MSc by Research in Materials
About the course
The Oxford MSc by Research in Materials is a master's level research degree, typically two years in duration. Research projects in this leading department are available in most branches of materials science, as well as some aspects of solid state physics and chemistry.
Only a very small number of places are offered on the MSc by Research in Materials each year as the majority of the department's research students are enrolled on the DPhil in Materials. As an MSc student you will work, train and study alongside the DPhil students, together forming a cohort of research students in materials.
Details of research degree courses, including training opportunities (academic courses, research-specific skills and generic transferable career skills) and progression requirements, can be found in the current version of the Materials Graduate Handbook, which is available on the department's website.
Research interests of the department extend over most branches of materials science, as well as some aspects of solid state physics and chemistry: they include the study of a wide range of materials of relevance in advanced technological applications, including metals and alloys, composites, semiconductors, superconductors, polymers, biomaterials, ceramics and materials for quantum information processing.
Much of the research is carried out in close collaboration with industry. World-leading research takes place on:
- characterisation of materials, where there is emphasis on electron microscopy and related techniques
- processing and manufacturing of materials
- modelling of materials, where there is attention to both structures and processes
- properties of materials
- energy materials, including those for batteries, nuclear fusion and photovoltaics
- quantum computing and quantum devices, which includes groups working on experimental studies, theory and modelling.
Each of the department's research groups works within one or more of the following broad themes and research projects available to applicants for the MSc by Research in Materials are listed under these themes:
- energy storage materials
- structural and nuclear materials
- device materials; including semiconductors, superconductors, quantum computing and quantum devices, and NEMS
- polymers and biomaterials
- nanomaterials
- processing and manufacturing; including metals, alloys, ceramics, superconductors and polymers
- characterisation of materials
- computational materials modelling.
Attendance
The course is full-time and requires attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements.
The MSc by Research in Materials is normally carried out in two years of full-time study under the supervision of an experienced member of staff.
Provision exists for students on some courses to undertake their research in a ‘well-founded laboratory’ outside of the University. This may require travel to and attendance at a site that is not located in Oxford. Where known, existing collaborations will be outlined on this page. Please read the course information carefully, including the additional information about course fees and costs.
Resources to support your study
As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of world-class resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.
The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.
The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students, to support with learning and research.
The department has excellent and wide-ranging research resources including:
- a world-class suite of electron microscopy facilities including a JEOL ARM analytical STEM and two Zeiss Merlin ultrahigh resolution SEMs optimised for EBSD and EDX analysis, together with a number of supporting and training instruments. Much of this equipment is installed in the David Cockayne Centre for Electron Microscopy;
- additional electron microscopy facilities are available at the national electron Physical Science Imaging Centre;
- extensive further facilities for characterising materials including, for example, AFM, XPS, and Raman microscopy;
- advanced sample preparation and micromachining facilities including a Zeiss NVision 40 FIB/SEM and three other FIB instruments;
- clean room facilities;
- microhardness measurement facilities (at high temperatures and at the nm scale);
- special processing or manufacturing facilities for ceramics, carbon nanomaterials, rapidly solidified materials and devices such as novel batteries. The department also has superb facilities for 3-D atom probe analysis (including LEAP 5000XS and LEAP 5000XR);
- an alloy processing and mechanical properties laboratory, for aerospace and nuclear materials; and
- a wide range of specialist modelling software and, if appropriate for your research project, access to Oxford's Advanced Research Computing facilities.
The department’s Institute for Industrial Materials and Manufacturing, provides pilot scale facilities for the manufacture of alloys, polymer and ceramic coatings, prototype optoelectronic, semiconductor, superconductor and sensor devices and novel metallurgical nano-scale materials.
The Oxford Materials Characterisation Service provides a major suite of equipment for the characterisation of materials used in microtechnology and nanotechnology.
In addition to the excellent central and college library provision, there is a specialist Materials Science Library housed within the department.
Supervision
The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department of Materials and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found from outside the Department of Materials.
Typically, you should expect to have meetings with your supervisor or a member of the supervisory team with a frequency of at least once every two weeks averaged across the year. The regularity of these meetings may be subject to variations according to the time of the year, and the stage your are at in your research programme.
Assessment
In common with other UK universities the first year is a probationary year, soon after which, subject to satisfactory progress, students normally transfer to full MSc by Research status. The Transfer of Status assessment is conducted by two members of staff other than the student’s supervisor(s) or advisors.
The MSc by Research in Materials is examined at the end of the programme by means of a written thesis and an oral examination.
