Materials Science and Engineering
What is Materials Science and Engineering?
Materials Science and Engineering involves the study of the structures, properties, composition, synthesis, and performance of materials.
What do Materials Scientists and Engineers do?
A materials scientist or engineer works with materials to improve them or to create new materials. They also help to determine what materials are used in a product based upon given requirements and how to produce these materials efficiently. Basically, materials scientists and engineers work to improve materials and the products made from those materials.
Materials Science and Engineering at UIUC
The first two years of study are spent in a core engineering
curriculum.
This core program includes courses in physics, chemistry, calculus, statics,
drafting, and computer programming. Students may take an introductory
seminar class their freshman year and an introduction to materials engineering
course their sophomore year. In the junior year, students will take the basic
materials properties courses, such as materials thermodynamics and materials
synthesis. The senior year is spent studying in an area of specialization.
Currently, 128 credit hours are required for graduation.
There are four main areas of study in the MatSeE curriculum:
- Metals
- Ceramics
- Electronic Materials
- Polymers
Two other interrelated areas include composites and biomaterials.
Career Opportunities
Materials science and engineering graduates have a variety of options open to them. After graduation, they can find jobs with many different companies or national laboratories. Some of these companies include Intel, 3M, Motorola, Du Pont, Owens Corning, National Steel, Abbott Labs, and Ford Motor Company, just to name a few. Some graduates also choose to go to graduate school to obtain M.S. or Ph.D. degrees. Other graduates enter medical or law school to obtain an advanced degree, or they may attend business school to obtain an MBA degree.
Why Materials Science and Engineering?
For the past several years, the Materials Science and Engineering Department at UIUC has been ranked among the top three materials programs in the nation. If you are concerned about large class sizes, then you may like our undergraduate classes, with an average size of around 22 students. Several student organizations on campus plan a variety of events throughout the year. The materials department also has its own job placement office, which helps students find jobs after graduation, as well as summer jobs or co-op positions while still in school.
Department Contact Information:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
201 Materials Science and Engineering Building, MC-246
1304 W. Green St.
Urbana, IL 61801
Telephone: 217-333-1441
Fax: 217-333-2736
Web page: http://www.mse.uiuc.edu
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