Program Requirements

The Master of Science in Materials Science requires completion of 96 units, of which:

A minimum of 24 units must come from completion of 8000-level courses.

The 96 units must include:

24 units from completion of courses from the following list of introductory courses:

CHEM6202 Advanced Materials (6 units)

CHEM6203 Chemical Structure and Reactivity 2 (6 units)

CHEM6210 Structure Elucidation in Chemistry (6 units)

CHEM6213 Materials Chemistry (6 units)

CHEM6323 Organometallic Chemistry (6 units)

CHEM8034 Introduction to Laboratory Work in Chemistry (6 units)

12 units from completion of Science and Society Courses from the following list:

ENVS6013 Society and Environmental Change (6 units)

SCOM6007 Science Communication Project Delivery and Design (6 units)

SCOM6012 Science Communication and the Web (6 units)

SCOM6015 Speaking of Science (6 units)

SCOM6016 Science in the Media (6 units)

SCOM6027 Science Politics (6 units)

SCOM6029 Cross Cultural Perspectives in Science Communication (6 units)

SCOM6030 Science Dialogue Theory & Practice (6 units)

SCOM6031 Science, Risk and Ethics (6 units)

SCOM6032 Making Modern Science (6 units)

SCOM6501 Strategies in Science Communication (6 units)

SCOM8014 Communicating Science with the Public (6 units)

SCNC8000 Science Internship (6 units)

 And either:

24 units from completion of the following list of Chemistry courses

CHEM6313 NMR Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry of Small and Large Molecules (6 units)

CHEM6206 Catalysis in Chemistry (6 units)

CHEM6208 Molecular Modelling and Computational Chemistry (6 units)

CHEM8030 Modern Materials Characterisation (6 units)

CHEM8031 Advanced Materials Manufacturing (6 units)

CHEM8032 Modern Materials Applications (6 units)

PHYS6204 Soft Condensed Matter: Understanding squishy materials from food to biology (6 units)

OR

24 units from completion of the following list of Physics courses

PHYS6013 Quantum Mechanics (6 units)

PHYS6020 Thermal and Statistical Physics (6 units)

PHYS6204 Soft Condensed Matter: Understanding squishy materials from food to biology (6 units)

PHYS6032 Solid State Physics (6 units)

PHYS8017 Optoelectronics and Integrated Optics (6 units)

12 units from completion of the following integrative course:

CHEM8033 - Research Project in Materials Science (12 units, which can be taken once in one semester or twice over two consecutive semesters)

24 units from elective courses offered by ANU

Capstone Courses

Study Options

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements

At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry. 

Applicants must present a Bachelor degree or international equivalent

•  with a grade point average of at least 5.0/7.0
•  with at least 8 courses in a cognate discipline with minimum grade point average of 5.0/7.0 in these subjects.
• with the equivalent of an ANU minor in Chemistry and a minimum of 2 courses of undergraduate Maths and a minimum of 2 courses of undergraduate Physics

In line with the university's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors. 

Cognate Disciplines

Chemistry, Physics, Chemical Engineering and Materials Engineering 

In line with the university's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors. 

Academic achievement & English language proficiency

The minimum academic requirement for full entry and enrolment is a Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0. 

However, applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes. 

If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of: 

• a GPA ('GPA2') calculated on the penultimate and antepenultimate semesters (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes; and/or

• demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency. 

Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met.

Diversity factors

As Australia’s national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe.

Assessment of qualifications

Unless otherwise indicated, ANU will accept all Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications or international equivalents that meet or exceed the published admission requirements of our programs, provided all other admission requirements are also met.

 Where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will base assessment on the qualification that best meets the admission requirements for the program. Find out more about the Australian Qualifications Framework: www.aqf.edu.au

ANU uses a 7-point Grade Point Average (GPA) scale. All qualifications submitted for admission at ANU will be converted to this common scale, which will determine if an applicant meets our published admission requirements. Find out more about how a 7-point GPA is calculated for Australian universities: www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/admission-criteria/tertiary-qualifications

Unless otherwise indicated, where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will calculate the GPA for each qualification separately. ANU will base assessment on the best GPA of all completed tertiary qualifications of the same level or higher.

