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 Academic Year 2024/25 School of Industrial and Information Engineering Degree Programme of: Materials and Nanotechnology Engineering Laurea (Equivalent To Bachelor Of Science) Milano Campus
1. General Information School | School of Industrial and Information Engineering | Code Reference Law | 348 | Name | Materials and Nanotechnology Engineering | Reference Law | Ordinamento 270/04 | Class of degree | L-9 - Industrial Engineering | Degree level | Laurea (Equivalent To Bachelor Of Science) | First year of activation | 2008/2009 | Official length of the programme | 3 | Years of the programme already activated | 1,2,3 | Official language(s) | Italian | Campus | Milano | Dean of the School | Lorenzo Dozio | Coordinator of the Study programme | Giovanni Dotelli | Website of the School | http://www.ingindinf.polimi.it | Website of the Study programme | |
Central Student Office - Milano Leonardo Address | VIA C. GOLGI, 42 (MI) |
2. General presentation of the study programmeMaterials development has always gone hand in hand with the technological progress of our society: from ancient times, mankind has learnt first to use the materials provided by nature for its own survival needs, and has then succeeded in transforming them into new products, such as for example fabrics made by weaving fibres, flexible and resistant surfaces that satisfy the need for protection. The ancient Egyptians added straw to the clay mixture used to make building bricks, proving that they knew how to combine different materials in synergy to make what today we would call a composite material.
What distinguishes modern materials, however, is the ability to obtain products with structures and properties controlled on a micrometric scale and, in much more recent times, on a nanometer scale too, using the so-called nanotechnologies. The most competitive companies invest considerable human and economic resources in materials and production processes to find new design solutions with which they can satisfy the constantly changing market needs. The criteria with which such solutions are developed depend upon thorough knowledge of the materials and their behaviour, and this know-how is typical of materials engineering.
The degree in Materials Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano has a tradition dating from the mid-1980s: in the past decade, in particular, it has changed considerably to keep up with the demands of a modern School of Engineering. With the most recent university reform (academic year 2008-2009) the Degree Programme has been further modified to offer courses in the area of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies alongside the more traditional subjects of Materials Engineering. The Degree Programme now offers four new courses during the third year which train students for design work (laboratory) under the guidance of professors who are experts in the area. These laboratory sessions permit students to prepare theses that will be discussed before a special board as a final examination for their degrees.
The Master’s Degree Programme (Master of Science) is one of the very few offered in Northern Italy; it is therefore a benchmark for all graduates in science and technical subjects who are thinking of specialising in the field of materials. The Programme regulations for the Master’s Degree is divided into specialised areas ranging from production technologies to structural and functional applications of materials in order to encourage students to individually adapt their Programmes to their own personal interests and professional ambitions. This flexibility also permits graduates from other science Degree Programmes to rapidly make up any gaps in their education without excessive burdens of additional credits to be earned. Lastly, for those who wish to complete their education with a view to working in academic or industrial research the Politecnico di Milano also offers a Ph.D. Programme in Materials Engineering, lasting three years.
As from the academic year 2008-2009, as already mentioned, the Degree Programme has taken on the new name of Materials and Nanotechnology Engineering. This important addition to the course subjects offers students the possibility of immediately coming into contact with the most recent advances in the field of materials engineering, which can be applied not only to research but also to numerous industrial products. Graduates are thus offered greater career opportunities sooner and in numerous, widely differing sectors. The Programme regulations for the Bachelor of Science degree in Materials and Nanotechnology Engineering are flexible, following a model similar to that of the Master’s Degree in Materials Engineering. In the first two years, students learn the rudiments of the scientific and materials engineering subjects in a unified Programme, while from the third year students can choose optional courses for a deeper education in fields like surface treatment engineering, microstructure and nanotechnologies, polymer engineering, technologies and design.
Whatever their choice, at the end of their Bachelor of Science Degree Programme, students will have a solid grounding in materials technology that will permit them to deal competently with topics linked to production process management and processing of materials, working professionally as a materials and/or manufactured article “production technologists”. The centrality of technological and product aspects that distinguish the training during the Materials and Nanotechnology Engineering Bachelor of Science Degree Programme materialises in a design project within the final laboratory classes, in which topics linked to technologies, applications and design will be tackled from a practical point of view too with the aim of ensuring that, through practical experience, students develop a mentality that is closer to that of the working world. Thus, alongside traditional learning methods (lessons and practical sessions), students are also offered laboratory and design activity and work placements, carried out either individually or in groups working together, often in collaboration with major industrial companies in the sector. Traditional learning methods are flanked by laboratory practices and are aimed at strengthening transversal skills (soft skills). The topics tackled are strongly focused on applications, they put students into contact with business situations and may even lead to opportunities for employment after graduation.
