Materials Science and Engineering
Students, professors, and researchers in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering explore the relationships between structure and properties in all classes of materials including metals, ceramics, electronic materials, and biomaterials. Our research leads to the synthesis of improved materials in response to challenges in the areas of energy, the environment, medicine, and manufacturing.
Collaborating with industry, government, and other institutions, our research contributes to a broad range of fields. A recent U.S. Army-funded study, used nanotechnological methods to study the structure of scales of the fish Polypterus senegalus, leading to more effective ways of designing human body armor. In the Making and Designing Materials Engineering Contest (MADMEC), student teams design and prototype devices to harness, store, and exploit alternative energy sources. With support from the Lord Foundation, the purchase of advanced equipment is allowing us to build custom experimental equipment, develop and test prototypes, and even make a new part for an unmanned air vehicle.
Our educational programs interweave concepts of materials engineering and materials science throughout the curriculum. Core subjects offered at both undergraduate and graduate levels cover topics necessary for all DMSE students:
- Thermodynamics
- Kinetics
- Materials structure
- Electronic and mechanical properties of materials
- Bio- and polymeric materials
- Materials processing
This core foundation and appropriate electives lead to a variety of opportunities in engineering, science, or a combination of the two.
Undergraduate Education
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering prepares undergraduates for entry-level positions in the field and further education at the master’s level. Our curriculum ensures that students learn materials science fundamentals, methods, and tools, and are prepared to apply them in the areas of materials design, processing, analysis, modeling, and computation.
Our graduates, whether generalists or specialists in a particular class of material, are in high demand by industry and government for careers in research, development, production, and management. A technical education in materials science, with its emphasis on logic and the ability to process complex issues, is also an excellent preparation for a law career. A large number of DMSE alumni are faculty members of leading universities.
Degree Options
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering offers three undergraduate degree programs.
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Course 3, leading to the Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering
This program provides students with a foundation in materials science and engineering, including processing, microstructure, properties, biomaterials, ceramics, electronic materials, metals, and polymers.
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Course 3-A, leading to the Bachelor of Science without specification
This program provides a more focused course of study for pre-med, pre-law, or pre-MBA students.
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Course 3-C, leading to a Bachelor of Science in Archaeology and Materials
The program focuses on understanding prehistoric culture through the study of the structure and properties of materials associated with human activities, and may include archaeological fieldwork.
