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BSc in Materials and Nanotechnology Engineering
The Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Materials and Nanotechnology Engineering trains professionals with advanced competencies in materials engineering and application, with particular emphasis on the most innovative areas related to nanotechnology. The knowledge developed in understanding the structure and properties of metallic, polymeric, ceramic, and advanced materials — including nanomaterials, composite materials, and smart materials — enables materials and nanotechnology engineers to develop innovative materials with increasingly high performance. This expertise is applied to the informed selection and design of materials, aimed at fostering innovation in products and industrial processes. Given the cross-disciplinary nature of materials — which are present in every technological sector, including mechanical, chemical, electrical, electronic, telecommunications, energy, construction, transportation, biomedical, environmental, and cultural heritage fields — materials and nanotechnology engineers play a key role in driving technological innovation to address the future challenges of society.
The central educational objective of the Degree Programme in Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology is to develop an integrated understanding of the relationships among a material’s structure, its resulting properties, the manufacturing and processing routes (from the macroscopic down to the nanometric scale), and its selection for both structural and functional applications. This approach ensures a unique scientific and technical–applied preparation, suitable for a wide range of professional fields and rapidly evolving sectors. A distinctive feature of materials and nanotechnology engineers is their ability to apply fundamental knowledge of material structure and properties to the engineering development of increasingly efficient and high-performance materials. This is complemented by an understanding of the environmental impact of production processes and of materials’ life cycles, fostering informed and sustainable design.
The programme structure follows a progressive path. The first year is devoted to building foundational knowledge in core scientific and engineering disciplines (mathematics, physics, chemistry), together with an introduction to materials science and technology. The second and third years focus on the core subjects of materials engineering and nanotechnology, through courses dedicated to different classes of materials (metallic, polymeric, cement-based, and ceramic), solid mechanics, materials processing technologies, and nanotechnologies. A key integrative component is the third-year technological design laboratory, conceived to develop students’ transversal skills through experimental and team-based project activities. Throughout the programme, the engineering approach is progressively strengthened, emphasizing problem understanding, analysis, and solution. This enables students to acquire the ability to apply their technical knowledge to address even complex challenges related to the design, production, and selection of materials.
The professional profile of graduates in Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology is that of an engineer capable of making informed and optimized decisions regarding both material selection and manufacturing processes for a given component, taking into account the influence of processing on structure and properties. Graduates acquire the methodological tools needed to address challenges related to the development of both traditional and innovative materials, the management and optimization of production processes from a performance and economic and environmental sustainability perspective, as well as the design and assessment of components throughout their service life and end-of-life stages. This multidisciplinary preparation enables rapid entry into the job market, as well as the opportunity to pursue further studies. The vast majority of graduates in Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology at Politecnico di Milano continue their education in the Master of Science in Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology at the same institution.
In terms of career opportunities, materials and nanotechnology engineers are employed in industry for the production, processing, and recycling of materials across mechanical, chemical, electrical, electronic, telecommunications, energy, construction, transportation, biomedical, environmental, and cultural heritage sectors, as well as in roles related to materials analysis and quality control.
Information on study programme
Study programme coordinator: Prof. Giovanni Dotelli (giovanni.dotelli@polimi.it)
Study programme secretary: prof. Maria Vittoria Diamanti (mariavittoria.diamanti@polimi.it)
Information on admission process
Politecnico di Milano
School of Industrial and Information Engineering
Students representatives: rappresentantistudenti-ccsmateriali@polimi.it