Materials Engineering is an exciting field that explores the entire lifecycle of materials, from raw materials extraction and processing to component fabrication and materials utilization. It also includes evaluating the societal and economic benefits of materials throughout their lifecycle. Materials engineers are at the forefront of innovation and sustainability, driving advancements across diverse industries and creating cutting-edge products. Our fully accredited program leads to a Bachelor of Applied Science in Materials Engineering, equipping you with the skills to make a significant impact on the world.
Understanding your Curriculum
Engineering curriculum can be updated throughout your degree to ensure your learning is as relevant to industry as possible.
Select the year you were placed/joined year 2 of your program, to find the curriculum that you should follow. For example, if you were placed in your program/joined year 2 in September 2025, select the Visual Guide or curriculum list that reflects this.
Visual Guide
The Visual Guide helps students to understand the prerequisites/corequisites of each course and how a specific course applies to future courses in the program.
It is recommended you make the guide full screen (arrows on the bottom left) in order to fully utilize the information.
Course Plan & Registration Guide
Below is the standard course path that Materials Engineers are recommended to follow. If you have taken your courses off-cycle in a previous year, please refer to your APR to determine your remaining degree requirements.
- Reserved capacity seats will be set up for Materials Engineering students in the sections listed below
- Students are expected to register in all required courses by July 31. After this date, any unused reserved capacity seats will be released to students on the waitlist.
Some courses may have additional sections offered beyond those listed below; however, these sections may conflict with your timetable and will not have seats reserved specifically for Materials Engineering students. If you choose to take an alternate section, you may need to join the waitlist and are not guaranteed a seat.
Please consult the registration support webpage if you need registration assistance.
You can also find your degree requirements on the UBC Calendar.
For students who entered second year in 2023W or later
Year 2
| Year 2 | For students who entered year 2 in 2023W onward | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | |||||
| Course | Course Name | Credits | Lecture Section | Lab Section | Discussion Section |
| MATH 253 | Multivariable Calculus | 3 | 10R | – | – |
| MATH 255 | Ordinary Differential Equations | 3 | 102 | – | – |
| APSC 278 | Engineering Materials | 3 | 101 | – | – |
| APSC 279 | Engineering Materials Laboratory | 1 | 101, 106, or 112 | – | – |
| MTRL 250 | Thermodynamics of Materials I | 4 | 101 | – | T1A |
| MECH 260 | Introduction to Mechanics of Materials | 3 | 101 | – | T1A |
| Total Credits | 17 | ||||
| Term 2 | |||||
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits | Lecture Section | Lab Section | Discussion Section |
| MTRl 264 | Transport Phenomena II – Heat Transport | 3 | 201 | – | T2A |
| MTRL 201 | Technical Communication | 3 | 201 | – | – |
| MTRL 263 | Transport Phenomena I – Fluid Mechanics | 3 | 201 | L2A | – |
| MTRL 251 | Thermodynamics of Materials II | 4 | 201 | – | T2A |
| MTRL 280 | Materials in Design | 3 | 201 | – | T2A |
| Total Credits | 16 | ||||
| Term 1 or Term 2 | |||||
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits | Lecture Section | Lab Section | Discussion Section |
| Humanities and Social Sciences Electives | 3 | Find out more about complementary studies | |||
| Impact of Engineering on Society Elective | 3 | ||||
| Total Credits | 6 | ||||
Year 3
- Three credits of technical elective are included in the Year 3 standard curriculum, however, a student can choose to take all 24 credits of technical electives in Year 4 or split them across Year 3 and Year 4, depending on their schedule.
