Imperial College London
South Kensington, London, UK
Full-time Study
Description
Are you a STEM graduate or professional who would like to develop the skills needed to work at the exciting interface of science and engineering? The challenges faced by society and industry need researchers who can work across disciplines to develop solutions. Rapid innovation in both industry and universities now relies on a combination of engineering excellence with molecular-level science.
This cross-disciplinary, collaborative Master’s in Research (MRes) programme fuses taught science and engineering modules with a six-month research project that includes a sponsored industrial placement. You will be taught by twenty-five world-class researchers from across seven departments at Imperial. Modules cover designing, making, measuring, multi-scale modelling and manufacturing of molecular systems. Your bespoke research project will be supervised by two academics from different departments, in collaboration with one of our industrial partners. A tailored programme of professional skills development ensures that you are well-prepared for the next step of your career, in industry or towards a PhD.
The research projects are themed around “industrial innovation”, “improving health and wellbeing” and “sustainable technologies”. Examples of recent topics include corrosion, ionic liquids, conducting polymers, phase equilibrium modelling, CO2 capture, flow chemistry, crystal structure prediction, miniature sensors, antimicrobial surfaces, air purification, bioreactors, and robotic isolation of cancer cells. Projects may be lab-based, modelling/simulation, or a combination.
Full details of this one-year, full-time Master’s, including course structure, teaching and assessment, are available on the Molecular Engineering MRes webpages.
Why Molecular Engineering?
This emerging discipline uses modelling, design and characterisation at the molecular level to engineer better systems and processes through a convergent science approach. By blurring the boundaries between scientific and engineering disciplines, final function and end-use requirements become an integral part of the underlying scientific research.
Rapid progress in our understanding of molecular science now allows us to make, measure and model materials with unprecedented accuracy. We can design and engineer better materials, molecules and systems to address the grand challenges faced by society – including in energy, healthcare, sustainable industrial processes, and the environment. The Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering at Imperial brings together world-leading researchers in science, engineering, medicine and business to address grand challenges.
This programme will provide you with the with fundamental and applied skills for a multi-disciplinary PhD or career in industry. You will also be well-placed to pursue other STEM-related opportunities. For example, in policy, science communication, consultancy, and technology translation.
Entrance requirements
The minimum academic requirement for the course is a 2.1 degree (or equivalent – we accept a wide variety of international qualifications) in an engineering or physical sciences subject, that includes a grounding in mathematics. There is also a minimum English language proficiency. More details on the programme prospectus.
The focus of this course is the interaction between molecular science and engineering. Applicants are expected to have a degree in an engineering subject (e.g. Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering) or physical science degree (e.g. Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science) or life sciences degree (if it includes a suitable introduction to chemistry and maths). If you are unsure whether you have appropriate qualifications, please get in touch via imse@imperial.ac.uk.
The student cohort typically comprises graduates from chemical engineering or chemistry degrees, as well as students with backgrounds in materials science and engineering, physics, bioengineering and other STEM subjects. The course will also appeal to those with post-degree experience who are looking to broaden their field of expertise.
Tuition Fees and Scholarships
See the programme prospectus for details of tuition fees. The Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering has two scholarships available for this course, both for academic excellence and to increase equality, diversity and inclusion. Both scholarships provide £10,000 towards tuition fees. Imperial’s scholarships search tool allows you to search for all available scholarships in one place. We are committed to reducing barriers to studying at Imperial and encourage you to contact us via imse@imperial.ac.uk before submitting your application.
If you are a Home student, you can apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government of up to £11,570. The loan is not means-tested, and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
More information:
- Molecular Engineering MRes scholarships
- Imperial College London scholarships search tool
- Information on tuition fees
- Postgraduate Master’s Loan
How To Apply
Please apply by completing and submitting the online Imperial College London postgraduate application form – more details here. The course you should select when completing the online application is under “Department of Chemical Engineering”; the course name is “H803 – MRes in Molecular Engineering”. Read our tips for a strong application.
All postgraduate Masters applications must be submitted online – click here to apply.
Contacts
Please use the links above to find out more about the course. We welcome informal enquiries; please contact imse@imperial.ac.uk.