INTRODUCTION

The Master of Science in “Mechanics of Materials and Structures” (MMS) of the Universitat de Girona – UdG (Spain) is an official Master’s degree of the European Higher Education Area. The master MMS is aimed at students who wish to develop their knowledge and skills in the field of the mechanical behaviour of materials and structures. The objective of MMS is to link the current knowledge of theories of the behaviour of materials with the most innovative techniques in structural engineering.


PHASES OF THE MASTER

The Master MMS may be taken full-time in one year (October to September). However, physical presence is only required for 6 months (October to March); then the master’s thesis can be performed elsewhere (company, university abroad, etc.). The Master may also be taken part-time over two years for those students that have a job at the same time.

The Master MMS is of 60 ECTS (European Credit) and it is organized in three phases:

Phase 1. From beginning October to end January: 6 mandatory subjects, 4 quarterly plus 2 annual. Each subject has 6 ECTS. These subjects give a common background on Solid Mechanics and Computational Methods to all MMS students. They are:

- The finite element method in structural mechanics
- Solid mechanics
- Fracture mechanics
- Pre and post-process tools for structural finite element analyses
- Applied mechanics of materials and structures
- Seminars on mechanics of materials and structures

Phase 2. From beginning February to end March: optional subjects plus the 2 annual subjects. Each optional subject has 3 ECTS. The Master MMS programs eight optional subjects and the student has to select, at least, four optional subjects. They are:

- Design and analysis of composites with finite elements 
- Manufacturing and experimental techniques for composites
- Advanced structural analysis
- Optimisation in engineering mechanics 
- Mechanical design with finite elements
- Structural dynamics 
- Advanced constitutive modelling 
- Composites for construction

As you can see, the classes are done intensively and in only 6 months all are done.

Phase 3. Master Thesis: 12 ECTS. It can be started at any time during the academic course, but typically it is started once the teaching classes are finished (i.e. end March). The Master Thesis must be finished before mid-September.

With the intention of helping in the selection of the optional subjects (Phase 2), the master is organized in four different Modules. However, it is worth mentioning that the student is free of selecting any desired optional subject and at the end of the master, no additional specialization diploma is awarded. These Modules are:

The syllabus of each Module of the Master in Mechanics of Materials and Structures (Composites, Structures, Solid Mechanics, Computation Mechanical Design) places special emphasis on computational techniques, mechanics of materials, advanced structural design, experimental techniques and mechanical optimisation. The complete description of each subject can be found in UdG webpage and in “Modules” menu.


QUALITY

The MMS holds AQU accreditation of Excellence 2015 and 2020!

The Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency, AQU Catalunya, awarded again the MMS master with the AQU accreditation of Excellence (May 2020). This is the second award received since in previous accreditation of November 2015, the MMS received the same honorable mention.

The accreditation of Excellence is awarded to less than 5% of all Bachelor and Master Degrees in Catalunya. The associated documents of Quality of MMS master can be found in UdG webpage, and also in the “The Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency, AQU Catalunya”‘s webpage. Interesting additional information related to the Master MMS’s outputs (Employment indicators; Admission and Enrollment; Performance) can be found also on the AQU’s webpage.

This accreditation follows a quality assessment process that all official university qualifications must pass in line with the standards and guidelines set by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). This accreditation analyzes the training program, the effectiveness of the systems for learning, the professional insertion of the graduates, the interaction between teaching and research, and the internationalization of the degree.


DOUBLE DEGREE AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER UNIVERSITIES

The Master MMS holds different Double Degree Agreements with other universities. The current agreements are (you can download the associated document by clicking on each):

If you are interested in creating a new agreement, please contact the coordinator of MMS Master.

The Modules

Master MMS – Composites

The contents of the Module in Composites provide the student with the capabilities to design and process advanced composites for structural applications, preparing him/her for an engineer career in a related industry.

Master MMS – Solid Mechanics

The contents of this Solid Mechanics Module provide the student with the capabilities to solve and analyse non-linear solid mechanics problems by using advanced analysis and modelling techniques.

Master MMS – Structures

The contents of the Structures Module provide the student with the capabilities to develop and improve structural designs and applications by using advanced materials, analysis, and modelling techniques.

Master MMS – Computation Mechanical Design

The contents of the Computational Mechanical Design Module provide the student with the capabilities to develop and improve mechanical designs and applications by using advanced computational analysis and modelling techniques.

Former Students

The MMS course is designed such that the students taking up this Master’s course will definitely move on to an industrial or will embark on a research career. The academic staffs who teach us are all well renowned researchers with great publications. The level of sharing and support from academic staff is exceptional, they are not only friendly, but are also encouraging by involving each student into the research environment.

There are a huge number of opportunities for further training, both within and outside the university. Master’s course helped me to develop a lot of practical skills and recognize the direction of my future career.

Mr. Bharath Ravindran, Master Student 2014-2015
Teachers and students form a very good organization to grow and survive together.

I mean the study environment does not exist only in the form of teaching but also in manner that students and teachers can exchange ideas and opinions, and the professors are very supportive.

I decided to do the Master of Science in Mechanics of Materials and Structures to improve my knowledge in this area and the use of software and tools for the development of the PhD.

This Master has led me to get my first publication and recently to be selected to present the work in the SAMPE-Europe Student Conference.

The master provide me deep understanding of the mechanical phenomena involved on composite materials, including Classical Laminate Theory, Finite Element Analysis, fracture mechanics and constitutive laws.

The learning environment was very pleasant and motivating. An important knowledge sharing and collaboration between both professors and colleagues was produced.

Mr. Marc Crescenti, MMS Master Student 2009-2011