The Computational Materials Science master’s programme prepares you for a career at the cutting edge of materials development. This is an area where computer simulations and algorithms play a critical and expanding role. New and improved materials will form the basis for new technologies. Through this programme, you can contribute to overcoming the many daunting challenges in regards to materials that industry and the greater society face.
This programme will provide you with a robust background in computational materials science. It will also give you the tools you need to begin or advance your career, either in industry or in academic research.
The programme features a mix of content in materials science and computation, and includes both foundational courses and those covering advanced applications. The latter includes scientific programming and implementation of various models with Python and Matlab, electronic and atomistic modeling with professional tools like QuantumEspresso and LAMMPS, and component- and micro-scale finite element modelling using professional engineering packages. Other courses provide you with surveys of important concepts and applications in modern materials science, as well as an introduction to the advanced X-ray and neutron techniques used for materials research at the state-of-the-art facilities MAX IV and ESS, located in nearby Lund. The 2-year programme concludes with a 30-credit thesis on a topic of interest to the student.
The development, reliable production and application of high-performance materials is key to competition for companies operating in many sectors, from energy and transportation to consumer electronics and food packaging. Rapidly expanding computer power and new algorithms mean that companies can increasingly replace relatively slow and expensive experimental materials development with computer simulations. This allows companies to speed up their R&D, reduce its cost and improve product reliability. Companies need engineers with skills in both computational methods and materials science. Our program develops these skills and teaches you how to connect them to solve real materials problems.
Malmö University has close connections with a number of Swedish companies. Students interested in moving directly to industry are encouraged to carry out thesis projects in collaboration with one of these companies, or to seek out new opportunities in line with their interests at others. In this way, they will expand their professional networks and gain experience working in the private sector environment while demonstrating and further developing their technical skills.
New materials promise to transform tomorrow’s technology. However, to enable the leap from the laboratory to the marketplace, a robust understanding of these materials’ properties and performance is required. Labs around the world labs are intensively engaged in advanced materials research. Among other things, this research aims to develop the high-performance structural materials that might facilitate expanded space travel or faster and more climate-friendly transportation. Improved battery and solar materials could help us shift toward green energy. Better electronic materials may lead to more powerful, efficient, and secure computer systems, etc. The programme provides the technical skills and materials science foundation to contribute to this research, as well as the scientific and communication skills required for entry to a doctoral program, including Malmö University’s PhD in Applied Physics.
The programme courses are taught by Malmö University researchers. They are engaged in a variety of exciting projects in which master's students have the opportunity to participate. Malmö University is also located at the centre of an extensive and vibrant research community, with large universities in nearby Copenhagen, Lyngby and Lund, as well as the state-of-the-art X-ray facilities MAX IV and the ESS. Guest lectures are held regularly, as are visits to the research facilities. Thesis projects are available with Malmö University researchers or with researchers at any of the neighbouring institutions.
Here you can find the entry requirements, as well as how the available study places are distributed between applicants in the selection.
If you have any questions about general admission, you are welcome to contact us.
1\. Bachelor or Engineering degree in mechanical engineering, materials engineering, chemistry, physics or a degree in a related field. All degrees must be equivalent to at least 180 higher education credits.
2\. At least 22.5 credits in mathematics.
3\. The equivalent of in Swedish secondary school English 6 or equivalent.
100% University credits completed
Lindsay Richard Merte, associate professor in physics and former programme coordinator, explains how the master's programme prepares students to work in industry and academia.
Lindsay Richard Merte, associate professor in physics and former programme coordinator, explains how the master's programme prepares students to work in industry and academia.
Materials science brings together different fields of science and engineering to try to understand the properties of materials and how we can use them for making things. This is important because most of the limits that engineers face when designing products or systems boil down to materials properties. The cost of solar energy, the fuel efficiency of cars and airplanes, the battery life of a mobile phone, are all limited by the materials we have available. Make better materials and you enable better technologies.
Yes, the program provides technical skills that are applicable to a broad range of problems and are attractive for companies in a variety of sectors. You will learn to work with professional simulation tools that are widely used for material modelling and mechanical engineering. You will also learn to build your own models to go beyond what is possible with existing software. Your ability to construct numerical models to solve real problems will serve you well throughout your career.
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field, and in the programme we want to bring together students with different backgrounds in engineering and physical science. You should have a bachelor-level degree in a relevant field. Aside from this general requirement, you need a solid foundation in mathematics. We recommend that you have taken at least basic courses that cover classical mechanics and the structure and properties of solids.
No, we do not assume you are a programming expert and we introduce scientific programming from the beginning. It will make things a bit easier if you have some experience, but the most important thing is that you enjoy working with the computer because you will do it a lot!
