On completion of a Bachelor of Engineering in materials engineering, the student is expected to have acquired a basic knowledge and understanding of:
* the relevant sciences and scientific methods;
* the structure of materials and the dependence of the structure on prior processes and treatment;
* engineering properties of materials and their relationship to structure;
* ethical standards and legal responsibilities.
Professional skills
The student is expected to have developed professional skills sufficient to:
* advise on the analysis, use and development of engineering materials;
* communicate and work effectively with others as part of an engineering team.
Attitudes and behaviour
The student is expected to have developed appropriate attitudes and behaviour towards:
* self education and continuing education;
* critical evaluation of knowledge and practice;
* relationships with co-workers
* the application of ethical codes of practice.
Course of studies
The dominant role which materials have played throughout history is evidenced by the designation of eras such as the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. Until recently materials were often developed by empirical methods and many of the materials in use today originated more by chance than by design. The situation is now undergoing a rapid change and it has been claimed that the investigation of the behaviour of materials, in some form or other, now attracts the attention of more scientists and engineers than any other field of work. The principal force in this change has been the accelerating demand which modern economies and an expanding technology are placing upon the properties of materials. Good examples of the way in which development of new materials has led to spectacular growth are the plastics and electronics industries.
In the future, materials will continue to play a dominant role in developments both in technology and in society itself. This arises because of the critical importance of energy on the one hand and the need to conserve materials on the other. The fact that most methods of producing energy economically are materials-limited will mean that increasing attention must be given to developing new materials with improved properties. So far as conservation is concerned, more emphasis must be given to materials selection, corrosion and protection, as well as to the expanding field of recycling of materials.
Materials engineering is concerned with the extraction, manufacture, fabrication, and economic utilisation of materials for use in a wide range of technologies. Materials engineering enhances traditional fields such as metallurgy, corrosion engineering, ceramic engineering, and polymer (plastics and rubber) technology. The work of the materials engineer follows on from that of the mining engineer and chemical engineer with respect to the utilisation of metals, ceramics, and polymers. Since materials are of basic importance in all other branches of engineering, materials engineers are required to collaborate with engineers in other disciplines. They may also be involved with chemists, physicists, and economists. Their general awareness of the broad spectrum of engineering often leads to managerial responsibilities.
A materials engineer may become involved in the investigation of the structure of a material by techniques such as electron microscopy or X-ray diffraction, the development and evaluation of new materials for new processes or applications, the investigation of methods for shaping and fabrication, or materials selection and evaluation of service performance. Trained materials engineers participate in all stages of development of a new product or process, from the original basic research in the laboratory, through the development, pilot plant or prototype stages to full-scale production. It is for this reason that the subject is equally attractive to both men and women.
Level one and some of the level-two subjects of the materials engineering course are common to all engineering students and seek to give the materials engineer the basic training in science and engineering necessary for further work in this subject. At level two (third and fourth semesters), students are also introduced to fundamental aspects of the structure of materials and its relationship to engineering properties. The course subjects in the fifth to eighth semesters involve materials science and materials engineering in which a wide treatment is given to the properties of metals, plastics, rubber and ceramics. Mathematics is taught during the first four semesters of the course. In the final two semesters, special attention is given to topics such as materials design and selection, optimisation of properties, mechanical behaviour including shaping and fabrication, and the performance of materials in service. Practical work forms an essential part of most subjects and a substantial research project in a field of materials (metals, plastics, rubber or ceramics) of their own choosing is carried out by students in their final two semesters.