The number of students enrolled, which has stabilised over the past few years around 200 per year, is ideally suited to teaching that focuses on the specific requests of groups of students. The flexible Programme model, that evolves to keep abreast both of advances in knowledge and of the ambitions and demands of the students, reduces drop-outs and fosters greater interest and commitment to the study of the various subjects offered in the three levels of the university curriculum. Study activities are quantified by calculation of CFUs (crediti formativi universitari – university education credits) for each course included in the study track; the credits are earned by students by passing the related examination or by other test methods. Sixty credits assigned for each year of the Programme and students must earn at least 180 credits in order to graduate as a Bachelor of Science; a further 120 credits are required for graduation as a Master of Science. Further and more detailed information can be found in the “Guide to University Engineering Studies”, while details of individual courses with their respective credits are available on the following website:
https://www.ingindinf.polimi.it/en/
3. Learning objectivesThe purpose of the Degree Programme is to train experts in materials and nanotechnologies with a wide spectrum of skills in the various areas of preparation, processing and application of materials, with particular regard to innovative sectors of which nanotechnologies are one of the most significant. Materials and Nanotechnologies Engineering graduates have a solid scientific and technical/applications grounding which permits them to easily update their knowledge as and when required in the future during the course of their professional work. The skills that distinguish materials and nanotechnologies engineers are those related to the understanding of correlations between the structure and organisation of materials and their properties (materials science, metallurgy, polymer structure and properties, materials characterisation techniques), to manufacturing processes (physical and chemical thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and processing technologies including those at nanometer scale) and to selection and use of materials in structural applications (solid mechanics and applied mechanics) and functional applications. The Degree Programme also offers professionally qualifying tracks in the polymer and surface treatment areas, developed in close collaboration with national and international industries.
The Degree Programme uses teaching methods in accordance with the Dublin Programme descriptors adopted in Europe. Students’ comprehension and independent judgement skills will be assessed by written and oral examinations and preparation of individual or group papers. Their ability to apply their knowledge and comprehension will be assessed by asking them to write reports after taking part in experimental laboratories and design activities included in the course work. Periodic presentations of work carried out are foreseen to check communication skills. Their learning capacity will be checked during the individual activities foreseen for preparation of the final examination. At the end of the Degree Programme, graduates will be able to make choices regarding the material and production process for a given component, bearing in mind the impact that transformation and subsequent processing may have on the structure and properties of the material itself. They will be able to use methodological and technical instruments to deal with problems regarding: development of traditional and innovative materials, material production and transformation processes, design with materials and component handling in normal or aggressive working conditions, the remaining life of products.
4. Organization of the study programme and further studies 4.1 Structure of the study programme and Qualifications
The overall outline of the Study Course in Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology and the related qualifications obtained is shown in the figure below.
4.2 Further StudiesThe qualification grants access to "Laurea Magistrale" (2nd degree), "Corso di Specializzazione di primo livello" (1st level Specialization Course) and "Master Universitario di primo livello" (1st level University Master)
Due to kind of training it provides and the wide range of skills that it guarantees, the Materials and Nanotechnologies Engineering Degree Programme permits access to the Master’s Degree Programme in Materials Engineering with full recognition of the credits earned, and to the majority of Master’s Degree Programmes in the area of Industrial Engineering. Students may choose the Programme modules they need to study to complete their track and they may be guided in this choice by the Master’s Programme they intend to take to continue their studies.
