Specialisation
Specialisations
MSE currently offers seven niche specialisations under the Materials Science and Engineering programme. These specialisations allow students to pursue greater depth in a chosen area and add value to their degrees. The specialisation will be reflected on the academic transcript, which would immensely assist students in their job search/career as well as in their higher studies.
Specialisation Criteria
In order to obtain a specialisation, students have to meet the following criteria:
- Complete minimum 15 AU courses from a particular specialisation area.
- Each specialisation area comprises 2 Core+ courses and at least 3 Elective courses.
- A course cannot be counted towards more than one specialisation.
- Courses counted towards a specialisation cannot be S/U or on FGO.
- Students who do not wish to obtain a specialisation may still choose courses of their interest from different specialisation areas.
+ Includes GER-Core, Common Core and Foundational Core
Specialisation Area 1: Medical Materials
Specialisation Area 1: Medical Materials Starting from AY2024-25, MS4013 Biomaterials has been revised to 2 AU. Students who take the 2 AU version of MS4013 must complete 4 elective courses (MPE/UE/BDE) to meet the specialisation requirement of a minimum of 15 AU. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Courses | Type | AU | Offered in Semester |
MS2013 Introduction to Polymer Science | Core | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4013: Biomaterials | Core | 2 | Semester 1 |
| MS4610: Advanced Biomaterials | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 1 |
| MS4611: Biomedical Devices | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4612: Drug Delivery & Tissue Engineering | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4613: Wearable Sensors in Healthcare# | Major PE | 3 | Semester 1 |
| MS4620 Polymer Technology | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Will be offered in due course following a planned revamp |
| MS4701 Special Topics in Medical Materials 1 | MPE/UE/BDE | 1 | Not offered in NTU and to be matched with partner university courses during the exchange |
| MS4711 Special Topics in Medical Materials 2 | MPE/UE/BDE | 2 | |
| MS4721 Special Topics in Medical Materials 3 | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | |
Specialisation Area 2: Industrial Materials Engineering
Specialisation Area 2: Industrial Materials Engineering For students with double specialisations (specialisation areas 2 & 3), the Core course will be MS2015 Mechanical Behaviour of Materials for specialisation area 2 and MS3014 Analysis of Materials for specialisation area 3. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Courses | Type | AU | Offered in Semester |
| MS2012 Introduction to Manufacturing Processes | Core | 3 | Semester 1 |
| MS3014 Analysis of Materials / MS2015 Mechanical Behaviour of Materials* | Core | 3 | Semester 1 & 2 |
| MS4601 Principles of Semiconductor Devices | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Currently not offered |
| MS4602: Fundamental of Semiconductor Devices | MPE/UE/BDE | 2 | Semester 2 |
| MS4603: Microelectronic Process Integration | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4620 Polymer Technology | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Will be offered in due course following a planned revamp |
| MS4621 Selected Topics on Applied Polymer Materials | MPE/UE/BDE | 2 | Semester 1 |
| MS4622: Composite Materials | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4630 Photovoltaics Devices and Energy Storage | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4631: Corrosion Engineering | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 1 |
| MS4642 Additive Manufacturing of Materials | MPE/UE/BDE | 1 | Semester 1 |
| MS4652: Failure Analysis | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4663: Engineering Solutions by Design Thinking | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 1 |
| MS4702 Special Topics in Industrial Materials Engineering 1 | MPE/UE/BDE | 1 | Not offered in NTU and to be matched with partner university courses during the exchange |
| MS4712 Special Topics in Industrial Materials Engineering 2 | MPE/UE/BDE | 2 | |
| MS4722 Special Topics in Industrial Materials Engineering 3 | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | |
Specialisation Area 3: Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Specialisation Area 3: Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Starting from AY2024-25, MS4014 Nanomaterials: Fundamentals & Applications has been revised to 2 AU. Students who take the 2 AU version of MS4014 must complete 4 elective courses (MPE/UE/BDE) to meet the specialisation requirement of a minimum of 15 AU. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Courses | Type | AU | Offered in Semester |