| Year 3 | For students who entered year 2 in 2023W onward | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | |||||
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits | Lecture Section | Lab Section | Discussion Section |
| STAT 251 | Introductory Probability and Statistics | 3 | 101 | L1A – L1K | – |
| MTRL 320 | Management of Engineering Design | 2 | 101 | – | T1A |
| MTRL 358 | Hydrometallurgy I | 3 | 101 | L1A, L1B, L1C | T1A |
| MTRL 359 | Hydrometallurgy I Laboratory | 1 | – | L1A, L1B, L1C | – |
| MTRL 361 | Modelling of Materials Processes | 4 | 101 | – | T1A |
| MTRL 363 | Transport Phenomena III – Mass Transport | 3 | 101 | – | T1A |
| Total Credits | 16 | ||||
| Term 2 | |||||
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits | Lecture Section | Lab Section | Discussion Section |
| MTRL 340 | Manufacturing in Materials Engineering | 3 | 201 | – | – |
| MTRL 365 | Mechanical Behaviour of Materials | 3 | 201 | – | – |
| MTRL 378 | Phase Transformations | 3 | 201 | – | T2A |
| MTRL 381 | Structure and Properties Laboratory | 1 | 201, 202, 203, 204 | – | – |
| MTRL 394 | Polymers | 4 | 201 | – | T2A |
| Total Credits | 14 | ||||
| Term 1 or Term 2 | |||||
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits | Lecture Section | Lab Section | Discussion Section |
| Technical Electives | 3 | See below for more information on technical electives | |||
| Total Credits | 3 | ||||
Year 4
- MTRL 466 and 467 do not need to be taken in order (i.e. MTRL 467 can be taken before MTRL 466). Whilst there are sometimes options for year-long projects, students have the option to have a one-term project
- MTRL 466/467 course conflicts first need to be discussed with the course instructors. The schedule is intended to allow groups to meet with project sponsors. There are ~1-3 scheduled time slots at the start of the term used to organize teams and for project initiation. End of term presentations may also use the scheduled time slots.
- MTRL 455 has been designed to complement MTRL undergraduate degree. Therefore, the replacement with another department’s engineering economics course is considered only if a specific and unresolvable need is explained. For the replacement, students need to acquire permission from Engineering Academic Advisor.
| Year 4 | For students who entered year 2 in 2023W onward | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | |||||
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits | Lecture Section | Lab Section | Discussion Section |
| MTRL 455 | Economic Aspects of Materials Engineering | 3 | 101 | – | T1A |
| MTRL 460 | Monitoring and Optimization of Materials Processing | 3 | 101 | – | T1A |
| MTRL 466 | Engineering Project I | 3 | 101 | L1B | T1A |
| Total Credits | 9 | ||||
| Term 2 | |||||
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits | Lecture Section | Lab Section | Discussion Section |
| MTRL 456 | Environmental Degradation of Materials | 3 | 201 | – | T2A |
| MTRL 467 | Engineering Project II | 3 | 201 | L2B | T2A |
| Total Credits | 6 | ||||
| Term 1 or Term 2 | |||||
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits | Lecture Section | Lab Section | Discussion Section |
| APSC 450 | Professional Engineering Practice | 2 | 101, 202, or 202 | – | – |
| Technical Electives | 21 | See below for more information on technical electives | |||
| Total Credits | 23 | ||||
For students who entered second year in 2022W
Year 2
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| APSC 278 | Engineering Materials | 3 |
| APSC 279 | Engineering Materials Laboratory | 1 |
| MATH 253 | Multivariable Calculus | 3 |
| MATH 255 | Ordinary Differential Equations | 3 |
| MECH 260 | Introduction to Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
| MTRL 201 | Technical Communication | 3 |
| MTRL 250 | Thermodynamics of Materials I | 4 |
| MTRL 251 | Thermodynamics of Materials II | 4 |
| MTRL 263 | Transport Phenomena I – Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| MTRl 264 | Transport Phenomena II – Heat Transport | 3 |
| MTRL 280 | Materials in Design | 3 |
| Humanities and Social Sciences Electives | 3 | |
| Impact of Engineering on Society Elective | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 39 |
Year 3
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MTRL 320* | Management of Engineering Design | 2 |
| MTRL 340 | Manufacturing in Materials Engineering | 3 |
| MTRL 358 | Hydrometallurgy I | 3 |
| MTRL 359 | Hydrometallurgy I Laboratory | 1 |
| MTRL 361 | Modelling of Materials Processes | 4 |
| MTRL 363 | Transport Phenomena III – Mass Transport | 3 |
| MTRL 365 | Mechanical Behaviour of Materials | 3 |
| MTRL 378 | Phase Transformations | 3 |
| MTRL 381 | Structure and Properties Laboratory | 1 |
| MTRL 382* | 4 | |
| MTRL 394 | Polymers | 4 |