Graduate destinations
Graduates of the DPhil and MSc by Research in Materials are highly regarded by a wide range of employers, including universities, high-tech start-up companies, engineering consultancies, industry (including aerospace, electronics, automotive, steel manufacture, medical and household products sectors), world-famous technology companies schools and colleges, and the financial and business sectors.
Changes to this course and your supervision
The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.
Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.
For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.
Entry requirements for entry in 2025-26
Proven and potential academic excellence
The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying.
Degree-level qualifications
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
- a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in a suitable science subject.
The qualification above should normally be achieved in one of the following subject areas:
- materials science
- chemistry
- physics
- engineering
- mathematics.
However, other subjects may be acceptable depending on the area of research chosen.
For candidates offering a UK bachelor's degree or UK integrated undergraduate master's degree, normally an overall grade of at least 65% is required. As examples of international equivalents to this requirement: for the US system a GPA of 3.5 out of 4.0 on a four-year bachelor's programme is normally regarded as equivalent and for the Chinese system an overall degree mark of 85% on a four-year bachelor's degree programme from a Double First Class University department is normally regarded as equivalent.
If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.
Normally the required qualification(s) must be achieved by the date of commencement of the research programme for which you have applied.
GRE General Test scores
No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience
Additional indicators considered when assessing an application against the department's criteria include performance in previous research project(s), the award of national prizes, the award of substantial scholarships to assist with previous university-level study/activity (if you include such scholarships in your CV please indicate the monetary value and duration), preliminary knowledge of relevant research techniques, and your suitability for the research projects in which you have expressed interest.
The criteria against which your written application and performance at interview are assessed are:
- appropriate indicators of proven and/or potential: academic excellence, research excellence originality, ability to absorb new ideas, reasoning ability, creativity of thought, initiative, and capacity for sustained and intense work;
- sufficient evidence, in the view of the assessors, to suggest you have the academic ability, motivation and commitment to (i) pursue the chosen research programme to a successful conclusion within the required time limits, and (ii) to pursue research in the subject of materials at a high level;
- the programme of study, including research topic, that you wish to pursue is well suited to the academic interests and abilities to which you and/or your referees have drawn attention in your application. For some projects this may include the ability to work as part of a team; and
- sufficient evidence of ability to (i) engage in a scientific or technical discussion in English at a satisfactory level, both verbally and in writing, (ii) understand a reasoned case presented in English and (iii) present a reasoned case in English.
Publications are not essential, but will be taken into account. Please include in your CV the references and abstracts of any publications you may have in peer-reviewed international journals.
Further guidance
It should be noted that acceptance on a particular programme gives no guarantee of final success, and all research programmes require you to develop your learning and skills to new levels in order successfully to undertake all the assessment hurdles of a research programme.
English language proficiency
This course requires proficiency in English at the University's standard level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's standard level are detailed in the table below.
| Test | Minimum overall score | Minimum score per component |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic (Institution code: 0713) | 7.0 | 6.5 |
TOEFL iBT, including the 'Home Edition' (Institution code: 0490) | 100 | Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24 |
| C1 Advanced* | 185 | 176 |
| C2 Proficiency† | 185 | 176 |
*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
†Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement.
It is very important that, at the earliest possible opportunity, you take steps to meet the University’s standard minimum English language requirement. If you have yet to attain this minimum level any offer of a place that may be made to you will be conditional on your achieving the standard minimum requirement. Students who require a visa will not be able to apply for this visa until they have met this and other conditions of their offer. If you do not meet the conditions of your offer by the deadline set by the department, normally the offer will lapse.
Please note that it can take up to three months to obtain an examination date for IELTS or TOEFL, so it is strongly recommended that all applicants who need an English test apply for one at the earliest opportunity, and preferably sufficiently in advance that you would have time to obtain a date for a retake examination should this be necessary. In this respect please note also that the department requires not only a minimum overall score in the English test but also minimum scores in each individual component of the tests.
Declaring extenuating circumstances
If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.
References
You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Supporting documents
You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Performance at interview
Interviews for short-listed candidates are normally held as part of the admissions process.
Interviews normally take place after you submit your application and normally within an eight-working week period of the application deadline for which you submitted a complete application.
These interviews may be conducted face-to-face or by telephone or video-link. Shortlisting for interview is carried out according to the criteria included in the present entry requirements as judged from your written application (including references).
