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Welcome to the Department

We are delighted to welcome you to the Department of Materials, Design and Manufacturing Engineering

Department of Materials, Design and Manufacturing Engineering

Welcome from the Head of Department

Your first few days at university can be quite confusing and it may take time for you to settle into life as a student. At the University of Liverpool, we're very keen to ease your settling in period as much as possible and welcome events have been organised to facilitate our efforts to do so.

On behalf of the Department of Materials, Design, and Manufacturing Engineering, I am delighted to welcome you as a new student. The School of Engineering is a community of scholars working across more than a dozen subject areas, and we are sure you will benefit from the breadth and vitality that is possible in a School of this size, with world-class teaching and in-depth specialist expertise available to you.

We will work hard during your first few weeks to make your transition to postgraduate study as smooth as possible.

Your Programme Director and I look forward to welcoming you to the school.

Professor Jude Curran

 What to do next

1.  Getting University ready in 1, 2, 3

There are three key tasks you need to do before you join us:  

  1. Register for your computing account (MWS) 
  2. Complete academic registration – Stage 1 (checklist items) and Stage 2 (confirmation of engagement) 
  3. Upload your ID card before Wednesday 14 January 2026

We recommend you complete these three steps at your earliest opportunity to ensure an easy transition into student life.

If you haven’t already downloaded the My Liverpool App, please ensure you do this as the app will contain up to date event listings for your first few weeks.

2. Welcome events

School Welcome Events

On Wednesday 21 January, at 10am, there will be a welcome talk for all new postgraduate students from the Director of PGT, Dr Ming Li, where he will introduce you to the School.

Directly after that, at 11am, each Programme Director will give a specific welcome talk to students studying their programme and will answer any questions you might have about the course.

Directly after your Programme Director talks, there will be an Engineering social activity taking place and more details will be available on the My Liverpool App closer to the time.

During your studies, you will be required to use various online tools, some of which you might not have used before. During Welcome, you will be able to view video tutorials which will introduce you to the online tools you’ll be using and give you a chance to familiarise yourself with them before the start of term. These tutorials will show you how to use CANVAS, our Virtual Learning Environment; the timetabling app; and more.

International students will be automatically registered to ENGG595 – Technical Writing. As a result, at 1pm, after your Social Activity, there will be an English Diagnostic Test taking place which will determine if you should be exempt from this module.

Locations for these sessions will appear on the My Liverpool App closer to the time and you will also receive an email containing all the necessary information.

Postgraduate Welcome Event

To mark the beginning of your studies, you are invited to our Postgraduate Welcome Event at the Victoria Gallery & Museum (VG&M) on Wednesday 21 January 2026. This event will provide an opportunity to meet fellow students, connect with academic and support staff, and learn more about how we will support you throughout your time at Liverpool.  

The reception will include: 

  • A welcome address from Professor Gavin Brown, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education 
  • Short introductions from Careers and Employability, Libraries, and the Guild of Students 
  • A student panel discussing their postgraduate experience 
  • Networking, refreshments, plus time to explore the galleries.

Booking is essential. You can book your place on the Welcome webpages.

3.  Your student ID card

Once academically registered, you will receive a digital student ID card, however, all students will require a physical ID card as well and its important students receive this ID before starting their programme.

New students should upload an image for the student ID card to the Student Portal on, or before, Wednesday 14 January. Providing an image is uploaded and your academic registration is complete; you will be able to receive your student ID card.

For home students, cards will be delivered to the School of Engineering and will be given out by the Student Support Office to registered students. Students can collect these cards from 19 - 23 January between the hours of 9:30am and 12:30pm and 2pm and 4pm.

If you don’t upload your ID by 14 January, you will need to wait for 4 days after completion, and then you can collect it from the Careers Studio (765, Grid D7 on the Campus Map).

4.   International students

Registration for international students will take place in the Careers Studio from 26 January 2026, 10am - 4.30pm for two weeks. International registration is the process of confirming that you have arrived in Liverpool for your studies. You'll receive an email early in January with more information about this, and how to book an appointment to meet the team on campus with your documents.

Providing you uploaded your image on or before 14 January, your ID card will be delivered to Student Life and will be available to collect in the Here to Help Hub.

As with home students, if you don’t upload your ID by 14 January, you will need to wait for 4 days after completion, and then you can collect it from the Here to Help Hub.

The University runs a series of webinars ahead of your arrival, Get Ready for Liverpool. Once these sessions have taken place, you can access them online, and feel equipped with all the information you need to settle in and thrive as a Liverpool student.

View the on-demand sessions now

5.   View your programme timetable

You will be able to access your teaching timetable via the Timetable Portal and the Timetables app (the academic timetable will available closer to your start date, usually in the first week of January).

Please be aware that there may be changes to your timetable over the first few weeks of term so please check your online timetable regularly.

6.   Student Support Services

We understand your first few days at university can be quite confusing and it might take time for you to settle into your new surroundings and life as a student. For some of you, this might also be your first time away from home.

At the Student Service Centre, the specialist teams are available to help with any practical, financial, emotional, or general issues. They will also be able to direct you to the most appropriate services across the University. Here you will find Money, Advice and Guidance, International Advice and Guidance, Disability Support, and the Student Wellbeing Team.

The Student Support Office is also always on hand to help with any issue you might be facing, be it academic or personal. We are located on the 1st floor of Harrison Hughes (Building 238, Grid C8 on the Campus Map) and students are encouraged to drop in and see us, not just during your first few weeks, but throughout your studies.

Within the Faculty of Science and Engineering, we also have a team of Learning and Teaching Support Officers who are available to listen to any concerns or worries you might have.

The Liverpool Guild of Students (Student Societies)

Liverpool Guild of Students (LGoS) is the Students' Union for the University of Liverpool. Here you can join the Liverpool Engineers Society, the largest academic society at the University.

Teaching Plans for 2025/26

During the academic year, your time spent on campus will include timetabled, in-person teaching sessions for interactive elements of your course, such as seminars, tutorials, workshops, practical classes, and lab-based activities. Wherever possible, you will be expected to attend your timetabled sessions on campus and attendance will be recorded at these sessions. You will also be expected to undertake independent study, outside of your timetable, and you will have access to our two libraries which will be fully open to support you with this.

While on campus, you’ll be able to benefit from our many and varied student facilities. These include our sports and leisure facilities, on-campus catering, Guild of Students, Student Support Services, and Careers Studio.

Our Department’s plans

For us in the Department of Materials, Design, and Manufacturing Engineering, we’re excited to welcome you all and in terms of teaching delivery, you should expect the following:

In-person teaching

Our in-person learning sessions will offer you the valuable opportunity to regularly interact with other students and your tutors to discuss topics, engage in thoughtful debate, or ask for support. They will also provide full access to any specialist learning environments, including laboratories, studios and practical training rooms, that you need as part of your programme.

In the Department of Materials, Design, and Manufacturing Engineering, you should expect to attend in-person teaching for the following types of sessions: project work, problem classes, laboratory classes, tutorials, seminars and design classes.

Need more information?

You can find your way around campus by using our Campus Map.

Engineering Student Support Office

If you would like any further information about the School of Engineering before you arrive in September, please contact our staff in the Student Support Office on 0151 794 4705.

You can also contact our staff via email: soepgt@liverpool.ac.uk

If you are in Liverpool before your Welcome activities begin and you have any questions, you can also come and see us. The Student Support Office is based on the 1st floor of the Harrison Hughes Building (Building 238, Grid C8 on the Campus Map).