Diploma in Materials Science
About the Programme
The various manufacturing
clusters in Singapore continually look for innovations to enhance their
competitive edge. Given its pervasiveness across industries, knowledge in
materials science has the potential to fulfil this need. A practitioner of
materials science is a crucial member in the team to enhance the performance of
existing products, as well as create new products and processes, as
understanding materials is a source of innovation and technology.
Being able to manipulate
materials takes us one step closer to mastering nature. Knowledge of materials
and how they work allows man to travel faster than the speed of sound, travel
beyond the bounds of Earth's gravity and create faster and better computers.
Mastery of “smart” materials and miniaturization will revolutionize the practice
of medicine, as biology and technology merge, such that repair and improvement
of the human body becomes possible.
A
broad based materials science foundation course would help the work force to
better meet the needs of today’s growing multidisciplinary industries.
DMTS
Specialisation Options
Three options for
specialisation are offered in the DMTS programme. They are:
1.
Materials
Science
2.
Biomaterials
3.
Microelectronic Materials
(1) Materials Science
The
technological advances that have transformed our world over the last 20 years
have been founded on developments in Materials Science. New and improved
materials are evolved at an enormous rate, allowing improvements in the
performance of existing products; these innovative technologies developed have
thus enhanced every aspect of our lives. This specialization option offers
students the opportunity to be equipped with the relevant knowledge on advanced
materials, the application of the most appropriate material and manufacturing process for
any given application and to investigate how and why materials fail. Students
completing the diploma with good GPAs are able to gain admission into NTU’s
Bachelor of Engineering (Materials Science and Engineering), to complete the
four year degree programme in a minimum of two years.
(2)
Biomaterials
Combining the study of biology, medicine and materials, biomaterials is an
exciting and rapidly expanding field. As life expectancy increases,
breakthroughs in biomaterials are at the forefront of replacing and restoring
tissues and organs of the human body, from artificial hips and knees to tissue
engineering. These advances are critical to the development of medical
treatments. This specialization option introduces the student to the specific
issues concerning the application of materials technology in this exciting field
and provides an opportunity to develop a career, one that will bring an
alternative perspective to contribute in the enhancement of the standard of
living mankind. Students taking this specialization option can either enter the
workforce of further their studies.
(3) Microelectronic Materials
The
electronics sector in Singapore continues to be the major industry that
underpins Singapore’s economic growth. The country’s reputation in the
electronics industry is evident with numerous world leading names in electronics
residing here and many new players setting up their operations. Many jobs will
continue to be created as markets around the world continue to consume
electronic devices and products. This specialization option offers students the
opportunity to learn about semiconductors and the associated processes that this
industry is built upon. Coupled with a strong foundation, students taking up
this specialization option will have many options after graduation, from
directly entering the workforce to furthering studies.
The Diploma of Materials Science (DMTS) is designed to build a foundation for
students who choose this path to be comfortable with technology yet flexible and
innovative in its application. The following outcomes are the goals of this
programme for those who take it up; the programme will:
- broaden and deepen the student’s science foundations and
develop the ability to reason and think scientifically
- introduce the discipline of materials science by
investigating the relationships that exist between the structures and properties
of materials
- provide an appreciation of the state of the art in
designing the structure of a material to produce a predetermined set of
properties and
- provide an appreciation of how materials science is
impacting industry, its best practices and societal considerations.
In addition, the PBL approach to education will equip you with life-long
learning skills, enabling you to apply and adapt your training according to
circumstance, build on the foundations you acquired as a student, and so making
you a real knowledge practitioner long after graduation.
DMTS graduates are prepared to join the workforce as laboratory or junior
technologist in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical technology,
electronics, and chemical industries. Graduates will be able to find employment
as quality control personnel or in support of materials development programmes.
There are numerous opportunities for further studies as the programme is
designed with a strong science core that lays the foundation for the DMTS
graduate to develop professionally in materials science, biology, chemistry and
the biomedical sciences.
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