Mohsin El-Moussaoui

Mohsin El-Moussaoui is from Lancashire in the UK, and graduated from the MSc in Advanced Engineering Materials in 2008. Now working as a Mechanical Construction Engineer, Mohsin tells us about his experiences of the course, and why he chose to study for his MSc at Manchester.

As an engineer I feel it is necessary to better understand the material properties that are used in engineering applications.

I chose The University of Manchester because this is where I studied for my undergraduate degree and I found that the academic experience here was of distinct quality - and Manchester is a fantastic place to live! The School of Materials also has many links with huge companies, for example, during my MSc I completed a project on behalf of Airbus, Bombardier and Doncasters.

So, what are you doing now?

I am working as a Mechanical Construction Engineer for a company that constructs Power Stations globally. When I first joined the company in September 2008 I was sent to Switzerland to complete a 2-month training course. I am now working on my first project based in Nottinghamshire building Europe's largest gas fired power station. My role is to work as part of a team that supervises the sub-contractor companies which carry out the installation of the mechanical and electrical equipment.

Once the project is complete I will be moving on to a new project that can be anywhere globally, hopefully it will be somewhere a bit warmer than Nottinghamshire!

How do you think your study at the School of Materials has helped your career?

The MSc Advanced Engineering Materials course has given me a sound foundation in understanding the core principles and techniques used in constructing the mechanical equipment of the power station. Pipe installation is a major part of this construction phase, some of the pipes have to withstand high temperatures and pressures therefore only specialist alloys can be used, so it is important to understand the material properties of the alloys during the construction phase so that the integrity is not compromised when using techniques such as welding.

What would you say have been the main benefits of this course to you?

The course has given me a better understanding of how material properties can limit or enhance the performance of different engineered components, along with an insight into how materials can be manipulated for different uses in different engineering applications. I think that a major benefit of the course is that half way through completing the MSc I had three graduate job offers with leading engineering companies.

It wasn't all been about study, what were the main highlights of your time in Manchester?

Meeting friends for life from a variety of different backgrounds and cultures and also taking up Thai Boxing at the student sports centre.

Any final tips or advice for students looking to study a similar subject to you?

Don't be put off if you're coming from a non-materials science academic background - the course is structured in such a way that by the end of it you'll think you've been a materials scientist all your life.