Information for new Materials Science undergraduate students

Congratulations on securing your place at The University of Manchester! We are very much looking forward to welcoming you to the Department. Here you will find all the information you need to get started at the University, including all of the available events happening over Welcome.

All these sessions are mandatory and will take place online.

Week 1 - week commencing 21 September

Your induction session was on Monday 21 September, but don't worry if you missed it - all sessions are being recorded so you can watch it back at your convenience in your programme's Blackboard area.

The rest of the University sessions this week are available to book on the What's on page.

Week 2 - week commencing 28 September

During this week there will be several events that you will need to attend as a new undergraduate student.

  • Welcome to Materials Science and Engineering
  • Diagnostic Exercise will take place on the Blackboard unit MATHS19731.

This year we will offer lab-based and small group teaching on campus for our Year 1 students wherever safely possible. We are enhancing our teaching with a best practice, blended approach which is specifically designed to accommodate different learning styles. We are also developing a new timetable to optimise your learning and ensure a safe campus experience.

We will be using Blackboard as our web-based virtual learning system, supported by Microsoft Teams and Zoom for face-to-face online teaching. Our academics are preparing lecture content in a variety of formats such as videos, podcasts, and presentations so that you can access teaching content in a way that suits you. We know your interactions with our academics and other students on your course form an incredibly important component of your learning, so we will use a variety of tools, including discussion boards, interactive online sessions with academics and fellow students, as well as tutorial sessions to support this.

We will monitor your progress regularly using online tests and quizzes. However, as our courses are accredited, we will need to assess at least some of your learning formally using different examination methods. You will also have contact with your academic advisor who can help guide your learning, as well as being your first point of contact for any questions or concerns you may have.

Recommended reading

Materials Science and Engineering - An Introduction

  • Authors: W.D. Callister, D.G. Rethwisch
  • Publisher: Wiley, 2018
  • Used in: Materials Science and Engineering

Atkins’ Physical Chemistry, 11th Edition

  • Authors: Peter Atkins, Julio de Paula and James Keeler
  • Used in: Materials Science and Engineering

Engineering Materials 1 - An Introduction to Properties, Applications and Design

  • Authors: Michael Ashby, David R.H Jones
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • Used in: Materials Science and Engineering

Materials: Engineering, Science, Processing and Design, 4th Edition

  • Authors: Michael Ashby, Hugh SHercliff and Devid Cebon
  • Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
  • Used in: Materials Science and Engineering
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  • Meet your Year Manager and overview of 1st Year
  • Chemistry and Physics Diagnostic Sessions
  • Introduction to Peer Assisted Study Scheme
  • Introduction to Academic Advisor/Personal Tutor Sessions

In addition, there will be Free to watch Useful Videos in the VCR on Blackboard

Personal timetable of events

Once you have activated your account and confirmed your attendance you will be able to gain access to the University Student Portal ‘My Manchester’ where you will be able to access a personal timetable that will include all the events that you will need to attend for your programme during the welcome and induction period. There will also be further information available to you in your Departmental Blackboard Area.

Getting started with your studies

You can also get ahead with some of your recommended reading (we know this isn't a fun way to start the term, but it is important).