Welding Engineering MSc

This course will provide you with a fundamental understanding of welding technologies and an awareness of recent technical developments within the relevant industries. It will also improve your communication, presentation, analytical and problem solving skills. Our graduates are highly sought after by international companies using welding and joining technologies, and are able to attain positions of significant engineering responsibility.

In addition, you will be qualified to act as responsible persons as defined by European and international quality standards, and will have met a major part of the requirements for membership of the appropriate professional organisations with knowledge, skills and experience of managing research and development projects.

Welding is integral to the manufacture of a wide-range of products, from high power laser welding of large ships, to micro-joining of thin wires. Joining technologies continue to expand; and are used in the oil and gas; automotive; aerospace, nuclear, shipbuilding, and defense industries. Furthermore many of the student projects involve Wire + Arc Additive Manufacture which is a technology where Cranfield University is a world leader. All our projects are industrially linked and usually involve a new development never before undertaken. You will have the opportunity to be supervised by a world leading academic in this area.

There are numerous benefits associated with undertaking a postgraduate programme of study at Cranfield University, including:

Some organisations that we regularly work with and can be mentioned are:

The course comprises seven assessed modules, a group project and an individual research project. The modules include lectures and tutorials, and are assessed through practical work, written examinations, case studies, essays, presentations and tests. These provide the 'tools' required for the group and individual projects.

Taught modules 40%, Group projects 20%, Individual project 40%

The group project experience is highly valued by both students and prospective employers. Teams of students work to solve an industrial problem. The project applies technical knowledge and provides training in teamwork and the opportunity to develop non-technical aspects of the taught programme. Part-time students can prepare a dissertation on an agreed topic in place of the group project.

Industrially orientated, our team projects have support from external organisations. As a result of external engagement Cranfield students enjoy a higher degree of success when it comes to securing employment. Prospective employers value the student experience where team working to find solutions to industrially based problems are concerned.

This provides experience of undertaking research into a specific welding or Wire + Arc Additive Manufacture (WAAM) topic that is of interest and benefit to industry. For full-time students the project is performed using our state-of-the-art welding and WAAM equipment in the Welding Engineering and Laser Processing Centre. In some cases, it may be possible to undertake the research project with an industry sponsor at their premises. For part-time students, the research project is usually performed at their employer's premises.

Keeping our courses up-to-date and current requires constant innovation and change. The modules we offer reflect the needs of business and industry and the research interests of our staff and, as a result, may change or be withdrawn due to research developments, legislation changes or for a variety of other reasons. Changes may also be designed to improve the student learning experience or to respond to feedback from students, external examiners, accreditation bodies and industrial advisory panels.

To give you a taster, we have listed the compulsory and elective (where applicable) modules which are currently affiliated with this course. All modules are indicative only, and may be subject to change for your year of entry.

This module will enable you to gain an understanding of the physical principles and operating characteristics of selected welding processes, and of automated welding and welding sensors. The module is also intended to develop your skills in communication, project management, and research methods.

The aim of this module is to provide you with an understanding of the fundamentals of strength of materials and its application to weldments, and to appreciate the factors involved in design and performance of welded structures.

The aim of this module is to provide you with an understanding of the microstructures and metallurgical characteristics of welded joints in ferrous and non-ferrous alloys, formation of weld defects and how the metal and heat source interaction affects microstructure and strengthening behaviour of different alloys.

Within this module the factors which lead to weld defects are explained alongside joining and repair of ferrous and non-ferrous cast alloys, repair and cladding of structures subjected to wear and joining of coated steel.

The aim of this module is to enable you to to analyse the structure and properties of materials, to relate fabrication processes with structure and properties, assess how this determines materials properties, and apply this knowledge to materials in applications.

The aim of this module is to provide you with an understanding of the fundamentals of quality management related to welding fabrication, including quality systems and non-destructive examination, and to provide you with the knowledge to manage health and safety in welding.

The Course Director for this programme is Dr Wojciech Suder and the Admissions Tutor for this programme is Dr Iva Chianella.

The Welding Engineering MSc is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), The Welding Institute (TWI), Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3) and Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the requirements for further learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).

Candidates must hold a CEng accredited BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree to show that they have satisfied the educational base for CEng registration.

Please note accreditation applies to the MSc award, PgDip and PgCert (if offered) do not meet in full the further learning requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer.

Successful students develop diverse and rewarding careers in engineering management in a wide-range of organisations deploying welding technologies. Roles include the management of welding manufacturing operations, and management of design and fabrication of welded structures. The international nature of such activities means that career opportunities are not restricted to the UK. Cranfield graduates develop careers around the world in oil and gas, automotive, and aerospace sectors.

Cranfield’s Career Service is dedicated to helping you meet your career aspirations. You will have access to career coaching and advice, CV development, interview practice, access to hundreds of available jobs via our Symplicity platform and opportunities to meet recruiting employers at our careers fairs. Our strong reputation and links with potential employers provide you with outstanding opportunities to secure interesting jobs and develop successful careers. We will support you in the job application process for up to three years after graduation.

