Master of Technology Degree in Materials Technology and Engineering

Master of Technology Degree in Materials Technology and Engineering

Materials Science and Engineering is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering that involves the processing, synthesis, modification, selection, and application of engineering materials to meet the specific needs of society. The field is concerned with the design, manufacture, and use of all classes of materials (including metals, ceramics, composites, semiconductors, polymers, and biomaterials), and with energy, environmental, health, economic, and manufacturing issues relating to materials. Almost everything we use is made of materials and only a handful of these materials occur naturally. The rest have been microscopically engineered originally by nature, but increasingly by materials engineers or technologists. The knowledge of materials testing and characterisation allows the designer not only to make the best material selection as a function of its application in a given product, but also to overcome its limits and constraints in a design path where materials and transformation technologies became variables of the creation process. Zimbabwe has abundant mineral resources that must be converted into useful end products to ensure maximum benefit. Hence, it is necessary to introduce the Master of Technology (M. Tech) Degree in Materials Technology and Engineering aimed at developing professionals who are grounded in the scientific principles governing the processing, synthesis, modification, selection, and application of engineering materials. To provide a practical-oriented education in Materials Technology and Engineering preparing graduates to be productive innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs relevant to the Zimbabwean industry, the region and international.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Graduates from the MTech in Materials Technology and Engineering programme should to:

• Be able to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering principles to identify and solve complex materials engineering problems;
• Demonstrate competence in using logical arguments to design and conduct experiments to solve complex materials engineering problems at reasonable cost;
• Demonstrate ability to effectively communicate materials engineering phenomena and processes, in writing through research papers, to engineering and other communities;
• Be able to utilize a range of hardware and software systems to model, design and implement materials engineering processes sustainably and profitably;
• Demonstrate awareness of the impact of materials engineering processes on society, economy and the environment enabling sustainable extraction of ores converting them into useful products.

Program Structure