A variety of teaching methods
The teaching methods used in the master’s degree programme in chemical and materials engineering are consistent with those used in the bachelor’s degree programme in engineering sciences: active learning, a balanced mix of team work and individual work, and the development of transversal skills.
Many courses in the master’s program place significant emphasis on individual or group projects. A notable feature of the program is the immersion of students in research laboratories of the program’s faculty (through didactic laboratories, case studies, projects, and thesis work). This exposure allows students to become familiar with cutting-edge methods in the relevant disciplines and to learn through the inherent questioning involved in research.
An optional 10 credit internship, lasting at least 9 weeks in a research centre or company, complements these aspects by allowing motivated students to engage with the professional world.
Diverse learning situations
Students will be exposed to various teaching methods: lectures, project, exercise sessions, problem solving sessions, case studies, experimental laboratories, computer simulations, tutorials, industrial or research internships, factory visits, end-of-study trips, group work, individual assignments, seminars with external scientific conferences, etc. This variety helps students build their knowledge iteratively and progressively while developing autonomy, organisational skills, time management, and communication abilities in various modes.
Modes promoting interdisciplinarity
The Master’s degree in Civil Engineering with a specialisation in Chemistry and Materials Science is inherently interdisciplinary, as it sits at the interface between chemistry and physics. It consists of a multi-purpose broad foundational core (specialised track) designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of the main practical areas of applied physics and chemistry, practical and cutting-edge research training (projects, internships and thesis) and several options in key areas of chemistry and materials technology: polymers and macromolecules, inorganic materials and processes, mechanical materials, chemical and environmental engineering, nanotechnology and biomaterials.
An introduction to management is offered through (mutually exclusive) options in management and the creation of small and medium-sized enterprises. The programme includes a significant number of courses borrowed from within the EPL (LMECA, LELEC, LINMA, LGBIO courses in particular) and from outside (LCHIM, LBIRC, LBIOL courses in particular), reflecting its commitment to transdisciplinary openness.
Lastly, the programme allows students to choose up to 40 credits in UCLouvain and up to 6 credits from human sciences courses, enabling them to tailor their programme to their personal plan.
All courses managed by the ‘Civil Engineering in Chemistry and Materials’ diploma committee (LMAPR2xxx codes) are taught in English, with support and assistance for French-speaking students to maximise their exposure to the international environment. The master’s programme also offers accepted students in the ‘Functional Advanced Materials & Engineering’ programme, which is Erasmus Mundus labelled, the opportunity to obtain a double degree taught entirely in English. This starts with a general training year either at the National Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble (France) or the University of Augsburg (Germany); the second year allows specialisation in a cutting-edge field of materials science at one of the 7 partner universities.
UCLouvain also offers a specialisation in materials engineering and nanostructures. Upon completing the programme, students obtain a double master’s degree.