Why Study Materials Science and Engineering?
Interdisciplinary at it's core, students who study MSE gain a strong foundation in chemistry and physics and explore the basic classes of materials: ceramics, polymers and metals. From here topics expand into courses such as Corrosion, Batteries & Fuel Cells, Materials for Electronic, Magnetic & Optical Applications, Aerospace Materials, Nanoscale Science & Technology, Additive Manufacturing, and Thermodynamics & Kinetics of Materials. Throughout our program, students explore hands-on labs, research opportunities and a research & design capstone.
After graduation, MSE students can be found working in industry, academia, and government and across nearly all fields of engineering.
Learn more about CAREERS IN MSE.
Hear why our STUDENTS CHOSE TO MAJOR IN MSE.
Are you currently enrolled?
Materials science focuses on the inventive aspects of engineering. Using their knowledge and skills in materials characterization and computational methods, our students will develop creative solutions in the hard, physical sciences.
Ji Ma
MSE Professor
Why did our students pick MSE?
Crestienne Dechaine
From the first moment I sat down in Introduction to Materials Science, I was hooked. I have always loved chemistry, but the MSE field bridges chemistry and engineering in a way that I had never envisioned. I was drawn to the hands-on applications of MSE, how it is closely linked to research and also how fundamentally applicable it is. With an MSE major, there are boundless opportunities to help make a change in the world.
Justin Kim
The more I learned about MSE, the more I realized that it is the foundation of all engineering. Without material advances, it would be very difficult to discover breakthroughs in other engineering fields. As a big proponent of volunteering, I knew that pursuing MSE would be the avenue to serve others in engineering. Through MSE, I have found a field of study which would make myself happier while making the world a better place.
Rachel McNamara
I knew I would continue to pursue MSE because I was never bored in the introductory class. The MSE B.S. program has allowed me to focus my time and energy in a subject that excites me. Once I connected MSE to sustainability, I felt that I had found my calling. I have always wanted to leave the world a better place than I found it, and I feel that MSE is the means through which I can enact meaningful change.