Solid mechanics studies the behavior of solid materials, and in particular, their motion and deformation under the action of forces, temperature changes, phase changes, and other external or internal agents.

Solids manifest themselves through a wide range of applications, like Manufacturing (material innovation, additive manufacturing), Civil engineering structures, Transport (air, land, space), Health (biomechanics, pharmaceuticals), Environment (contamination, sustainable development), Energy (mainly renewable energies), Food industry (processing methods).

Thus, solid mechanics is fundamental for mechanical, civil, aerospace, nuclear, and biomedical engineering, for geology, and for many branches of physics, such as materials science. 

Given the significant increase in knowledge in all these fields today, there is a need for highly qualified managers and engineers with advanced skills in solid mechanics.

Openness in disciplines is ensured by thematic complementarity and a strong mobility of students with four main specializations: (1) Computational Mechanics, (2) Mechanics of Materials, (3) Mechanics of Structures, (4) Material Design. It differs from the classic tree structure of many international training courses. The Master's degree aims at motivated students who have a scientific maturity and a clear vision of their professional career. They are thus encouraged to increase their autonomy and to play an active role in forming the learning process.

The award of a joint diploma, rather than national diplomas, demonstrates the homogeneity of the international curriculum.

The University of Lille, Centrale Lille (France), the National Technical University of Athens (Greece), the Université catholique de Louvain (Belgium), Wrocław University of Science and Technology (Poland) and the University of Calabria (Cosenza, Italy) offer a unique joint Master's programme in Advanced Solid Mechanics, a 2-year course in English, designed for students wishing to develop their knowledge and skills in materials and structure modeling.