Applications need to be made online. Click the 'Apply now' button at the top of this page.

Once you have set up an account you will be able to create, save and amend your application form before submitting it.

Dr Wojciech SuderE: [email protected]

Cranfield University has been ranked amongst the world’s top universities in the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject.

In Engineering – Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing, Cranfield has been ranked 27th in the world and attaining top scores in Employer and Academic Reputation.

To help students find and secure appropriate funding we have created a funding finder where you can search for suitable sources of funding by filtering the results to suit your needs.

The Manufacturing and Materials Excellence ScholarshipScholarships are available to students for postgraduate master's study in the area of manufacturing and materials. Funding opportunities are available to recognise academic success and are open to students from anywhere in the world.

The Hingston ScholarshipThe Hingston Scholarship contributes towards Cranfield Manufacturing Masters tuition fee. The award amount is between £5,000 and £10,000 to be decided by the award panel. Applicants must be a UK citizen since birth.

GREAT China ScholarshipThe GREAT Cranfield University Scholarship China is jointly funded by Cranfield University and the British Council. Two scholarships of £11,000 each for Chinese students are available.

Masters Loan from Student Finance England

A Masters Loan is now available for UK applicants to help you pay for your Master’s course. You can apply for a loan at GOV.UK

Santander Scholarship

The Santander Scholarship at Cranfield University is worth £4,000 towards tuition fees for full-time master's courses. The scholarship is open to female students from the UK.

Commonwealth Scholarships for Developing Countries

Students from developing countries who would not otherwise be able to study in the UK can apply for a Commonwealth Scholarship which includes tuition fees, travel and monthly stipend for Master’s study.

Future Finance Student Loans

Cranfield University has partnered with Future Finance as an alternative source of funding for our students with loans of up to £40,000 available.

Chevening Scholarships

Chevening Scholarships are awarded to outstanding emerging leaders to pursue a one-year master’s at Cranfield university. The scholarship includes tuition fees, travel and monthly stipend for Master’s study.

Institution of Mechanical Engineers Postgraduate Masters Scholarship

IMechE is offering a number of postgraduate research Scholarships worth up to £6,500 to graduates with a 2:1 honours IMechE accredited BEng(Hons) degree to allow them to undertake an IMechE accredited Masters degree.

IGEM Postgraduate Masters ScholarshipThe Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM) is offering postgraduate Masters Scholarships worth £6,500 to those studying an Engineering Council accredited degree.

Royal Aeronautical SocietyThe Royal Aeronautical Society offer Centennial Scholarships for those studying an accredited course.

Institute of Materials, Minerals and MiningThe Edgar Pam Fellowship worth £2,000 is awarded for postgraduate study in subjects within the fields of minerals and mining.

A first or second class UK Honours degree in a relevant science, engineering or related discipline, or the international equivalent of these UK qualifications. Other sufficient and relevant qualifications, together with industrial experience, may be considered.

Applicants who do not fulfil the standard entry requirements can apply for the Pre-master's course, successful completion of which will qualify them for entry to this course for a second year of study.

To study for a formal award at Cranfield you will need to demonstrate that you can communicate effectively in English in an academic environment. Full details of how you can meet this requirement can be found in our English language requirements section.

Approved English tests for Welding Engineering MSc

Please note that:

IELTSIELTS Academic, IELTS Online, IELTS for UKVI Academic, IELTS Indicator* - 6.5 overall and 5.5 in all skill components.

TOEFLTOEFL iBT (we accept TOEFL iBT, TOEFL iBT Home Edition and TOEFL iBT Paper Edition) - 92 total and minimum skill component scores of 18 reading, 17 listening, 20 speaking and 17 writing.

Cambridge Assessment EnglishAny Cambridge Assessment English test meeting the required scores will be accepted. The following are recommended as being within the scale score range: Cambridge C1 Advanced, Cambridge C2 Proficiency, Linguaskill General - Cambridge English Scale score of 180 overall and 160 in all skill components.

KaplanKITE (Kaplan International Tools for English) - 475 overall and 410 in all skill components. Cranfield applicants and offer holders are entitled to a £25 discount, reducing the price of KITE to £65. Register for a test using the this form to benefit from the discount.

LanguageCertLanguageCert Academic - 70 overall and 59 in all skill components.International ESOL B2 Communicator (both the Written and Spoken tests must be taken), International ESOL SELT B2 (this test includes all 4 skill components) - High Pass overall and 33 in all skill components.

PasswordPassword Skills Plus - 6.5 overall and 5.5 in all skill components.

Pearson PTEPTE Academic, PTE Academic Online, PTE Academic UKVI - 65 overall and 59 in all skill components.

Trinity College LondonIntegrated Skills in English - ISE III (C1) - Overall Pass outcome.

*Only available in China.

Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP)

Applicants who do not already meet the English language entry requirement above can apply for one of our Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.

Please be aware that not all English tests are suitable for obtaining a Student visa for Pre-sessional study. You can check entry requirements on the Pre-sessional EAP course page.