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Advanced Strength of Materials

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  • Level of study:
    Professional
  • Entry Requirements:
    More information
  • Start date:
    6 February 2027
  • Duration:
    6 and 19 February, 6 and 19 March 2027. Saturdays 9 am - 5 pm, four sessions
  • Attendance:
    Part-time
  • Course delivery:
    On-campus (City Campus)
close up of construction site

About this course

This course examines the main concepts, theories and principles applied for explaining the mechanical behaviour of materials under various states of stress and strain conditions.

It provides you with an in-depth understanding of the major principles used in evaluating the response of construction materials to stresses and deformation.

Successful completion can also contribute 15 credits towards a postgraduate award.

  • Accelerate your career

    Gain new skills and knowledge that are relevant to the industry today.

  • Part-time learning

    Attend one session per week and fit your studies around your busy work schedule.

  • Expert tutors

    Learn from those who have bring industry experience, teaching skills and research to their subject.

  • Study for credit or certificate

    Gain a certificate that confirms your CPD hours, or build credit towards a qualification in the future.

By attending this course, you’ll develop an advanced knowledge related to the constitutive laws governing the behaviour of materials subject to deformation due to various types of loading.

You’ll develop the ability to interpret how and why material fails based on technical argument of the theories of material failure, and the skills to interrelate the results.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

  • comprehensively explain engineering principles associated with the mechanical behaviour of various construction materials
  • produce computer based models to systematically assess the mechanical behaviour of various construction materials used in structural engineering (and be aware of their limitations)
  • appraise the design process as it is affected by the mechanical behaviour of various construction materials, and adapt techniques and apply solutions to a wide range of applications.

Module information

Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll be studying throughout the course:

This course will include:

  • the mechanical properties of materials (modulus of elasticity, shear modulus, bulk modulus etc)
  • stress-strain relationships (linear elastic, nonlinear elastic, elasto-plastic and visco-elastic)
  • unsymmetrical bending of non-standard sections
  • torsional stresses of non-circular and thin-walled sections, and the effect of warping, elastic membrane (soap film) analogy and plastic (sand hill) analogy
  • complex stress and strain analysis, plane stress, plane strain and xisymmetric analysis of solid bodies
  • theories of material failure, including Tresca, Von Meises and MohrColomb
  • experimental stress-strain analysis.

We regularly review our course content based on student and employer feedback to ensure they remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or availability in future years. Optional modules will only run where there is sufficient demand. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis to protect the academic and student experience.

How you're taught

Teaching and learning will take place using a flexible programme of lectures, workshops, seminars and tutorials.

Who will teach you?

Entry requirements

UK students

You should have a minimum of three years’ professional experience and have the support of your employer to integrate study and projects into your day-to-day work.

You will probably be employed on significant infrastructure or building works, with experience of developing and coordinating projects.

If you wish to receive credit, you should also have a 2:2 honours degree in a construction-related subject.

Applicants with non-standard entry qualifications and/or relevant experience will be considered on an individual basis.

International students

You should have a minimum of three years’ professional experience and have the support of your employer to integrate study and projects into your day-to-day work.

You will probably be employed on significant infrastructure or building works, with experience of developing and coordinating projects.

If you wish to receive credit, you should also have a 2:2 honours degree in a construction-related subject.

Applicants with non-standard entry qualifications and/or relevant experience will be considered on an individual basis.

Fees and funding

UK students

- see the fees for this course, as well as information about funding and support.

The fee for this course is £1,200.

Payment is due before the course starts.

International students

- see the fees for this course, as well as payment advice and scholarships.

The fee for this course is £1,200.

Payment is due before the course starts.

Careers and employability

Certificate of attendance and digital badge

Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a digital certificate of attendance and a digital badge powered by Accredible.

Your digital credential is more than just a certificate – it’s secure, verifiable, and protected against fraud through encryption and blockchain technology.

They also come with detailed metadata, including an overview of the skills you have achieved on the course, evidence of completion, and assessment criteria if appropriate.

Share your achievements seamlessly with friends, customers, and potential employers online, and proudly add your badge or certificate to social media platforms such as LinkedIn, so all the right people can see it.

  • Employability Promise

    Personalised support, one-on-one coaching and industry-specific advice – it’s all part of our Employability Promise. And it doesn’t end when you leave NTU – you’ll have access to all our careers services for three years after you graduate (conditions apply).

  • NTU Enterprise

    If you’re a budding entrepreneur, NTU Student Enterprise can help you to develop your ideas and innovations and turn them into a reality. We also offer training, mentoring, workshops, financial advice and more to develop your business skills.

Campus and facilities

City Campus facilities

Many of your lectures and seminars will take place in the Newton building on our City Campus.

IT resources

Our IT resource rooms and PC clusters are distributed across our City Campus, with PCs providing access to Microsoft Office, email, web browsing, networked file storage and high-speed online printing services, with a free printing allowance for each student.

Resource rooms are available 24 hours a day.

Books and library resources

Our state-of-the-art Boots library will give you access to an extensive and diverse range of books and periodicals that focus on specialist areas within the built environment. The library's OneSearch system provides access to all our electronic resources, journals and books.

Within the library there is a liaison librarian who has specialist subject knowledge and can offer detailed help in finding and using print and electronic resources, and also with areas such as Harvard referencing and research skills.

Workshops and laboratories

Our Maudslay building boasts a number of industry-standard workshops and facilities. Supported by a team of expert technical staff, we offer woodwork and metal workshops, model-making studios, structural testing equipment, concrete, soil and materials laboratories.

Applying

UK students

Please read the guidance notes and complete the application form.

You should then email your form to be considered by the academic team.

Please read our notes on the University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.

If you have any questions about how to apply, contact the short course team:

Apply now

International students

Please read the guidance notes and complete the application form.

You should then email your form to be considered by the academic team.

Please read our notes on the University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.

If you have any questions about how to apply, contact the short course team:

Application support

If you have any questions, just drop us a line – we’re here to help every step of the way. You can fill in our online form or give us a call on +44 (0)115 848 2999.

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Keeping in touch

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