Students are allowed to a direct access to master's programmes in
- Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology
- Nuclear Engineering (for those students who choose the optional courses Fisica della Materia + Fisica del Nucleo)
- Engineering Physics
5. Professional opportunities and work market5.1 Professional status of the degreeThe student helding a degree in Materials and Nanotechnology Engineering is recognized as a junior engineer in the class of industrial engineering. After approval by the Government Commission (Esame di Stato), he/she can enroll in section B of the Order of Engineers for the hometown region. 5.2 Careers options and profiles
Materials and Nanotechnologies Engineers who have studied the general Programme will find work in industrial companies manufacturing, processing and recycling materials in the chemical, mechanical, electrical, electronic, telecommunications, power, construction, transport, biomedical, environmental and cultural heritage fields. Materials and Nanotechnologies Engineers who have taken a vocational Programme will find work, depending upon their chosen track, in the surface treatment industry, where there is a growing demand for engineers who are able to develop integrated designs or in the polymer industry, where the demand for engineers expert in development and manufacture of raw materials, in the production of processing machinery as well as in design and manufacture of polymer products. Graduates with Master’s degrees in Materials and Nanotechnologies Engineering will find work in medium – large-sized companies and in industrial research centres in the same sectors. Their interdisciplinary education will permit them to handle projects, including complex ones, individually or as part of a team, for process and product innovation.
5.3 Qualification profileMaterial and Nanotechnology Engineer
Profile in a work context: Expert in materials and nano-technologies with a wide range of skills in different field of preparation, transformation and applications of materials, with particular regard to the innovative sectors of which nano technologies are one of the most important.
The graduate student in Material and Nanotechnology Engineering obtains the qualification of Laurea of 1st level (junior engineer) in the Industrial Engineering class. S/he can work as freelancer, after passing the State professional examination and after registration to the Section B of the Register of Engineers of the Province of residence. Skills of this function: Specific skills: - understand the correlations between structure and organization of materials and their properties (material science, metallurgy, structure and properties of polymers, techniques for characterization of materials); - analyse manufacturing processes (physical and chemical thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and transformation technologies also at nanoscale level); - select and use the materials in structural applications (solid mechanics and applied mechanics) and functional applications; - choice of material and the production process for a particular component, taking into account the effect that the transformation and the subsequent processing can have on the structure and on properties of that material; - use methodological and technical tools to deal with problems concerning: the development of traditional and innovative materials, the processes of production and transformation of materials, the design with materials and the management of components in normal or aggressive working conditions, residual life of products. Job opportunities: The Materials and Nanotechnology Engineer can work in the industry for production, transformation and recycling of materials in the chemical, mechanical, electrical, electronic, telecommunications, energy, building, transport, biomedical, environmental and cultural heritage fields. The engineer of materials and nanotechnologies can work:
-in the surface treatment industry, where there is a high demand of technicians that can develop integrated projects
-in the polymer material industry, with its strong demand for expert technicians in the field of development and production of raw materials,
- in production of machines for transformation as well as in the production and design of products made of polymeric material.
The engineer of materials and nanotechnologies (1st level Laurea) can also continue his/her career with the following LM (same class of degree or not).
6. Enrolment6.1 Access requirementsItalian secondary school leaving qualification or other comparable foreign qualification (level 4 EQF)
METHOD OF ADMISSION TO THE BACHELOR DEGREE PROGRAMME
Admission to the Materials and Nanotechnologies Engineering Degree Programme is subject to passing an admissions test, designed to assess whether candidates’ knowledge is sufficient to permit them to successfully embark upon an engineering study Programme.
To optimize the use of available resources across different locations, the total number of places for first-year enrollment in each degree program at the University is set by the Academic Senate during the definition of the educational offer, based on the indications provided by the relevant School.
Enrollment in the first year of the degree course is conditional upon passing a test aimed at verifying the possession of the knowledge required for admission and the aptitude for study. The verification of the possession of the required knowledge for admission is carried out through a common test for all Engineering courses activated by the University (TOL – Test Online).
The TOL can be taken by students in the penultimate and final year of high school, and by graduates.
The Engineering test has a minimum threshold. Even if there are available places, students who do not achieve a score of 30,00/100 or higher cannot enroll.
The ranking position of the candidates is established based on the score, available places for each test session, and the order of preferences expressed.
There are two phases of enrollment. The first phase of early enrollment is reserved for students who have passed the TOL in their penultimate year of high school with a score of 75,00/100 or higher.
The second phase of standard enrollment is reserved for students who passed the TOL in their penultimate year of high school with a score lower than 75,00/100, students who passed the TOL in their last year of high school, graduates, or students who passed the TOL in the penultimate year of high school but did not enroll in the first enrollment window.
Those who have achieved the minimum score set annually by the University in one of the following internationally recognized tests: SAT, GRE, GMAT, and TOLC-I (CISIA Test), may be exempted from the admission test.
The test is conducted remotely, using the candidate's personal computer and smartphone/tablet, with a connection in a Zoom Room supervised by a responsible person.
