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Overview
A degree in Materials Engineering at UBC will provide you with the opportunity to join our exciting and vibrant research activities, which extend across materials extraction, materials processing, and materials performance. As a graduate student in the program, you will conduct independent and collaborative research within one of our research groupings. Researchers in the Department are actively investigating materials engineering challenges that span across the lifecycle of materials, and include a range of material systems. We have graduate students using a range of techniques and approaches, which encompass the development and application of ideas that extend the full range of theory, simulation and experiment. Research programs in our department mix fundamental know-how with real-world impact, often working directly with a range of industrial and academic partners from around the world.
What makes the program unique?
Our research-focussed masters programs provide our students with a core grounding with graduate course in materials engineering and related engineering disciplines, together with an exciting research project in one of many dynamic research groupings. Our research blends fundamental know-how with real world impact, to create and sustain change in the world around us through the development and use of materials that underpin our everyday lives.
Recent research developments in our department are helping to reduce the environmental impact in the mining industry, developing lightweight and sustainable transportation, new forms of materials essential for the low-carbon energy transition, state-of-the-art materials characterization approaches, and the next generation of manufacturing technologies (including additive manufacturing/3D printing).
We have a long history of providing excellence in education and offer one of the top-rated materials programs in North America. Graduates of our program are enjoying rewarding careers locally and internationally in a wide range of industries from mining to advanced electronics, health care and aerospace. Many of our Masters graduates also continue onto further study, e.g. in PhD programs at UBC and beyond.
The Masters of Applied Science (MASc) and Masters of Science (MSc) are very closely related programs, which typically recruit from applied science/engineering (MASc) and science (MSc) backgrounds respectively.
Quick Facts
Program Enquiries
Contact the program
Admission Information & Requirements
1) Check Eligibility
Minimum Academic Requirements
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:
Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.
English Language Test
Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.
Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:
TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based
Overall score requirement: 90
Reading
22
Writing
21
Speaking
21
Listening
22
IELTS: International English Language Testing System
Overall score requirement: 6.5
Reading
6.0
Writing
6.0
Speaking
6.0
Listening
6.0
Other Test Scores
Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:
The GRE is not required.
2) Meet Deadlines
September 2025 Intake
Application Open Date
15 October 2024Canadian Applicants
International Applicants
January 2026 Intake
Application Open Date
01 March 2025Canadian Applicants
International Applicants
May 2026 Intake
Application Open Date
01 August 2025Canadian Applicants
International Applicants
3) Prepare Application
Transcripts
All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.
Letters of Reference
A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.
Statement of Interest
Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Master of Science in Materials Engineering (MSc)
Citizenship Verification
Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.
4) Apply Online
All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.
Research Information
Research Focus
The department offers opportunities for study in the fields of casting and solidification of metals, ceramic processes and properties, corrosion, composite material processing and properties, hydrometallurgy and electrorefining, physical metallurgy, pyrometallurgy, remelting processes, thermomechanical processing, new methods of manufacturing, materials characterization, energy materials, sustainable materials, and environmental processing.
Tuition & Financial Support
Tuition
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $116.25 | $168.25 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $1,838.57 | $3,230.06 |
| Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,515.71 | $9,690.18 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | $3,200.00 (-) | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $1,116.60 (approx.) | |
| Costs of living | Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies. | |
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
Financial Support
Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.
Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)
All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.
Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)
Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)
Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union.
Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)
Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.
Financial aid (need-based funding)
Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.
All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.
Foreign government scholarships
Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.
Working while studying
The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.
International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.
A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.
Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals
Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.
Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.
Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.
Cost Estimator
Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.
Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats
These statistics show data for the Master of Science in Materials Engineering (MSc). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.
ENROLMENT DATA
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 34 | 22 | 12 | 20 | 24 |
| Offers | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| New Registrations | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total Enrolment | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Disclaimer
Research Supervisors
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Master of Science in Materials Engineering (MSc)
Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors
These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.
This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.
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Abdin, Yasmine (Materials engineering)
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Amini, Kiana (Materials engineering, n.e.c.; Carbon capture engineering; Chemical engineering, n.e.c.; Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion; Redox Flow Batteries; In Situ Characterization of Electrochemical Processes; Electrolyte Design and Battery Architecture; Multi-Physics Modeling of Electrochemical Systems)
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Asselin, Edouard (Hydrometallurgy; Materials engineering, n.e.c.; Electrometallurgy; Inorganic chemistry, n.e.c.; Corrosion; Coatings; Electrochemistry)
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Britton, Ben (Metals and alloy materials engineering; Manufacturing engineering; Materials characterisation & microstructure; Metallurgy; Electron diffraction & microscopy; Deformation; Microstructure/property models; Manufacturing)
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Cockcroft, Steven (Clean Energy Research, Physical phenomena in non-ferrous casting, hot tearing, Optimization of industrial casting processes, Mathematical modeling)
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Dixon, David (Fixed-bed leaching)
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Dreisinger, David (Hydrometallurgy; Leaching)
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Kravchenko, Sergii (Composite and hybrid materials; Polymers and plastics engineering; Aerospace materials; Aerospace structures; Polymers and polymer composites; Multi-functional composites; High-throughput manufacturing process modelling of composites; Multi-scale, multi-physics, probabilistic computational modelling of composites; Manufacturing-informed performance simulation of composites; Machine learning methods in composites manufacturing and performance analysis; Composite structures for renewable energy & unmanned vehicles; additive manufacturing)
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Liu, Wenying (Hydrometallurgy; Extractive metallurgy; mine waste management)
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Maijer, Daan (Metals and alloy materials engineering; Liquid metal processing; Casting processes; additive manufacturing; Directed Energy Deposition; Powder Bed Fusion; Light Metals Processing; Aluminum Alloys; Titanium Alloys; Mathematical Process Modeling: Heat Transfer, Fluid Flow, Mechanical Deformation)
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Militzer, Matthias (Multi-scale modelling of microstructure evolution, Physical metallurgy of advanced high strength steels)
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Poole, Warren (Metals and alloy materials engineering; Physical and Mechanical Metallurgy; Aluminum Alloys; Steels; Magnesium alloys; ICME)
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Poursartip, Anoush (Polymer matrix composite materials)
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Sinclair, Chadwick (Materials engineering)
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Wang, Rizhi (Functional materials in materials engineering sciences; Regenerative medicine (including stem cells and tissue engineering); Orthopaedic implants, drug delivery biomaterials, anti-infection solutions.; Additive manufacturing, 3D structural designing.; Bone structure, mineralization and mechanics, bone metastasis, hip fracture and prevention.)
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Xia, Guangrui (Elemental semiconductors; Semiconductor devices; SiGe materials, processing, modeling, and devices, Si photonics, Ge-based lasers, and Ge lasers)
Sample Thesis Submissions
Further Information
Specialization
Materials Engineering offers opportunities for study in the following fields: casting and solidification of metals; ceramic processing and properties; refractories; corrosion; composites; high temperature coatings; biomaterials; extractive metallurgy including hydrometallurgy, bio-hydrometallurgy, electrometallurgy, and pyrometallurgy; physical metallurgy; thermo-mechanical processing related to materials production; environmental issues related to materials productions; electronic materials; nanofibers; textile structural composites.
Materials Engineers are experts on the entire life cycle of materials, including recovery of materials from minerals, making engineered materials, manufacturing materials into products, understanding and evaluating materials performance, proper disposal and recycling of materials, and evaluating societal and economic benefits.
Program Website
Faculty Overview
Academic Unit
Program Identifier
Classification
September 2025 Intake
January 2026 Intake
May 2026 Intake
Program Enquiries
Contact the program
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