DEPARTMENT OF MATERIALS UNDERGRADUATE BROCHURE

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Career options for graduates

CAREERS FOR MATERIALS GRADUATES INCLUDE:

  • University Lecturer
  • Materials related industry; developing new materials and new products, quality control, production, sales, marketing etc: – Ceramics – Composites – Electronics – Engineering (all types) – Medical suppliers – Metals – Nuclear Industry – Packaging – Plastics – Household products
  • Space exploration
  • Oil companies
  • Teaching
  • Technical Consultancy
  • Armed Forces

Many companies do not require work-specific education, they train you on the job: they do require, however, skilled people with analytical minds. As an Oxford Materials graduate you easily fit into:-

  • Advertising
  • Finance: Accountancy firms - Banks - Stockbrokers - Consultants
  • Publishing: Editing - Journalism - Proof reading - Production
  • Civil Service
  • Administration

The legal profession also takes graduates with first degrees in Materials Science to train as lawyers specialising in industrial law requiring a high level of scientific knowledge. For example patents and contracts between multinational companies worth many millions of pounds.

See also the careers information on the Institute of Materials website at http://www.materials-careers.org.uk

Graduates from Oxford University are highly sought-after by employers in many fields, not only those manufacturing industries directly related to Materials Science and Engineering. Factors that make Oxford Materials graduates attractive to this wide range of employers include the following:

  • The course is recognised to be intensive and challenging, so simply getting a good degree is a statement of your ability to work effectively
  • You will be well trained to a high level in mathematics with expertise in analysis and solving problems
  • Your IT and oral presentation skills will be highly developed and well practised
  • You will have a good grounding in entrepreneurial and business skills
  • Proven ability to carry out and report on a substantial individual project of 6-8 months duration.

All of these highly prized skills are additional to your first class grounding in Materials Science, taught by some of the world’s leading practitioners in the field.

Typically, some 33-50% of our graduates choose to study for a higher degree before they embark on a career; most commonly a 3.5 year research degree(PhD) or a 1 year taught MSc degree.

Many graduates eventually work their way into management, whatever initial career route they choose, and some will start their own companies. Others choose to remain active in research, either in industry or academia, for the whole of their working lives.

Read some of the comments by former students (alumni) to get a feel for how careers might develop.

JOB DESTINATIONS

A selection of recent first job destinations for oxford materials graduates.

  • Research towards PhD
  • Gas Turbine Engineering
  • Royal Navy
  • Foreign & Commonwealth Office
  • Investment Banking
  • Teacher Training
  • Civil Service (MoD)
  • Engineering Firm
  • Defence R&D
  • Financial Services Company
  • Science Administration
  • Corrosion Scientist
  • Oil Company
  • Accountancy
  • Masters degree in Brewing
  • Masters degree in History of Science
  • Venture Capital Company
  • VSO

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