Normally the applications of candidates who are recommended post-interview by a prospective supervisor as suitable for a place will be assessed by at least two members of staff with experience of supervising research students, and in addition may be assessed by the department’s Director of Graduate Studies. All decisions to offer a place require approval by the Director of Graduate Studies or deputy.
Offer conditions for successful applications
If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our 'After you apply' pages provide more information about offers and conditions.
In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:
Financial Declaration
If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a Financial Declaration in order to meet your financial condition of admission.
Disclosure of criminal convictions
In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any relevant, unspent criminal convictions before you can take up a place at Oxford.
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
This course may require you to obtain an ATAS certificate before you can apply for a visa/immigration permission. If you are offered a place, the academic department will confirm whether an ATAS certificate is required. If so, they will also send you the information you need to apply for one. You can apply for ATAS whilst your offer is conditional and before the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) is issued. Further information about ATAS is available on the student visa webpages.
Other factors governing whether places can be offered
The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:
- the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
- the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
- minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.
Department of Materials
As a student on one of Oxford's research degree programmes in materials, you will be part of one of the top-ranked materials departments in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024).
In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) assessment of research excellence in UK universities, research from the University's Department of Materials and Department of Engineering Science was jointly submitted to REF Unit of Assessment (UOA) 12 - Engineering (there is not a specific REF UOA for Materials). The results for this submission show that:
- 71% of the research activity of the two departments was judged to be in the highest category of excellence, Grade 4* ('World- leading');
- a further 26% of the research activity of the two departments was judged as Grade 3* ('Internationally Excellent'); and
- 90% of research impact was judged to be ‘World-leading’.
The department's high rating for research is evidence of its excellence in a wide range of materials research.
At the time of writing the department's vibrant materials research community consists of 31 academic staff, 10 Senior Fellows / Senior Research Staff, over 200 DPhil students, and 80 postdoctoral researchers. Research students are of many nationalities and come to the department from diverse scientific backgrounds; primarily materials science, physics, chemistry and engineering, but including too subjects such as mathematics, earth sciences and biology.
Leading-edge research is carried out across a wide range of materials science, ranging from atomic-scale characterization, through state-of-the-art materials modelling, to pilot industrial-scale processing.
Research students in the Department of Materials are also members of the University's MPLS Graduate School, which provides a wide range of support and training in addition to that offered by the department.
Funding
For entry in the 2025-26 academic year, the collegiate University expects to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across a wide range of graduate courses.
If you apply by the January deadline shown on this page and receive a course offer, your application will then be considered for Oxford scholarships. For the majority of Oxford scholarships, your application will automatically be assessed against the eligibility criteria, without needing to make a separate application. There are further Oxford scholarships available which have additional eligibility criteria and where you are required to submit a separate application. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential.
To ensure that you are considered for Oxford scholarships that require a separate application, for which you may be eligible, use our fees, funding and scholarship search tool to identify these opportunities and find out how to apply. Alongside Oxford scholarships, you should also consider other opportunities for which you may be eligible including a range of external funding, loan schemes for postgraduate study and any other scholarships which may also still be available after the January deadline as listed on our fees, funding and scholarship search tool.
Details of college-specific funding opportunities can also be found on individual college websites:
Please refer to the College preference section of this page to identify which of the colleges listed above accept students for this course.
For the majority of college scholarships, it doesn’t matter which college, if any, you state a preference for in your application. If another college is able to offer you a scholarship, your application can be moved to that college if you accept the scholarship. Some college scholarships may require you to state a preference for that college when you apply, so check the eligibility requirements carefully.
Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the department's website.
Costs
Annual fees for entry in 2025-26
Fee status | Annual Course fees |
| Home | £10,070 |
| Overseas | £33,370 |
How long do I need to pay course fees?
Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges.
What do course fees cover?
Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information section below.
Continuation charges
Following the period of fee liability, you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.
Where can I find further information about fees?
The Fees and Funding section of this website provides further information about course fees, including information about fee status and eligibility and your length of fee liability.
Additional information
There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.
Living costs
In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.
Living costs for full-time study
For the 2025-26 academic year, the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between £1,425 and £2,035 for each month spent in Oxford. We provide the cost per month so you can multiply up by the number of months you expect to live in Oxford. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to budget for the costs of a student visa and immigration health surcharge and/or living costs for family members or other dependants that you plan to bring with you to Oxford (assuming that dependant visa eligibility criteria are met).
Further information about living costs
The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2025-26 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. For further information, please consult our more detailed information about living costs, which includes a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs.
College preference
Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs).
If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief introduction to the college system at Oxford and our advice about expressing a college preference.