Credit Granted

Applicants with a Bachelor Degree or Graduate Certificate in a cognate discipline may be eligible for 24 units (one semester) of credit. Applicants with a Graduate Diploma or Honours in a cognate discipline may be eligible for 48 units (one year) of credit.

Cognate Disciplines

Chemistry, Physics, Chemical Engineering and Materials Engineering

Fee Information

All students are required to pay the Services and amenities fee (SA Fee)

The annual indicative fee provides an estimate of the program tuition fees for international students and domestic students (where applicable). The annual indicative fee for a program is based on the standard full-time enrolment load of 48 units per year (unless the program duration is less than 48 units). Fees for courses vary by discipline meaning that the fees for a program can vary depending on the courses selected. Course fees are reviewed on an annual basis and typically will increase from year to year. The tuition fees payable are dependent on the year of commencement and the courses selected and are subject to increase during the period of study.

For further information on Fees and Payment please see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments

Scholarships

ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are.  Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

For further information see the Scholarships website.

Employment Opportunities

Drawing on world leading expertise from materials scientists across our chemistry, physics and engineering research schools, the Master of Science in Materials Science will provide you with the techniques and skills that are in high demand. It will prepare you for a bright future in industry, government or education across areas including green energy technologies, polymer technologies, biomedical engineering, materials engineering, and chemical engineering. 

Learning Outcomes

1. demonstrate high level knowledge in the area of materials science concepts;

2. apply their knowledge of materials science to new problems;

3. interpret, synthesize and critically analyse published literature of relevance to the materials science;

4. demonstrate theoretical and/or practical skills relevant to techniques and research methodology in materials science;

5. critically analyse data from interdisciplinary materials science technologies to reach independent conclusions;

6. demonstrate a critical understanding of science in society;

7. clearly communicate theory and results in both written and oral formats.

Inherent Requirements

Information on inherent requirements is currently not available for this program.

Further Information

• Students whose cognate discipline is not Chemistry, will need to have at least the equivalent of an ANU minor in Chemistry.
• Students interested in undertaking courses from the Physics course list will need to have completed Physics tertiary studies equivalent to a minor in Physics which should include tertiary knowledge of Mathematics to the minimum level of first year tertiary maths or equivalent.
• Students interested in applying for the Vertical Double Degree pathway via a Bachelor of Science should be aware of Chemistry course scheduling in the undergraduate degree.

Pathway to Masters (Advanced)

Students who are admitted to the Master of Science In Materials Science can explore the option of undertaking a significant research component. Please discuss this with the program convener before completion of the first 48 units of study at the Master level. Students have the option of applying to transfer to the Master of Science (Adv) in Materials Science and undertaking a 24 unit research project if they satisfy the following requirements:

• have completed compulsory courses in first 48 units of the Master of Science (Adv) in Materials Science,
• achieve a minimum 70% weighted average mark in the initial 48 units of coursework,
• have the approval of an identified supervisor, and
• meet the published admission requirements of the Master of Science (Adv) in Materials Science.

Vertical Double Degree pathway UGRD-PGRD

Students who are interested in pursuing a Vertical Double Degree pathway with this program, are advised to contact the College of Science Student Administration Office at science.enquiries@anu.edu.au and seek academic advice. Students who are already in an undergraduate degree offered by the College of Science or College of Health & Medicine should seek academic advice before completion of the first 72 units of their undergraduate studies.

This pathway is not available to students in an undergraduate Flexible Double Degree.

Exit pathways:

Students who have completed 48 units and wish to exit the program have the option of transferring to graduate from a Graduate Diploma of Science.

Students who have completed 24 units and wish to exit the program have the option of transferring to graduate from a Graduate Certificate of Science.

Course offered by the College of Science and College of Health and Medicine:

An indicative list of courses offered by the College of Science and the College of Health and Medicine can be found under current students page on the College website via this link.