| STAT 251 | Introductory Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| Total Credits | 34 |
*This course is no longer offered. Please see Curriculum Changes for further instructions
Year 4
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MTRL 455 | Economic Aspects of Materials Engineering | 3 |
| MTRL 460 | Monitoring and Optimization of Materials Processing | 3 |
| MTRL 466 | Engineering Project I | 3 |
| MTRL 456 | Environmental Degradation of Materials | 3 |
| MTRL 467 | Engineering Project II | 3 |
| APSC 450 | Professional Engineering Practice | 2 |
| Technical Electives | 21 | |
| Total Credits | 38 |
For students who entered second year in 2021W
Year 2
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| APSC 278 | Engineering Materials | 3 |
| APSC 279 | Engineering Materials Laboratory | 1 |
| MATH 253 | Multivariable Calculus | 3 |
| MATH 255 | Ordinary Differential Equations | 3 |
| MECH 260 | Introduction to Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
| MTRL 201 | Technical Communication | 3 |
| MTRL 250 | Thermodynamics of Materials I | 4 |
| MTRL 252* | Thermodynamics of Materials I | 4 |
| MTRL 263 | Transport Phenomena I – Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| MTRl 264 | Transport Phenomena II – Heat Transport | 3 |
| MTRL 280 | Materials in Design | 3 |
| Humanities and Social Sciences Electives | 3 | |
| Impact of Engineering on Society Elective | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 39 |
*This course is no longer offered. Please see Curriculum Changes for further instructions
Year 3
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| STAT 251 | Introductory Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| MTRL 251 | Thermodynamics of Materials II | 4 |
| MTRL 320* | Management of Engineering Design | 2 |
| MTRL 340 | Manufacturing in Materials Engineering | 3 |
| MTRL 358 | Hydrometallurgy I | 3 |
| MTRL 359 | Hydrometallurgy I Laboratory | 1 |
| MTRL 361 | Modelling of Materials Processes | 4 |
| MTRL 363 | Transport Phenomena III – Mass Transport | 3 |
| MTRL 365 | Mechanical Behaviour of Materials | 3 |
| MTRL 378 | Phase Transformations | 3 |
| MTRL 381 | Structure and Properties Laboratory | 1 |
| MTRL 382* | Ceramics | 4 |
| MTRL 394 | Polymers | 4 |
| Total Credits | 38 |
*This course is no longer offered. Please see Curriculum Changes for further instructions
Year 4
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MTRL 455 | Economic Aspects of Materials Engineering | 3 |
| MTRL 460 | Monitoring and Optimization of Materials Processing | 3 |
| MTRL 466 | Engineering Project I | 3 |
| MTRL 456 | Environmental Degradation of Materials | 3 |
| MTRL 467 | Engineering Project II | 3 |
| APSC 450 | Professional Engineering Practice | 2 |
| Technical Electives | 21 | |
| Total Credits | 38 |
Curriculum Changes
Recent changes on Material Engineering curricula are explained below. If you are unsure about how these changes impact on you, please do not hesitate to contact Engineering Academic Services.
2025 Winter and Later
- Starting 2025W, at least 12 of 24 Credits Technical Electives must be from MTRL courses.
- Non-MTRL technical elective list was updated. Starting in 2025W, only the listed courses will be approved as non-MTRL technical electives. If a student took a course that was approved 2024W or before but not listed in the new approved list, please contact Engineering Academic Services.
2024 Winter and Later
- MTRL 382 (Ceramics) was discontinued as of 24W. Students who do not take MTRL 382 need to complete 24 credits of technical electives.
2022 Winter and Later
| Course(s) Discontinued | Course(s) Replace the Discontinued Course | Instructions |
|---|---|---|
| MTRL 392 and MTRL 398 | MTRL 320 | If a student completed both MTRL 392 and 398, no need to take MTRL 320. |
| If a student completed only one of the MTRL 392 or 398, they need to take MTRL 320 | ||
| MTRL 489 | None | Replaced with communication courses (MTRL 201 + MTRL 320) |
| MTRL 382 | 3 credits of technical elective | If a student started MTRL Engineering before 23W and did not complete MTRL 382, they need to complete 24 credits of technical electives |
| MTRL 350 | MTRL 251 | If a student has completed MTRL 350, no need to take MTRL 251. If a student has not yet completed MTRL 350, they need to take MTRL 251 |
| MTRL 252 | None | A student will have to take either MTRL 350 or MTRL 251 to complete degree requirements. There is no direct course required to replace MTRL 252 if a student has not yet taken it. |
Technical Electives
Credit Requirements on Technical Electives
- MTRL students must complete 24 credits of technical electives*. These 24 credits of courses can be taken from the approved technical elective courses listed in the technical elective list.
