A Proud History of Materials Science and Engineering at Rutgers

As one of the nation’s oldest Departments of Materials Science and Engineering, we have made history for more than a century. Originally established in 1902 as a School of Ceramics, we are today an internationally renowned center of innovation and research. 

While our name and curriculum have changed and evolved over the years, our mission remains the same: to prepare students for productive and rewarding careers through a relevant and rigorous education. 

Since graduating our first three students in 1903, we have granted more than 1,500 BS, MS, and PhD degrees and grown a world-class faculty. 

Research Areas 

Federal and state agencies, as well as national and regional industry have historically supported pioneering departmental research projects in: 

• Glass, ceramics, and hard materials 

• Polymers and sustainable materials 

• Energy storage and conversion 

• Low dimensional materials 

• Biomaterials 

• Materials for optics, electronics, and plasmonics 

• Multi-scale theory, modeling, and characterization 

State-of-the-Art Facilities 

The MSE department is home to Rutgers’ first advanced technology center. A 1982 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant established the Center for Ceramic Research (CCR) – now the Ceramics Composites, and Optical Materials Center (CCOMC), to foster collaborative research among industry, government, and academia.  

Additional centers and laboratories conduct cutting-edge research on advanced polymers; solid state ionics and energy storage; sustainable materials; advanced materials, devices, and nanotechnology; glass sciences; and nanomaterials. Together, they deliver viable, sustainable solutions to 21st century challenges.  

First and Foremost 

MSE at Rutgers has an enviable track record of firsts – from advanced equipment and discoveries to faculty and alumni awards and honors.  

• Designated a New Jersey Center of Excellence in Polymer Science in 2002, our Advanced Polymer Center has developed and licensed commercially viable technologies that produce licensing revenue greater than from any other Rutgers engineering technology.  

• We obtained and installed Rutgers’ first spectrograph during World War II. 

• In 1972, the department bought and installed the first scanning electron microscope at Rutgers. 

• The School of Ceramics performed the first original work on the development of ceramic covers for radar equipment (radomes) and missile nosecones. 

•  In 1989, MSE received its first Kresge Challenge grant – a nationally prestigious program in support of capital needs – to buy equipment. 

• The materials science and engineering program is specifically accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). 

• Faculty and alumni have received major national recognitions including induction into the National Academy of Inventors; the National Academy of Science or Engineering; the National Medal of Technology; and R&D 100 Awards 

• Faculty have also been named fellows of leading professional societies such as the American Ceramic Society, the Society of Glass Technology, and the New York Academy of Science.  

• Current faculty members hold more than 200 patents, many of which generate revenue for the university. 

• The first Industrial Advisory Committee met in 1982 and was attended by representatives from eight companies.  

• In 1999, our first External Advisory Board was formed, with 15 alumni and non-alumni members from industry, academia, and national labs, to offer advice on everything from undergraduate education to technology commercialization. We also established a 12-member student advisory committee.  

•  In 1999, we added an optional co-op program to our curriculum, offering students diverse opportunities for hands-on experiences.