The attribution of Additional Educational Obligations (OFA TENG) occurs when, considering only the English section, the number of correct answers is less than 24.
For the fulfillment of the OFA TENG, it is possible to present a certification of English language knowledge accepted by the University or, alternatively, take specific tests at external entities to the Polytechnic.
All details about the admission procedures, including the updated dates of the sessions scheduled for the TOL, are available on the University's website at: https://www.polimi.it/en/futuri-studenti/admission-to-laurea-programmes/engineering 6.2 Requested knowledgeTo be admitted to the Bachelor Degree Programme, a sufficient preparation is required (in mathematics, the sciences and verbal comprehension) and a sufficient level of English; these requirements are assessed by an admissions test to the Faculty of Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano.
The https://www.polimi.it/en/international-prospective-students website gives examples of typical questions set for the admissions test. 6.3 Deadlines for admission and number of places availableThe deadlines for admission to the Materials and Nanotechnologies Engineering Degree Programme are stated in the guide to enrolment at the Politecnico di Milano, which is updated each year and is available on the Politecnico di Milano website (https://www.polimi.it/en).
The number of places available is 240. 6.4 Tutoring and students supportGuidance and tutoring services for students are coordinated by the office of the Dean of the School of Industrial and Information Engineering.
The manner in which the services are provided and the calendar are periodically updated and are available on the School’s website (https://www.ingindinf.polimi.it/en/).
7. Contents of the study Program7.1 Programme requirementsAs required by the Italian Law, 180 credits are needed for graduation, as specified in the degree program (regolamento didattico). During the first year, 55 credits are devoted to basic disciplines (mathematics, physics and chemistry) and 5 credits to basic materials engineering subjects. During the second year, engineering (30 credits), materials (20 credits) and nanotechnology (10 credits) disciplines will provide the student with a basic engineering profile. During the final year, the engineering background is completed with courses dealing with the technological and practical aspects of materials production and characterization. Free courses give the student the opportunity to specialize in the microstructural or the mechanical design approach to materials enginering and nanotechnology.
The three-year Bachelor Degree Programme has three terms with common Programme modules, to permit students to acquire a grounding in Materials and Nanotechnologies science and engineering.
The program of courses and teaching methods are designed so as to present a strong connection with operation: through individual and team working, the student is led to seize techniques and methods that will allow him to easily acquire new knowledge during throughout his professional life, developing readiness to troubleshooting using innovative solutions. This approach is fully consistent with the educational objectives of the Treaty of Dublin to which all member states of the European Union apply.
According to Law No. 33 of April 12, 2022, simultaneous enrollment in two programs is allowed. Enrollment in two programs is possible only if they are of different degree classes (classi di laurea) and differ in at least two-thirds of their educational activities regarding academic credits.
Consistent with what is defined by Law No. 33, at the student's instance, the maximum number of CFUs already taken in the other program and validatable is 60 CFUs for BSc programmes.
Please note that courses belonging to programs of a different level or type from the program you are enrolled in cannot be validated.
Full details on when to apply for validation and the administrative fees to be paid are available on the Polimi website: https://www.polimi.it/contemporanea-iscrizione 7.2 Mode of studyThis Course requires a full time attendance and involves classroom, conferences about specific arguments with experts and laboratory activities. There are also visits to the plants. 7.3 Detailed learning objectivesThe educational aims of the Bachelor Degree Programme are pursued by a technological/design approach: in addition to the grounding provided by studying basic engineering materials and the fundamentals of material and nanotechnologies science, the Programme includes lessons on materials technology and engineering design. Graduates of the Bachelor of Science degree therefore receive an education that permit them to work in management of production, processing and transformation plants and processes and in the development of new applications for materials.
1 Year courses - Track: U1L - Materiali e Nanotecnologie
2 Year courses - Track: U1L - Materiali e Nanotecnologie
3 Year courses - Track: U1L - Materiali e Nanotecnologie
(a) Student can select no more than 10 CFU from the COMPLEMENTARI teaching table
Courses of the Group COMPLEMENTARI
(a) Closed number subject
Master’s Degree
The Master’s Degree Programme is intended as a continuation and more in-depth study of the subjects studied for the Bachelor Degree Programme, with the aim of training professionals expert in materials who are able to actively and independently work towards development and innovation with regard to materials and processes and to their use in specific applications. Such professionals must have full knowledge of the fundamental characteristics and properties and of the use of the various classes of materials, as well as of the most widely differing and innovative manufacturing technologies on both a macroscopic and nanometric scale and of their influence on the final properties of the products. The study Programme, taught completely in English, has a flexible and interdisciplinary structure which forms the natural continuation and development of the tracks offered in the Bachelor Degree Programme. The Programme offered supplement and provide greater detail on the subjects studied for the Bachelor degree since it centres on production technologies and structural and functional applications of materials. Within this general formulation, however, students may access a high number of optional courses which will permit them to acquire specific knowledge in various areas of study according to their own personal aptitudes and interests.