| MS3014: Analysis of Materials | Core | 3 | Semester 1 & 2 |
| MS4014: Nanomaterials: Fundamentals & applications | Core | 2 | Semester 2 |
| MS4613 Wearable Sensors in Healthcare | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 1 |
| MS4640: Advanced Analysis of Materials | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 1 |
| MS4650 Functional Nanostructured Materials | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4651: Thin Film Technology | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 1 |
| MS4703 Special Topics in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 1 | MPE/UE/BDE | 1 | Not offered in NTU and to be matched with partner university courses during the exchange |
| MS4713 Special Topics in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 2 | MPE/UE/BDE | 2 | |
| MS4723 Special Topics in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 3 | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | |
Specialisation Area 4: Innovation and Intellectual Property
Specialisation Area 4: Innovation and Intellectual Property As ET0001 is only 1 AU, pre-ICC students who take ET0001 (instead of ML0004) must take 4 elective courses (MPE/UE/BDE) to fulfil the specialisation requirement of a minimum of 15 AU. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Courses | Type | AU | Offered in Semester |
| MS3015: Industrial Design | Core | 4 | Semester 1 & 2 |
ET0001 Enterprise and Innovation (pre-ICC students) / ML0004 Career & Entrepreneurial Development for The Future World* (ICC students) | GER-Core / CC | 1/ 2 | Semester 1 & 2 |
| MS4660: Fundamentals of Intellectual Property in Materials Science and Engineering | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 1 |
| MS4661: Application of Patents & Registered Design in Engineering Related Industry | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4662: Appreciating IP in Research & Development | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4663: Engineering Solutions by Design Thinking | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 1 |
| MS4704 Special Topics in Innovation and Intellectual Property 1 | MPE/UE/BDE | 1 | Not offered in NTU and to be matched with partner university courses during the exchange |
| MS4714 Special Topics in Innovation and Intellectual Property 2 | MPE/UE/BDE | 2 | |
| MS4724 Special Topics in Innovation and Intellectual Property 3 | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | |
Specialisation Area 5: Materials and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
| Specialisation Area 5: Materials and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
Key Points to Note:
| |||
| Courses | Type | AU | Offered in Semester |
| MS1008: Introduction to Computational Thinking | Core | 3 | Semester 1 & 2 |
| MS0003: Introduction to Data Science and Artificial Intelligence | Core | 3 | Semester 2 |
| SC2002: Object Oriented Design & Programming (or equivalent) | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 1 & 2 |
| SC3061 Human Computer Interaction (or equivalent) | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 1 |
| SC1007: Data Structures & Algorithms (or equivalent) | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 1 & 2 |
| MS4671: Introduction to Materials Simulation | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4705 Special Topics in Materials and Artificial Intelligence (AI) 1 | MPE/UE/BDE | 1 | Not offered in NTU and to be matched with partner university courses during the exchange |
| MS4715 Special Topics in Materials and Artificial Intelligence (AI) 2 | MPE/UE/BDE | 2 | |
| MS4725 Special Topics in Materials and Artificial Intelligence (AI) 3 | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | |
Specialisation Area 6: Materials and Sustainability
| Specialisation Area 6: Materials and Sustainability | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Key Points to Note:
| |||
| Courses | Type | AU | Offered in Semester |
| CC0006 Sustainability: Society, Economy and Environment | CC | 3 | Semester 1 & 2 |
| MS3011: Metallic and Ceramic Materials | Core | 3 | Semester 1 & 2 |
| MS4630: Photovoltaic Devices and Energy Storage | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4664: Environmental Sustainability and Materials | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4665: Sustainable Development in Water, Agriculture and Aquaculture@ | MPE/UE/BDE | 2 | Semester 2 |
