Undergraduate Admissions

Materials engineers and scientists study the synthesis, processing, and characterization of substances within these general classes of materials: polymers, metals, semiconductors, ceramics, glass, and composites.

The Materials Science and Engineering Department is committed to providing students with a relevant education in materials science and engineering preparing them for productive and rewarding careers. 

MSE students are encouraged to select an area of concentration in one of seven areas in order to more fully define their course of study. Those areas include:

• Biomaterials
• Electronic and Optical
• Energy Conversion and Storage
• Metals
• Nanomaterials
• Polymers
• Packaging Materials

Students take courses in crystal chemistry and physics of materials, followed by more focused study of phase equilibria and the measurement of thermal, electrical, and optical properties.

The later stages of the curriculum emphasizes the intricate but defining relationships between structure, properties, and processing of engineering materials, with emphasis on applications and materials design.

In the senior year, undergraduates design their capstone course in preparation for graduate studies or an industrial career in the materials industry.

MSE faculty members are committed to teaching and the mentoring of students as they grow and mature through their studies. We take our teaching seriously and take pride in giving clear lectures, conducting interesting and effective laboratories, and taking students out into the real world on plant trips to see how materials science and engineering is applied in industry, commerce, and national laboratories.

Undergraduates are encouraged to participate in funded research projects alongside faculty advisors. The students carry out their research in state-of-the-art laboratories that are equipped with a range of characterization tools, processing equipment, and testing facilities, in addition to computing resources for multiscale modeling, from atomic level to macroscale.

Our graduates are known for their innovative spirit and their ability to integrate effectively in the commercial environment. They are in high demand by industry and are employed at excellent salaries by prominent companies. MSE students take jobs in industry and commerce, both at large Fortune 500 companies or at small startups.

Those going on to graduate school are well prepared and are highly recruited by prestigious graduate schools worldwide. Materials Science and Engineering also makes a great basis for going to medical school, law school, or to seek a business degree.