Marianne Bowry - Norwich High School 1991- 1998

Consider a Career in Materials Science and Engineering

I enjoyed Chemistry and Maths at school, and wanted to do a vocational degree so I decided to study engineering. My degree was in Clinical Engineering and Materials Science. I chose this because unlike most engineering fields which are predominately physics based, this course entailed more chemistry (and some biology).

Clinical Engineering is the study and design of devices used within the medical field. From heart valves to hip joints, dental fillings to pacemakers. It’s ideal for people who want to use science and engineering to work within the area of medicine. My degree concentrated on biomaterials, which is the study of how the materials of these medical devices interact with the hostile environment of the body, which is vitally important as any adverse reaction could harm the patient.
The other half of my degree was in Materials Science. Everything that is manufactured has been made of the most ideal material for that application. It has been chosen for its cost effectiveness, ease of manufacture and properties. Materials Science is the study and optimisation of these materials.

Metallurgy and Materials Science is currently a low competitive field of engineering. There are too many university places, and not enough students going through. As such there are excellent prospects for a job at the end of it.

When I graduated I chose to follow the metallurgy area of my degree. I wanted to carry on studying, but also wanted to gain industrial experience. I am currently studying for a four year Engineering Doctorate (Eng.D), in which I undertake industrially based research projects for Rolls-Royce plc (aerospace division). My doctorate theme is about understanding fracture surfaces on failed aero-engine components, and as I’m based in the company’s Failure Investigation team, I’m gaining experience of real components and real problems. Rolls-Royce is a fantastic opportunity for me as it’s a global company. There’s the possibility of placements in their America and Germany sites during my Eng.D (and a high chance of a job offer at the end). I’ll also be going on some international conferences to present my work.
I enjoy the problem solving aspect of failure investigation, which is all about trying to work out why something failed, given the fracture surface details, the component service conditions and the material properties.

I’m obviously only at the start of my career, however in the short time since leaving school, I’ve found a profession that I really enjoy, as it involves using science to solve real problems.

To succeed in any of the fields of Materials Science you’ll need a degree in a suitable science or engineering (preferably materials science or metallurgy). You’ll also need to enjoy solving practical problems, be it for designing and researching new materials, improving current materials for a particular application, or trying to work out what’s gone wrong when something fails.
For a career in medical engineering you need to be interested in how the body works, and how equipment and materials can be used to help when things go wrong. Doctors and nurses today would be unable to do their job without the necessary tools developed by medical engineers.

Materials Science is a challenging, forward moving subject, with a broad range of applications. New technology is being created all the time, and it’s up to materials scientists to create new, improved materials to enable this technology to work in the real world.