Materials and Processing
Materials & Processing is concerned with all the processes and activities of converting raw materials and commodity materials into valuable products required by manufacturers or the end-consumer.
Processing our raw materials and commodity goods more effectively is important to New Zealand’s continuing economic welfare. We need to develop products that have significant value in world markets, and therefore must understand fully the properties of materials as diverse as food, wood, metals, plastics and fuel. We then need to know how to use this knowledge to design, manufacture and process these materials into high-value products such as dietary formulae, ceramics that can withstand high temperatures, titanium alloys, pharmaceuticals, laminated boards and functional proteins. It is also important to understand the properties of these high-value products and how they will interact with their environment, whether it be within the body or in the atmosphere.
This discipline serves industrial and other activities where material is undergoing a change, be it chemical, biochemical or physical. Process engineering involves knowing how to prepare feed materials, how to make reactions occur, separating and purifying products, controlling wastes, minimising energy usage, and ultimately adding value to the raw materials used to produce something useful to people. These skills form the basis for the majority of New Zealand’s export earnings.
Career Opportunities
- Biotechnologist
- Composite Engineer
- Manager
- Materials Scientist
- Process Engineer
- Product Developer
RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
PLANNING YOUR DEGREE
There are no formal prerequisites for entry into 100 Level papers in Materials & Processing. The best prepared candidates will have, at a minimum, completed Secondary study at Level 3 NCEA in Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and/or Technology. Nonetheless, students without this formal background who can demonstrate sufficient motivation are able to attempt these papers.
Year 1
100 Level – Papers are worth 15 points.
Prerequisites
» ENGG180 – Foundations of Engineering
» ENMP102 – Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering
It is a good idea to do at least two Mathematics papers, at least one Chemistry paper and one Physics paper.
Year 2
200 Level – Papers are worth 20 points unless specified.
Highly recommended papers
» ENMP211 – Materials 1
» ENMP221 – Engineering Thermodynamics
» 20 points from 200 Level Materials & Processing papers
Additional papers may be taken from other Materials and Processing papers offered at 200 Level or
can be supported by papers from other subjects. For example, students interested in Materials Science
are advised to take some Chemistry papers; students interested in Biotechnology are advised to take
200 Level Biological Sciences papers.
Year 3
300 Level – Papers are worth 20 points unless specified.
Students need to take at least 60 points at Level 300 in Materials and Processing.
Recommended papers
» ENMP311 – Materials 2
» ENMP321 – Process Engineering and Design
» 20 points from 300 Level Materials & Process Engineering papers
The other papers needed to complete the degree requirements of the BSc and BSc(Tech) may come from further optional papers in Materials & Processing, other science subjects or may even include some papers from other Faculties/Schools of Studies.