Two specific tracks for internal double degree are also offered, that will allow the students to acquire a second Master degree in Mechanical Engineering or in Biomedical Engineering with an extra 60 credits instead of the 120 normally required. This further opportunity is offered in the spirit of interdisciplinary engineering education oriented to a job market in constant evolution and with an increasing international profile.
Ph. D.
The Ph.D. in Materials Engineering, lasting three years (180 credits including periods of study abroad and work placements at public and private bodies) offers basic and specialised training courses designed to provide students with the means to undertake research work with a high level of independence. The Ph.D. is also an opportunity for in-depth study of the research projects that are currently underway in the various Departments of the Politecnico di Milano in the materials sector. The Programmes aim to teach the necessary skills to carry out highly qualified research work in industrial and service companies, public and private bodies and Universities. 7.4 Foreign language
Knowledge of English is a pre-requisite for enrolment at the Politecnico di Milano and is assessed by the admissions test.
7.5 Degree examinationThe degree examination is closely related to the activities of the course of practical activities in technology and design (laboratory) of the third year, during which various activities will be conducted both individually and in group and evaluated by writing written reports. At the end of these activities, the individual tutor of the laboratory will give the student a topic of study which will be the subject of the final oral examination.
The final grade is based on the average of the exams plus an increase which will be awarded according to the following scheme:
- an increase of up to 4/110 based on the final grade of the examination of laboratory technology / engineering
- an increase of up to 3/110 based on the outcome of the degree examination
- an increase of up to 1/110 for extraordinary merits
8. Academic calendar
The calendar of lessons for Engineering courses is available on the website of the Politecnico di Milano.
9. FacultyThe names of professors for each Course, together with their subject, will be available on the degree programme starting from the month of September. The degree programme is annually published on the website of Politecnico di Milano.
10. Infrastructures and laboratoriesThroughout the Degree Programme, teaching activity involves access to the teaching laboratories at the Politecnico di Milano to conduct laboratory experiments in chemistry, physics and mechanical and micro-structural characterisation of materials.
During the whole Programme, study activity is supplemented by seminars by experts from the industrial world and visits to companies and to the research laboratories of the Politecnico di Milano for practical demonstrations and practice sessions.
At the end of the Programme, students must write a dissertation on highly topical problems under the direct guidance of professors and researchers at the Politecnico di Milano, personally conducting research work in the facilities of the Politecnico di Milano and/or at industrial production sites and laboratories.
11. International context
12. InternationalizationThe Master’s Degree Programme is taught in English. Enrolment for the Programme is open to suitably qualified Italian and international students.
Information on exchange programmes, double degree projects and international internships, European research and international relations projects are available at
https://www.polimi.it/en/exchange-students-incoming/
13. Quantitative dataThe Evaluation Nucleus perform periodic analysis on the overall results analysing the teaching activities and the integration of graduates into the work world. Reports and studies are available on the website of the Politecnico di MIlano.
14. Further informationThe Bachelor of Science in Materials and Nanotechnologies Engineering permits enrolment for the following Master’s Degree Programmes at the School of Industrial and Information Engineering:
- Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology - Ingegneria dei Materiali e delle Nanotecnologie
- Physics Engineering - Ingegneria Fisica
- Nuclear Engineering - Ingegneria Nucleare
It also permits, due to an interfaculty agreement, enrolment for the Master’s degree in “Design and Engineering” (in Italian) at the Design School of the Politecnico di Milano.
The Degree also permits access, with supplements to track, to most of the Master’s Degree Programme in the Industrial Engineering class. Procedures for admission are established by the Admissions Boards for the related Degree Programmes.
The enrolment procedures for other specialised Degree Programmes at the Politecnico di Milano or other Italian and international universities must be checked with the appropriate admissions boards.
15. Errata corrige
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