Academics

Undergraduate Studies

This program provides the basis for developing, improving, and understanding materials and processes for electronic, structural, and other applications. It draws from physics, chemistry, and other disciplines to provide a coherent background for immediate application in engineering or for subsequent advanced study. The emphasis is on fundamentals relating atomic- to microscopic-scale phenomena to materials properties and processing, including design and control of industrially important materials processes. Core courses and electives combine rigor with flexibility and provide opportunities for focusing on such areas as electronic materials, polymers, ceramics, biomaterials, structural materials, and metals and mineral processing. There are also opportunities for combining materials science and engineering with interests in areas such as medicine, business, law, or government.


The unifying theme of understanding and interrelating materials synthesis, processing, structure, and properties forms the basis of our MSAE program and is evident in the undergraduate curriculum and in faculty research activities. These activities include work on polycrystalline silicon for flat panel displays; high-temperature superconductors for power transmission and sensors; semiconductors for laser and solar cell applications; magnetic heterostructures for information storage and novel computation architectures; electronic ceramics for batteries, gas sensors, and fuel cells; electrodeposition and corrosion of metals; and the analysis and design of high-temperature reactors. Through involvement with our research groups, students gain valuable hands-on experience and are often engaged in joint projects with industrial and government laboratories.


The materials science and engineering undergraduate curriculum requires sixteen courses in the third and fourth years, of which four are restricted electives. This program allows students to specialize in a subdiscipline of MSAE if they so choose. Students must take twelve required courses and four electives. At least two electives must be in the Type A category, and at most two may be in the Type B category. The Type B electives are listed under different materials subdisciplines for guidance. Still, some courses listed under different categories may appeal to students interested in a given area. For example, CHEE E4252: Introduction to surface and colloidal chemistry should also be considered by students interested in biomaterials and environmental materials.

 

Materials Science and Engineering Third & Fourth Years
  Term V Term VI Term VII Term VIII
Required MSAE E3103 (3)
Elements of mat. sci.		 MSAE E3104 (3)
Laboratory in mat.sci.		 MSAE E3156 (3)
Design Project
 MSAE E3157 (3)
Design project
MSAE E3111 (3)
Thermodynamics, kinetics theory, and statistical mechanics		 MSAE E3141 (3)
Processing of metals and semiconductors		 MSAE E4101 (3)
Structural analysis of materials		 MSAE E4202 (3)
Thermodynamics and reactions in solids
ENME E3113 (3)
Mechanics of solids		 MSAE E3142 (3)
Processing of ceramics and polymers		 MSAE E4206 (3)
Electronic and magnetic properties of solids		 MSAE E4215 (3)
Mechanical behavior of materials
Electives 6 points* 6 points* 6 points* 6 points*
Total Points 15 15 15 15

 

Type A electives are:

 

Type B electives are:

 

  • Environmental Materials
    • EAEE E4001: Industrial ecology of Earth resources
    • EAEE E4160: Solid and hazardous waste management

 

  • Mechanical Properties of Materials

 

  • Soft Materials and Surfaces
    • CHEE C3443: Organic chemistry (n.b. C3444 not allowed)
    • CHEE E4252: Introduction to surface and colloidal chemistry
    • CHEN E4260: Introduction to polymers and soft materials
    • APMA E4400: Introduction to biophysical modeling

 

  • Other
    • MSAE E3990: Undergraduate research in materials science

 

Alternative courses can be taken as electives with the approval of the undergraduate adviser. Of the 24 points of elective content in the third and fourth years, at least 12 points of restricted electives approved by the adviser must be taken. Of the remaining 12 points of electives allotted, a sufficient number must actually be taken so that no fewer than 64 points of courses are credited to the third and fourth years. Those remaining points of electives are intended primarily as an opportunity to complete the four-year, 27-point nontechnical requirement, but any type of course work can satisfy them.