It is part of the university's Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division Around 190 staff work in the Department of Materials full-time, including professors, lecturers, independent fellows, researchers and support staff.

[2] Other Chairs in the department include the Vesuvius Chair of Materials held by Patrick Grant FREng, Professor in the Physical Examination of Materials formerly held by David Cockayne FRS and the James Martin Chair in Energy Materials held by James Marrow.

The department offers undergraduate degrees in Materials Science and Materials, Economics and Management, having around 160 undergraduates, and around 240 postgraduate students, particularly DPhil students pursuing advanced research.

In addition, the department has extensive facilities at Begbroke Science Park, north of the city, which was purchased and founded on behalf of the university by Professor Brian Cantor when he was head of the department in the 1990s.

[6] The Department of Materials has instruments for high-resolution electron microscopy and microanalysis.