If you are a current Oxford student and you would like to remain at your current Oxford college, you should check whether it is listed below. If it is, you should indicate this preference when you apply. If not, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. Further information about staying at your current college can be found in our Application Guide.
The following colleges accept students on the MSc by Research in Materials:
Before you apply
Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under the January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance. Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines and when to apply in our Application Guide.
Application fee waivers
An application fee of £20 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:
- applicants from low-income countries;
- refugees and displaced persons;
- UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and
- applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.
You are encouraged to check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply.
Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?
Having first read the guidance and project descriptions on the Department of Materials website, you must contact the relevant supervisor by e-mail to enquire if the project in which you are interested is suitable for the MSc (by Research) programme.
You are also strongly encouraged to contact the department's Graduate Admissions Support Officer for advice and assistance using the contact details provided on this page.
Completing your application
You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.
If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.
Proposed field and title of research project
Under 'Proposed field and title of research project' please enter your proposed area(s) of research.
You should not use this section of the application form to type out a full research proposal.
Proposed supervisor
Under 'Proposed supervisor(s) name(s)', for each research project you list in your Statement of Purpose (see guidance below), please enter the name of the academic who is the lead supervisor for the project.
Referees:
Three overall, of which at least two must be academic
Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.
It is desirable that one of your references is from an academic staff member who has supervised you in a research project.
If you are a current master’s student or have completed a master’s course, one of your referees should be your supervisor or course director on this course. If you do not provide a reference from your master’s supervisor or course director, the department will usually ask you to do so before completing the assessment of your application.
Normally at least two of your references should be from academic staff members who taught or supervised you during your bachelor’s and/or master’s degree programmes. The primary purpose of the three references is to provide the department with evidenced insight into your potential to excel as a research student.
Official transcript(s)
Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.
More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.
It is very important that you include official evidence of your overall mark (%) or cumulative GPA if this is not clearly stated on your transcript. If possible please also provide official evidence of your rank within your year-group for the degree programme.
CV/résumé
A CV/résumé is compulsory for this course. Most applicants choose to submit a document of one to two pages highlighting their academic achievements and any relevant professional experience.
In your CV/résumé, please include the references and abstracts of any publications you may have in peer-reviewed international journals. Please do not include full copies of your publications.
Statement of purpose:
A maximum of 400 words, accompanied by a list of preferred projects and supervisors
A detailed research proposal is not required. Instead, you should provide a single document comprising both:
- a list of up to two research projects (and the associated supervisors) in which you are interested, in order of preference, selected from the department's currently advertised projects; and
- an outline of your research interests, written in English, that clearly indicates the rationale behind your choice of projects.
The 400-word limit applies to the outline of your research interests. There is no word-count limit for the list of preferred projects and supervisors.
If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.
For each research project you list in your Statement of Purpose please make sure you also enter the name of the academic who is the lead supervisor for the project in the ‘Proposed supervisor(s) name(s)’ section of the application form (see above). If the project has more than one supervisor the lead supervisor is always the first who is named in the project advert.
Start or continue your application
You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please refer to the requirements above and consult our Application Guide for advice.
Apply Continue applicationClosed
After you've submitted your application
Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can find out more about our shortlisting and selection process in our detailed guide to what happens next.
Find out how to manage your application after submission, using our Applicant Self-Service tool.
ADMISSION STATUS
Closed to applications for entry in 2025-26
Register to be notified via email when the next application cycle opens (for entry in 2026-27)
Deadlines
12:00 midday UK time on:
Friday 15 November 2024
Applications more likely to receive earlier decisions
Wednesday 29 January 2025
Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships
Tuesday 4 March 2025
Final application deadline for entry in 2025-26
| Full Time Only | |
|---|---|
| Course code | RM_MR1 |
| Expected length | 2 to 3 years |
| Places in 2025-26 | c. 1 |
| Applications/year* | 36 |
| Expected start | 6 October 2025 |
| English language | Standard level required |
*Three-year average (applications for entry in 2022-23 to 2024-25)
Further information and enquiries
This course is offered by the
Department of Materials
- Course information on department's website
- Funding information from the department
- Academic and research staff
- Summary of provision for materials research students
- Supervision arrangements for materials research students
- Departmental research
- Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences
- Residence requirements for full-time courses
- Postgraduate applicant privacy policy
Course-related enquiries
Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page
✉ graduate.admissions@materials.ox.ac.uk
☎ +44 (0)1865 283226
Application-process enquiries
Other courses to consider
You may also wish to consider applying to other courses that are similar or related to this course: