The University Graduate Study Program Engineering and Physics of Materials at the University of Rijeka lasts 2 years, i.e. 4 semesters, carries 120 ECTS credits, and is jointly organized by the Faculty of Physics and the Faculty of Engineering in Rijeka.
The search for new materials, or for changes in the properties and more efficient use of existing materials, is continuously expanding the field of materials science. Today, it is almost impossible to create a new generation of advanced materials—such as semiconductors, superconductors, polymers, or ceramics—or advanced devices and products—such as lasers, microscopic motors, or substitutes for biological tissue—without knowledge and control of the properties of materials, their surfaces, and boundary layers from the atomic to the macroscopic level. This is precisely the domain of engineering and physics of materials.
Engineering and physics of materials is an exciting and dynamic field focused on the development of innovative materials for 21st-century technologies, spanning applications from electronics and transport to medicine and construction. Most American universities have introduced studies in materials science or materials science and engineering, and this trend is also appearing at European universities (for example, such programs have been introduced at about twenty universities in the United Kingdom), serving as a strong stimulus for economic development based on new scientific knowledge. Such multidisciplinary programs are usually hosted by departments of natural and technical sciences.
The necessity of a multidisciplinary approach in the field of materials science opens opportunities for all students who have completed undergraduate studies in the natural or technical sciences to continue their education in the two-year graduate program Engineering and Physics of Materials. For this reason, the program provides an attractive continuation of studies for students of physics (or physics combined with another field), chemistry, or technical disciplines—from mechanical and electrical engineering to civil engineering or naval architecture—as well as for students of computer science or polytechnics.
The proposed program is the first of its kind in Croatia, and in line with recommendations on student mobility, it could also attract students from other university centers in Croatia. After passing all exams and defending the master’s thesis, the student is awarded the title Master of Engineering and Physics of Materials.
Head of the Study Program
Associate Professor Iva Šarić Janković, PhD
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