Areas of Concentration

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Our department of 25 faculty, 374 undergraduates, and 167 graduate students welcomes you. Established in 1867, we have a long tradition of excellence in teaching, research, and service.

Areas of Concentration

As a MatSE undergraduate, you can choose from one of five areas to specialize your bachelor's degree; biomaterials, ceramics, electronic materials, metals, and polymers. It is also possible to design unique programs of interest to the student; they should include at least 15 hours, including one course each in the topic areas of design, characterization and processing. Each defined area includes one or more Area Technical Electives.

Approved Technical Electives

Biomaterials

Course	Description	Credit
MSE 470	Design and Use of Biomaterials	3
MSE 472	Biomaterials Laboratory	3
MB 252	Cells, Tissues & Development	3
	Area technical electives	5

Ceramics

Course	Description	Credit
MSE 420	Ceramics Materials and Properties	3
MSE 421	Ceramic Processing	3
MSE 423	Ceramic Processing Laboratory	3
MSE 422	Electrical Ceramics	3
	Area technical elective	3

Electronic Materials

Course	Description	Credit
MSE 460	Electronic Materials I	3
MSE 461	Electronic Materials II	3
MSE 462	Electronic Materials Lab	3
ECE 340	Semiconductor Electronics	3
	Area technical elective	3

Metals

Course	Description	Credit
MSE 440	Mechanical Behavior of Materials	3
MSE 441	Metals Processing	3
MSE 442	Metals Laboratory	3
MSE 443	Design of Engineering Alloys	3
	Area technical elective	3

Polymers

Course	Description	Credit
MSE 450	Polymer Science and Engineering	3
MSE 452	Polymer Laboratory	3
MSE 453	Plastics Engineering	3
	Area technical electives	6

Curriculum Total: 131

Approved Area Technical Electives

The courses listed below have been approved by the Department to satisfy the area technical elective requirements for the B.S. Degree in Materials Science and Engineering. Additional courses may be selected with the approval of the Chief Advisor.

Ceramics Electives

Course	Description	Credit
MSE 403	Synthesis of Materials	3
MSE 460	Electronic Materials I	3
MSE 461	Electronic Materials II	3
MSE 462	Electronic Materials Laboratory	3
MSE 480	Surface and Colloids	3
MSE 481	Electron Microscopy	3
MSE 484	Composite Materials	3
MSE 485	Atomic Scale Simulations	3
MSE 488	Optical Materials	3
MSE 499	Senior Thesis	31
MSE 581	Advanced Electron Microsopy	4
ECE 340	Semiconductor Electronics	3
ECE 444	IC Device Theory & Fabrication	3
ECE 481	Nanotechnology	3
CEE 401	Concrete Materials	4
CHEM 420	Instrumental Characterization	2
CHEM 584	Introduction to Materials Chemistry	4
ME 472	Introduction to Tribology	4
NPRE 470	Fuel Cells & Hydrogen Sources	3
TAM 451	Intermediate Solid Mechanics	4

Electronic Materials

Course	Description	Credit
MSE 403	Synthesis of Materials	3
MSE 420	Ceramic Materials & Properties	3
MSE 422	Electrical Ceramics	3
MSE 440	Mechanical Behavior of Metals	3
MSE 445	Corrosion of Metals	3
MSE 450	Polymer Science & Engineering	3
MSE 453	Plastics Engineering	3
MSE 481	Electron Microscopy	3
MSE 485	Atomic Scale Simulations	3
MSE 488	Optical Materials	3
MSE 499	Senior Thesis	31
MSE 581	Advanced Electron Microsopy	4
CHEM 420	Instrumental Characterization	2
CHEM 584	Introduction to Materials Chemistry	4
ECE 444	IC Device Theory & Fabrication	4
ECE 485	MEMS Devices and Systems	3
ECE 487	Introduction to Quantum Electronics	3
ECE 488	Compound Semiconductors & Devices	3
PHYS 485	Atomic Physics & Quantum Theory	3
PHYS 486	Quantum Physics I	4
PHYS 487	Quantum Physics II	4

Metals Electives

Course	Description	Credit
MSE 403	Synthesis of Materials	3
MSE 445	Corrosion of Metals	3
MSE 481	Electron Microscopy	3
MSE 484	Composite Materials	3
MSE 485	Atomic Scale Simulations	3
MSE 487	Materials for Nanotechnology	3
MSE 489	Materials Selection for Sustainability	3
MSE 499	Senior Thesis	31
MSE 581	Advanced Electron Microscopy	4
CEE 460	Steel Structures I	3
CHEM 420	Instrumental Characterization	2
CHEM 584	Introduction to Materials Chemistry	4
ECE 481	Nanotechnology	3
ME 431	Mechanical Component Failure	3
ME 450	Modeling Materials Processing	3
ME 472	Introduction to Tribology	4
ME 530	Fatigue Analysis	4
TSM 233	Metallurgy & Welding Process	3
TAM 451	Intermediate Solid Mechanics	4
TAM 456	Experimental Stress Analysis	3

Polymers Electives

Course	Description	Credit
MSE 403	Synthesis of Materials	3
MSE 454	Mechanics of Polymers	3
MSE 455	Polymer Physics	3
MSE 457	Polymer Chemistry	3
MSE 458	Polymer Physical Chemistry	3
MSE 480	Surfaces & Colloids	3
MSE 484	Composite Materials	3
MSE 499	Senior Thesis	31
ABE 482	Package Engineering	3
CHEM 237	Structure & Synthesis	3
CHEM 420	Instrumental Characterization	2
CHEM 436	Fundamental Organic Chemistry II	3
CHEM 584	Introduction to Materials Chemistry	3
ME 450	Modeling Materials Processing	3
TAM 427	Mechanics of Polymers	3
TAM 428	Mechanics of Composites	3
TAM 451	Intermediate Solid Mechanics	4

Biomaterials Electives

Course	Description	Credit
MSE 473	Biomolecular Materials Science	3
MSE 474	Biomaterials and Nanomedicine	3
MSE 499	Senior Thesis	31
BIOE 416	Biosensors	3
BIOE 461	Cellular Biomechanics	3
BIOE 476	Tissue Engineering	3
BIOP 401	Introduction to Biophysics	3
CHBE 472	Techniques in Biomolecular Engineering	3
CHBE 473	Biomolecular Engineering	3
ECE 380	Biomedical Imaging	3
ECE 414	Biomedical Instrumentation	3
ECE 415	Biomedical Instrumentation Lab	2
ECE 472	Biomedical Ultrasound Imaging	3
ME 482	Musculoskeletal Tissue Mechanics	3
ME 483	Mechanobiology	4
MCB 250	Molecular Genetics	3

1A limit of 3 hours of Senior Thesis can be taken as an Area Technical Elective. A total of 4-6 hours is recommended, the additional hours to be taken from free or (general) technical electives.