| MS4666: Environmental Degradation of Plastics | MPE/UE/BDE | 1 | Semester 1 |
| MS4667 Introduction to Sustainable Materials | MPE/UE/BDE | 2 | Semester 1 |
| EM5101: Environmental Quality | UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| EM5104: Air Quality Management | UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 1 |
| EM5109: Environmental Issues and Sustainability | UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4706 Special Topics in Materials and Sustainability 1 | MPE/UE/BDE | 1 | Not offered in NTU and to be matched with partner university courses during the exchange |
| MS4716 Special Topics in Materials and Sustainability 2 | MPE/UE/BDE | 2 | |
| MS4726 Special Topics in Materials and Sustainability 3 | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | |
Specialisation Area 7: Clean Energy
| Specialisation Area 7: Clean Energy | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Key Points to Note:
| |||
| Courses | Type | AU | Offered in Semester |
| CC0007 Science & Technology for Humanity | CC | 3 | Semester 1 & 2 |
| MS2018 Electronic & Magnetic Properties of Materials | Core | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4622 Composite Materials | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4630 Photovoltaic Devices and Energy Storage | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 2 |
| MS4681 Carbon Market | MPE/UE/BDE | 2 | Semester 1 |
| MS4682 Materials for Hydrogen Fuel | MPE/UE/BDE | 1 | Semester 1 |
| EN3006 Energy Resources Engineering | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | Semester 1 |
| MS4707 Special Topics in Clean Energy 1 | MPE/UE/BDE | 1 | Not offered in NTU and to be matched with partner university courses during the exchange |
| MS4717 Special Topics in Clean Energy 2 | MPE/UE/BDE | 2 | |
| MS4727 Special Topics in Clean Energy 3 | MPE/UE/BDE | 3 | |
FAQs:
1.I have completed some courses (Core/MPE) under a specialisation area during a study exchange programme (GEM Explorer/Fee-Paying/SUSEP). Can these courses be counted towards the specialisation?
Yes.
Courses that have been approved by the School to be matched to NTU-MSE course can be considered as a course fulfilling the specialisation although it is graded as P/F.
2. If I complete a course from another Engineering school in NTU that has similar content as the course that is offered under a specialisation, can it be counted towards that specialisation?
No. Only the courses listed in the 4 unique MSE Specialisation will be counted.
3.I do not intend to satisfy Specialisation Area 7: Clean Energy, should I match the course that I took during an exchange with MS4707/17/27? I could not find any similar courses at NTU, so I am unable to match them.
Suppose you do not intend to satisfy Specialisation Area 7. In that case, you should simply submit the course(s) taken at the partner university during the exchange as generic MPE/BDE/UE if they cannot be matched with a specific course in NTU. Generic MPE/BDE/UE mean that the course(s) are not matched to a specific course(s) in NTU, but they can be transferred to satisfy your MPE/BDE/UE AU Requirements. If you submit a partner university course as a generic MPE/BDE/UE, the original course title will be maintained and reflected in your academic record. If you submit the course as MS4707/17/27 they will be reflected as MS4707/17/27 Special Topics in Clean Energy 1/2/3.
4 .What will happen if I want to take more than 6 AU courses during the exchange to satisfy one of the specialisations that are not offered at NTU?
We refer to such courses (MS4707, MS4717/, MS4727, MS4706 and so on) unofficially as “shell courses’. The submission for shell courses to satisfy specialisation is capped at 6 AU. 6 AU of shell courses and 3 AU course matching to satisfy specialisation is acceptable.
5.I intend to satisfy Specialisation Area 1 when I am in year 3. I already took and passed 6 AU of MPEs from Specialisation Area 1 in year 3. Now in year 4, I have changed my mind and I want to satisfy Specialisation Area B. I only have 4 AU of MPE balance left. How do I register for the remaining courses to satisfy specialisation B?
You can register for the elective courses under BDE/ UE. Courses registered under BDE/ UE can also be used to satisfy specialisation requirements. MPE AU Requirement is fixed – it cannot be changed. However, you can exceed your BDE/UE AU Requirements – subject to approval. Please submit your request for additional BDE/UE through Course Approval e-Form (Guide). The form is accessible only in NTU campus network for active students. Please refer to this guide to connect to NTU VPN if you are accessing the links outside of NTU.