- Effective 2025 Winter session, students need to take at least 12 credits of technical electives from MTRL courses
- Students can start taking 3 credits of technical electives in their third year and then the remaining 21 credits in their fourth year, depending on their course plan
*If you joined the MTRL program on or before 2023 Winter and completed MTRL 382, you need to complete 21 credits of technical electives. If you’re unsure about how many credits you need to complete, please do not hesitate to talk with Engineering Academic Services
Technical Elective Streams
For preparing careers and further education, Material Engineering program offers four streams in technical electives. Please refer to the list below to identify which technical elective course satisfies each stream.
- Materials Manufacturing and Performance
- Minerals and Metals Extraction
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Aerospace Materials Engineering
These are sub-topical areas of materials engineering, and completion of a stream does not appear on your transcript or diploma.
- Following a stream is voluntary and students can take technical elective courses outside of their stream. Following or not following a stream does not impact on graduation.
- Students are recommended to take at least 4 courses (12 credits) from one of these streams to get the full benefit from that stream. Students do not need to take all of the courses within one stream.
- When following a stream, ensure to take at least 12 technical elective credits from MTRL courses.
- If a course you would be interested in taking is not on the technical elective list, please reach out to Engineering Academic Services for requesting a review.
- If you have taken a course that was recently discontinued, its credit will still be counted towards your stream credits. Please contact to Engineering Academic Services for questions.
MTRL Undergraduate Thesis Option
MTRL 499 – Undergraduate Thesis is available as a technical elective for students who are interested in exploring whether graduate school or a career in R&D is the right fit for them. This video and the course syllabus helps students understand how the course will run.
Skills Developed through MTRL 499
- Develop written communication skills for career and/or graduate studies
- Understand analytical and critical thinking
- Hands-on research experience
Who is the thesis option for?
- If you are considering proceeding to a graduate school to do your own research
- If you want to work in a research & development section in a company or research institution
Eligibility to take MTRL 499
- Third or fourth year class standing
- 80% or higher GPA in the most recent completed Winter Session
- Permission of the Thesis Program Coordinator
Application Process
- Supervisors will submit a two-page research proposal to Thesis Program Coordinator by April 15
- The proposals are distributed to MTRL students. By the end of April, student apply to the Thesis Program Coordinator to notify the project they’re interested in
- Program Coordinator will inform whether the student is assigned to the project
For professors who are interested in participating this initiative, please contact Dr. Kiana Amini.
Reduced Course Load Guidance
Please review our general advice on reduced courseload for BASc students, as well as the program-specific information below.
As the Materials Engineering program has limited numbers of pre-/co-requisites, students have flexibility to choose how many courses they take in each term.
However, if you choose to take the course in a different term or intend to register in a different section, a seat might not be available or conflict with other courses. Students are strongly encouraged to check restriction section of each course on Workday, if they are not following the standard schedule.
If you are considering taking fewer courses than the standard curriculum, we recommend students prioritize completing the following courses which will help you proceed in the program smoothly.
- MTRL 250 (Year 2 Term 1) – prerequisite for MTRL 251 in Year 2 Term 2
- MTRL 201 (Year 2 Term 2) – prerequisite for MTRL 320 in Year 3. MTRL 201 is also a requirement to proceed to Year 4 To learn more about this, you can view this under progression requirements on the academic standing page.
| Course | Sequencing Options |
|---|---|
| Complementary Studies Electives | Can be delayed to reduce course load |
| MATH 253 | Can be taken in the Summer Session between Year 1 and Year 2 to reduce Year 2 course load |
| STAT 251 | Can be taken in the Summer Session to reduce Year 3 course load |
Coordinated International Exchange & Co-op
Coordinated International Experience (CIE) exchange program is a specific term-based Go Global exchange program, which is customized for Applied Science undergraduate students.
Co-op is the best way to develop technical skills, make industry connections, gain hands-on experience, explore career options, and apply what you learn in the classroom to real-world problems. The UBC Applied Science Co-op Program is an optional program available to engineering students.
When to contact Materials Engineering directly
Engineering Academic Services is available to support Materials Engineering students with questions about course planning and registration.
Please contact the department directly for:
- Student groups
- Finance/reimbursement forms
- Student employment
- Room/lab Access requests
In case of any discrepancies between this page and the UBC Academic Calendar, the Calendar is to be considered correct.