Brief History
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) at University of Ghana is a foundation member of the School of Engineering Sciences which gave admission to its first batch of students in the 2004/05 academic year.
Over generations, Materials Science and Engineering has been the building block on which industry continues to advance in applied technology. Bioplastics, high purity semiconductors, glass fibers and lightweight aluminium alloys are but a few examples of materials that have impacted on life and the development of society in the 21st century.
The Department offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) with particular focus on ceramics, metals and polymers. The specific goals are such that after going through the programme, students would have had a solid background in the fundamental areas of Materials Science & Engineering (i.e., structure-property relationship; processing, behaviour, performance and characteristics; structural and non-structural materials; thermodynamics and kinetics; materials selection, processing, and characterization; phase diagrams; crystallography; defects; etc.) before the specialization. The postgraduate programmes focus on training students to have a solid background knowledge in advanced MSE; be able to conduct independent scientific investigations; develop biomaterials for the environment and health care delivery; and acquire advance interdisciplinary skills required to design, optimize and evaluate the technical and economic viability of materials resources. Both undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes have been structured to meet the 21st century paradigm shift in materials research- Focus on nanotechnology to create materials and devices that are stronger, smaller and smarter.
There are numerous problems of vital importance to the development of the science of metals, polymers, ceramics, glasses, electronic materials, biomedical materials, composites, and other materials that need solution. The Department has the theoretical and experimental resources available to address these scientific and engineering problems successfully. An excellent working relationship has also been established between the department, industry, national and international laboratories to foster technology transfer, research and development.
Completion of the MSE programme at the University of Ghana provides a significant level of preparation for a broad range of career paths. The majority of our graduates go on to fill key positions as material scientists, engineers, managers and consultants in research and development, academia, and industry. Our undergraduate students have research experience before graduating and are active in professional organizations such as the Engineering Student of University of Ghana (ESUG), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Ghana Institute of Engineers, etc.
As you learn more about us, you are cordially welcome to be part of the MSE family at University of Ghana. We also extend a hand of invitation to prospective stakeholders for collaborative work.