Materials Science and Engineering Curriculum
Program Requirements
General Requirements - 46 credit hours
All undergraduates in the School of Engineering and Applied Science must fulfill the school’s education requirements. These include 1) applied mathematics (15 credits); 2) natural science (chemistry and physics, 12 credits); 3) applied science (computer programming, 3 credits); and 4) various courses in engineering science, as well as social science and humanities courses (16 credits).
APMA 1110 - Single Variable Calculus II Credits 4
APMA 2120 - Multivariable Calculus Credits 4
APMA 2130 - Ordinary Differential Equations Credits 4
APMA 3110 - Applied Statistics and Probability Credits 3
CHEM 1610 - Introductory Chemistry for Engineers I Credits 3
CHEM 1611 - Introductory Chemistry I for Engineers Laboratory Credits 1
PHYS 1425 - General Physics I: Mechanics, Thermodynamics Credits 3
PHYS 1429 - General Physics I Workshop Credits 1
PHYS 2415 - General Physics II: Electricity & Magnetism, Optics Credits 3
PHYS 2419 - General Physics II Workshop Credits 1
CS 1110 - Introduction to Programming Credits 3
ENGR 1624 - Introduction to Engineering Credits 4
STS 1500 - Science, Technology, and Contemporary Issues Credits 3
STS 2/3XX - STS Elective Credits 3
STS 4500 - STS and Engineering Practice Credits 3
STS 4600 - The Engineer, Ethics, and Professional Responsibility Credits 3
Core Courses - 30 credit hours
MSE 2090 - Introduction to Materials Science Credits 3
MSE 2101 - Materials Science Investigations: Properties Credits 3
MSE 3050 - Thermodynamics and Phase Equilibria of Materials Credits 3
MSE 3060 - Structures and Defects of Materials Credits 3
MSE 3070 - Kinetics and Phase Transformation in Materials Credits 3
MSE 3101 - Materials Science Investigations Credits 3
MSE 3670 - Materials for Electronic, Magnetic and Optical Applications Credits 3
MSE 4320 - Origins of Mechanical Behavior Credits 3
ENGR 4010 - Multidisciplinary Design and Development I Credits 3
ENGR 4020 - Multidisciplinary Design and Development II Credits 3
Restricted Electives - 15 credit hours
Students will also be required to select five restricted electives (15 credit hours) from the following list: complete five (5) electives from the following courses:
MSE 2200 - Introduction to Additive Manufacturing and 3-D Printing Credits 3
MSE 3080 - Corrosion, Batteries and Fuel Cells Credits 3
MSE 3610 - Aerospace Materials Credits 3
MSE 4055 - Nanoscale Science & Technology Credits 3
MSE 4200 - Additive Manufacturing of Metals Credits 3
MSE 4210 - Materials Processing Credits 3
MSE 4270 - Introduction to Atomistic Simulations Credits 3
Additional Required Electives - 27 credits
Humanities and Social Science Electives (HSS) – 9 credit hours
HHS electives are chosen from a list of courses approved by the Undergraduate Dean.
Math / Science Electives – 6 credit hours
For the first elective, students may choose from PHYS 2620, CHEM 1620, BIOL 2100, BIOL 2200 or any APMA course over 2000 (APMA 3080 Linear Algebra recommended). For the second elective, students may chose CHEM 3410 or 3610 (Pchem) or any 3000 or higher APMA course (APMA 3140 Partial Differential Equations recommended).
Engineering Elective Courses – 6 credit hours
Students may choose from any 2000-level or above engineering courses with the following exceptions: no course in APMA, STS, or ENGR may be used as engineering electives; no course that counts as a Science Elective may be used as an engineering elective; and no course that fulfills the Engineering Business Minor may be used as an engineering elective.
Technical Elective Courses – 6 credit hours
Students may choose any 2000 or higher math, science or engineering courses, unless courses for non-science majors, duplicates required MSE course work, or duplicates another previously taken course. Only up to 2 research-for-credit courses permitted.
Unrestricted Electives – 9 credit hours
Any graded course in the University except mathematics courses below MATH 1310; courses that substantially duplicate any others offered for the degree, including PHYS 2010, PHYS 2020, CS 1010, CS 1020; and any introductory programming course.
Total Credit Hours - 127
Description of Capstone and Thesis
All engineering undergraduates participate in a capstone thesis as part of their degree program requirements. The capstone thesis for the proposed degree program will consists of two components. One component, which relates to the project that the students will perform (ENGR 4010/4020) will be guided and technically evaluated by faculty from the Material Science and Engineering (MSE) department. The other component (STS 4500/4600), which covers the science, technology, and society aspects of the students’ chosen project, as well as aspects of style, writing and ethics will be taught by the Department of Engineering and Society. The MSE faculty will work collaboratively with each other and the students to develop a range of projects to demonstrate students’ knowledge and skill in materials science and engineering and communication as the students apply their skills to real-world engineering problems at home or abroad. The design projects may range from company-sponsored projects to contextual engineering challenges that are facing society. Working with the faculty members, students will work in teams of 4 to 8 to produce a thesis prospectus in the fall, followed by a complete technical thesis in the spring. The capstone experience will culminate with the submission of a final report of approximately 25 pages and a formal presentation.
If a student fails a portion of the capstone course components, the student’s faculty advisor will meet with the corresponding faculty in both the engineering design course sequence (ENGR 4010/4020) and the science, technology, and society course sequence (STS 4500/4600) to determine a set of revisions and/or alternative academic activities to complete the project. A student who fails to complete their project may retake the course in a subsequent semester. Typically, ENGR 4010 and STS 4500 are taken in the same semester followed by ENGR 4020 and STS 4600 in the next semester. Students can complete the courses out of sequence providing all requirements for the capstone and thesis are met.