The 6th International Symposium on Advanced Processing and Manufacturing Technologies for Structural and Multifunctional Materials and Systems was held in January 2012 during the 36th International Conference and Exposition on Advanced Ceramics and Composites. This symposium examined progress resulting from the research and development of advanced processing and manufacturing technologies for a wide variety of non-oxide and oxide-based structural ceramics, particulate and fiber-reinforced composites, and multifunctional materials. This issue features seventeen of those papers, representing some of the most important developments in processing and manufacturing technologies.