Master's in Materials Science Powered by Large Scale Facilities (MaMaSELF²) Technical University of Munich

Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Germany
Université de Rennes 1, France
Université de Montpellier, France
Università di Torino, Italy
Adam Mickiewitz University, Posnan, Poland

The language of instruction is English.

This two-year European Master's programme in Material Science aims to build up a European platform at university level strongly involving "large scale research facilities". The Master's degree is awarded by two out of the six partner universities: Posnan (PL), Rennes 1 (F), Montpellier (F), Torino (I), Technische Universität München (DE), and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE).
Admission criteria are a BSc degree (or the equivalent – 180 ECTS) in physics, chemistry, geoscience, or materials science, together with a proficient level of scientific English.
This Master's course of study aims to promote the scientific collaboration between universities, large scale facilities, and industry. Its main objective is to provide skilled scientific and technological manpower in materials science in order to increase the contribution and use of large scale facilities both for industrial and fundamental research. Students will obtain wide background knowledge in exploring materials with neutrons or synchrotron radiation during a summer school lasting two weeks. State-of-the-art experimental beamline set-ups of spectrometers and diffractometers at synchrotron sources, nuclear reactors as well as on spallation sources will be introduced for different applications. Students should be able to choose the right source and instrumentation with respect to resolution, time-scale, and energy needed for a given scientific problem. Students will also be asked to write their own proposal and to conduct an experiment at large scale facilities. Several important European large scale facilities, such as FRM II (Munich, Germany), PSI (Switzerland), ESRF and ILL (Grenoble, France), LLB (Saclay, France), and DESY (Hamburg, Germany), strongly support this Master's course of study. They will co-organise the summer school and will host students in the second half of their studies to follow research activities previously agreed between a university professor and scientists from the large scale facilities.

The Master's programme starts with a Welcome Week for all participants at University of Rennes, France. Students spend their first year at one of the partner universities. After a summer school at University of Montpellier, France, students start the second year of their Master's at another partner university. The fourth semester is dedicated to the Master's thesis, which can be performed at universities, at large scale facilities or at one of our partner institutions.

Non-EU applicants: 31 January for the following winter semester
EU applicants: 28 February for the following winter semester

Current dates are shown on the website: https://www.mamaself.eu/

The MaMaSELF participation cost is 6,000 EUR/year for non-EU students and 3,000 EUR for EU students.
Universities participation costs and health insurance are included in the programme fee. 

Scholarship holders are free from any participation cost.

First year:
The first year consists of lectures, practical classes, and hands-on training sessions yielding 60 ECTS. The teaching of the "Material Science" part of the programme will take place at one of these partner universities: Rennes 1 (F), Montpellier (F), Torino (I), Technische Universität München (DE), and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE).
Before the start of the academic year, all students will gather in Rennes by mid-September to attend the "welcome week". They will be welcomed by the coordinating team, given assistance for the administrative steps to be taken and, last but not least, they will have the opportunity to get to know each other before leaving to attend the university they have selected.

Summer school:
At the end of the first year, all students are expected to participate in a two-week summer school in Montpellier, which offers an excellent introduction to the use of "large scale facilities". The core of the lectures will be given by the scientists responsible for the Master's course of study in each of the six universities (J. Kubicki, W. Paulus, S. Bordiga, Ph. Rabiller, W. Petry and W. Schmahl), exhibiting a huge background in this area. Each year, the core lectures will be supported by specific seminars given by other university colleagues and by researchers who come directly from national or European large scale facilities centres.
During these two weeks, the topic of the Master's thesis will be chosen by the student from a list of subjects proposed by the staff of the institutions involved.

Second year:
Each student has to move to one of the other six universities (Rennes 1 (F), Montpellier (F), Torino (I), Technische Universität München (DE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE) and AMU Posnan (PL). During the second year, students concentrate on the research project they have chosen. The thesis work itself will take six months (12 months at TUM) and is generally closely related to the use of "large scale facilities" for applied or academic research problems.
The research topic can be supervised and located at large scale facilities, but will then be jointly supervised by an adviser of one of the consortium institutions. The research work is finalised by a written dissertation, which must be defended in front of a committee.
European students may write their Master's theses at another partner institution in Japan (Kyoto University, Uji, Yamanashi University), Switzerland (PSI/ETH Zurich), or India (IIT Madras).

• Mobility programme
• International students
• Welcome Week and summer school in France
• Thesis can be written in several European countries.

During the first year in France, students have to complete a two-month internship.

6,000 EUR

The MaMaSELF participation cost is 6,000 EUR/year for non-EU students and 3,000 EUR for EU students.
Universities participation costs and health insurance are included in the programme fee. 

Scholarship holders are free from any participation cost.

Included in the MaMaSELF participation costs

900-1,000 EUR in Munich, less in other consortium locations

A BSc degree (180 ECTS) or equivalent in physics, chemistry, geoscience, or materials science
Selection will be made on a competitive basis. In order to ensure an excellent student/professor ratio, the number of selected students is limited to 30.

TOEFL 88, IELTS 6.5, CAE, except for applicants who are natives of English-speaking countries

Non-EU applicants: 31 January for the following winter semester
EU applicants: 28 February for the following winter semester

Current dates are shown on the website: https://www.mamaself.eu/

Scholarships are available: 33,600 EUR/two years

Due to the intense nature of the programme, students will have little time for jobs.

It’s not easy to find a place to live in Munich – but it’s not impossible either! The Technical University of Munich (TUM) supports students and staff in their search for accommodation by providing personal advice, in-house listings and useful information to ensure that you can quickly find a place to call your own.

For more information, see: https://www.tum.de/en/studies/during-your-studies/living-and-working/accommodations.