GENERAL PRESENTATION AND OBJECTIVES
This program lasts 1 semester dedicated to courses and a supervised project. It is entirely taught in English.
The Material Sciences for Sustainable Construction program (MSSC or SMCD in French) provides the essential scientific foundations for a multidisciplinary and multiscale approach, covering not only the construction field but also extending to areas such as the agrifood industry, the cosmetics industry and the environment. The syllabus allows the students to master the optimization of the materials production, their properties in use and their durability under defined environmental conditions. The objective of the MSSC program is to provide students with the necessary tools to study existing materials and design new ones. The goal is to cultivate a broader skill set, aiming to develop well-rounded specialists.
The pursuit of sustainable development implies new requirements for materials. They must be:
- insulating, light and safe,
- easy to develop and implement,
- durable and resistant,
- recyclable and recoverable at their end of life,
- saving energy and raw.
Even if in the last few years, there has been a noticeable progress, many issues remain untackled. The only response to these new challenges is to combine multiple approaches in engineering, such as scientific, technical and industrial aspects.
The program's benefits are:
- multidisciplinarity (mechanics, physics, life cycle assessment, chemistry and applied mathematics notions),
- wide open vision of research and innovation in materials sciences,
- an opportunity to meet internationally recognized researchers,
- close contact with industrial and academic research,
- personalized supervision
PLEASE NOTE : it is possible to enroll in the program as a Master, delivering a degree, for the entire academic year (semester 1 being the coursework and semester 2 being a 6 month internship) : if this opportunity interests you, please refer to this page. and ask your Direction of International Relations if you are allowed to apply under the cooperation agreement with Ecole nationale des ponts et chaussées.
OPPORTUNITIES
The knowledge acquired in the MSSC/SMCD programme enables students to pursue a career in research and innovation after the graduation in their home university. They can either work in a research laboratory or in a company.
Here are a few places where students who graduated from the whole Master's programme :
- are working : Holcim, Saint Gobain, Michelin, L'Oréal, Nestlé, Vinci, Total Energies, ...
- have prepared a PhD : Ecole nationale des ponts et chaussées, ETH Zürich, Imperial College London, Harvard University .
COURSES
Reminder : all the courses are taught in English.
• Physical chemistry of cementitious materials DPCMC - 2,5 ECTS
J.B. d’Espisnose (Professor ESPCI University PSL)
• Biobased construction materials MABIOC - 2,5 ECTS
Ph. Coussot (Professor École nationale des ponts et chaussées)
• Imaging of random media MARAME - 2,5 ECTS
M. Bornert (Professor École nationale des ponts et chaussées)
• Nuclear magnetic resonance in material sciences NMRMA - 2,5 ECTS
B. Maillet (Research Engineer Université Gustave Eiffel)
● Sustainable Construction SUSCO - 3,5 ECTS
A. Feraille (Professor École nationale des ponts et chaussées)
• Soft Matter RHEMM - 2,5 ECTS
O. Pitois (Senior Scientist Université Gustave Eiffel)
• Poromechanics & Physics of Porous Solids DPMPM - 3,5 ECTS
M. Vandamme (Professor École nationale des ponts et chaussées)
• Molecular Simulation SIMUL- 2,5 ECTS
A. Lemaître (Professor École nationale des ponts et chaussées)
• Fluids and grains : mixing and rheology MSFMG - 2,5 ECTS
F. Chevoir (Professor École nationale des ponts et chaussées)
P. Jop (Scientist CNRS)
• Complex Fluids FLCPX - 2,5 ECTS
X. Chateau (Professor École nationale des ponts et chaussées)
• Raw earth: a building material for tomorrow - One week workshop EARTH - 3 ECTS
X. Chateau (Professor École nationale des ponts et chaussées)
CALENDAR
► Next fall semester session: September 2024 to January 2025
► Nomination deadline: March 24th 2024
► Application deadline: March 31st 2024
CONTACT
Testimonies
"The SMCD program has indeed been an enlightening journey, characterized by a flexible, diverse, and multidisciplinary curriculum. Delving into various approaches like physics, chemistry, mechanics, and simulations to comprehend material behavior has significantly expanded my knowledge, particularly in engineering disciplines. Learning from experienced and prominent professors has been a valuable asset, allowing me to draw from their rich expertise. This program has not only equipped me with a profound understanding of sustainable materials but has also provided a unique opportunity to start my career in research in the domain of earthen materials," Ghida, 2022-2023.
"The SMCD program was a determining factor in the following steps of my career. It may have been due to the passion the professors showed for their specific subjects or perhaps the level of comprehension being passed down to me as a student, perhaps even both. Through conclusion of the SMCD courses, I was more than confident that I had the tools and the motivation to pursue a PhD. However, more than just knowledge and passion for science, the course also opened many doors to continue working with material science in the industry or in academia, thanks to its renown and the contact with the teachers. I did not need to search for a PhD or a role as a materials engineer, I had the opportunity of choosing one," João, 2022-2023.