This degree apprenticeship will give you the understanding of materials engineering across numerous sectors, such as automotive, aerospace, healthcare, defence and energy, to progress as a materials science technologist.

How does the degree apprenticeship work?

You study a university course alongside 30+ hours of employment a week – so you'll need a relevant job role before you apply. The combination of the course and the job has to meet a national ‘apprenticeship standard’ – in this case the Materials Science Technologist apprenticeship, so you get to study for a recognised qualification, while earning a salary and having no student fees to pay.

Our next start date for this course will be in October 2023

The course normally takes 3.5 years part-time.

1. Course summary

• You will learn the underlying principles of materials engineering and provides the skills to develop new materials such as body armour for defence, materials for engine parts, battery design, dental work, bone replacement and prosthetics.
• Highly qualified staff will support your study including many who have gone through the same journey as you and/or have in-depth industrial experience and who can relate academic theory to real-world practice. 
• You'll study in an environment that hosts state-of-the-art lab and teaching facilities with leading edge technology.

This course gives you the practical skills to start an career as a materials science technologist with an apprenticeship. Working and studying part-time means you bring practical knowledge gained in the workplace into the classroom and laboratory. You'll experience equipment, processes, different job roles and typical problems in the workplace which gives context and relevance to academic theory. You'll be supported by their individual academic supervisor and work based learning coach as well as a workplace mentor.

2. How you learn

Materials science technologists are at the forefront of materials innovation across numerous sectors including automotive, aerospace, healthcare, defence and energy. They support activities ranging from novel product development, performance testing and quality control, failure diagnosis, and production process design. You will learn the underlying principles of materials engineering and provides the skills to develop new materials such as body armour for defence, materials for engine parts, battery design, dental work, bone replacement and prosthetics.

You will develop of a portfolio of work to carry you through apprenticeships end point assessment. All degree apprenticeships require an end point assessment which could be an integrated part of the course or delivered as a standalone element. For more information please refer to this page.

You learn through

• part-time study at the University
• workplace learning
• coursework
• portfolio work
• end point assessment

3. Where you'll study

You'll study at our City Campus, in modern teaching labs with cutting edge physical equipment and software applications which you will use during the course of your study.