Biomaterials, B. Sc.

Main points at a glance

Place of study: Campus Kleve
Duration of study: Standard period of study: 7 semesters in full-time study
Degree: Bachelor of Science, B.Sc.
Study language: English
Semester abroad or internship in industry: during the 6th semester
Bachelor thesis: in the second half of the 7^th semester

General information

This degree course is based on the job description of a material scientist or material expert who is engaged in the development and production of nearly all products of daily life: car, aeroplane, furniture, leisure time, food industry, medicine and pharmacy, textiles, IT, to mention only a few. Considering costs and environmental safety, for application with predetermined requirement profile, it is the material expert’s responsibility to use the appropriate material for the correct product.

Degree course Biomaterials at the University Rhein-Waal

Our degree course considers the fact that crude oil, as the most important raw material base of the past 100 years, is getting more expensive all the time and will steadily be less available in the foreseeable future. This means that alternatives become necessary, for example materials on the basis of animal or plant resources. During the past 15 years, this basis has been rediscovered and revised after biomaterials such as wool, cotton, natural rubber, horn or shellac had been taken for granted.

Public institutions (EU, Federal Government) as well as industry are currently spending millions of research funds on the development of basic materials of natural products, just like on the search of alternative sources of energy. This clearly shows that this is a focal point of material development aimed at the future which does not begin within the next 5 or 10 years, but already started 5 years ago. All industrial sectors work on innovative developments.

Content of degree course

Examples of developments, processes and products of basic materials will be presented in the degree course Biomaterials. The University Graduate shall be able to know, apply and further develop the conventional basic materials up to the latest developments in the field of material research.

Here, focus is put on special areas of application like leisure time, environment, aeroplanes, cars, medicine, textiles as well as special groups of basic materials like biodegradable materials. In addition to knowledge of basic materials, natural scientific background, analytics and ecology, the curriculum also contains economic science, integrated management systems (quality, environment, safety), legal aspects and cross-cultural competence.