Location:

Leuven, Belgium

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Academic Year

Program Overview

Program Description:

Materials are at the heart of our quality of life and economic welfare and this will continue to be the case in the foreseeable future, especially considering the need to build a sustainable world and to use our resources intelligently. Materials engineers invent, design, make and use materials for products, processes and services. They carry out these activities based on an in-depth understanding of (the intricate links between) materials processing, the structure of materials and materials properties. The programme offers three options: - Metals and Ceramics - Polymers and Composites - Materials for Nanotechnology The programme is composed of a set of core courses covering the fundamentals and principles of materials science and engineering in combination with more specialised option-specific courses and a number of electives. This is a two-year, initial Master's programme and can be followed on a full-time or part-time basis.

The programme prepares students to become academic engineers with the acquired knowledge to understand and engineer the complex relations between production, structure, properties, and applications of materials. In this way they can assume a prominent role in the development, production, design and application of traditional as well as advanced materials. Aspects of safety and environment of the production and use of materials are also taken into consideration. At the end of the programme, it is expected that the student has fundamental scientific knowledge in the field of physics, chemistry and mathematics and is able to translate this knowledge into useful applications. The student will also have a prominent knowledge of design methodologies and skills. The student will have developed a strong analytical and problem solving attitude and will be equipped to conduct fundamental as well as applied scientific research. The student will be capable of transferring technological knowledge aided by his/her communication capacities and supported with insights in ethical, social and economic problems. The student can easily acquire new insights, methodologies and results within his own discipline and apply these in a research or industrial environment. Finally the student will be able to assume the role of the engineer in society in a critical way and will have developed an overall quality reflex.

The Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering (MTM) is involved in several strategic fields of materials research and development: advanced alloys and production processes, ceramics, nanomaterials, high-temperature processing of liquid metals, intermetallics, polymers and composites, computational thermodynamics, deformation processing, materials performance and degradation, non-destructive testing, surface engineering, biomaterials and nanomaterials. A healthy mix of people working both in experimental and computational materials science makes MTM a very dynamic place. There are currently about 60 PhD students and 20 post-doctoral fellows on staff, the majority of which are international. The department operates as one unit with one departmental manager and a high-level infrastructure. MTM is also the driving force behind the Leuven Materials Research Centre (Leuven MRC).

Setting Description:

Situated in the heart of Western Europe, KU Leuven (University of Leuven) has been a centre of learning for nearly six centuries. Today, it is Belgium's largest and highest-ranked university and, founded in 1425, one of the oldest and most renowned universities in Europe. As a leading European research university and co-founder of the League of European Research Universities (LERU), KU Leuven offers a wide variety of programmes in English, all supported by high-quality, innovative, interdisciplinary research. KU Leuven is home to a vibrant community of international scholars spread out over its various campuses. 14% of the university’s 54,000 students are international representing 140 countries. KU Leuven's three doctoral schools provide internationally oriented PhD tracks for more than 4,000 doctoral students. Boasting an outstanding central location, KU Leuven offers a truly international experience, high-quality education, world-class research and cutting-edge innovation.

Cost:

6000 EUR (An increased fee is not applicable for students who come from countries belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA))