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Materials Science & Engineering (MSE)

ma·ter·i·als sci·ence & en·gi·neer·ing

The investigation of how materials perform and why they fail so that we can create materials with unprecedented functions and properties.

Also Known As: Materials Engineer / Analyst / Researcher, Design Engineer, Quality / Process / Product / Production / Productivity / Manufacturing Engineer, Development Engineer, Textile Creator, Project Manager, Entrepreneur, +10,000 more

White hot flames and steam mix and flow over the edges as a blowtorch is taken to a beaker

WHY MSE AT MICHIGAN?

6:1

student-to-faculty ratio
No. 4

US News and World Report
43%

Women - 2023
35%

MSE students pursue complementary Minors or Dual Degrees
50%

of students go to grad school, 50% go to industry

The Van Vlack Lab is dedicated solely to Materials Science & Engineering for students to work in the field performing experiments and applying their course knowledge.

Weekly lunches with MSE alums working in the industry.

A female student blows a breath of hot air so the image of Marilyn Monroe appears on the rainbow polymer strip.

What do Materials Science Engineers do?

We are the people who build the materials of the future. Whether it’s making plastics more recyclable, making materials that can better absorb energy for solar panels, or designing new prosthetics to be durable yet biocompatible, the materials we create touch everything.

ACADEMIC FOCUS AREAS

Metallic and Structural Materials

Make stronger but lighter materials for car frames to improve gas mileage or for rockets to help them launch into space.

Courses: Thermodynamics of materials, Kinetics and transport in materials, Physical Metallurgy, Composite Materials, Computational Approaches in MSE, Failure analysis
Polymers and Biomaterials

Create new non-toxic biomaterials that can change the lives of those battling disease. Whether it is to design new materials for implants to reduce rejection, to make e-skin that can touch and feel like our own skin, or to make prosthetics. Discover the properties of polymers and how they affect recyclability. Evaluate the impact on the environment and create sustainable alternative to plastics.

Courses: Polymeric Materials, Design and Applications of Biomaterials, Polymer Physics, Advanced Functional Polymers: Molecular Design and Applications
Electronic, Nano, and Quantum Materials

Build the next generation of semiconductor and electronic devices. Operate in the nanoscale to make materials with higher conductivity, magnetic response, sensitivity and greater light emission.

Courses: Physics of Materials, Electronic, Magnetic, and Optical Materials for Modern Device Technology, Materials Physics and Chemistry, Structural and Chemical Characterization of Materials
Energy Materials

Build batteries that are more efficient and sustainable. Create solar cells, materials for wind turbines, or materials to best hold nuclear waste.

Courses: Physics of Materials, Electronic, Magnetic, and Optical Materials for Modern Device Technology, Materials Physics and Chemistry
Computational Materials

Use computer modeling to virtually test the efficacy of new materials without having to make them physically and go through extensive trial and error. Simulate even the most complex of materials and alter parameters until they fit the purpose you need.

Courses: Thermodynamics of materials, Kinetics and transport in materials, Computational Approaches in MSE, Applied Data Science for Engineers
Areas in which a student, through the use of technical and free electives and in consultation with their advisor, could decide to focus.

Areas in which a student, through the use of technical and free electives and in consultation with their advisor, could decide to focus.

Explore Minors

ENGINEERING MINORS OTHER MINORS

Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Studies Program (SUGS)

Complete a bachelor’s and master’s degree in only five years with SUGS. Take graduate-level classes during your MSE undergraduate program that can be used towards your graduate degree.

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Sample Course List

First-Year

Fall Semester
- CoE Core Calculus I (Math 115)
- CoE Core Engineering 100
- CoE Core Chemistry (125/126 and 130 or 210 and 211)
- Elective Intellectual Breadth
Winter Semester
- CoE Core Calculus II (Math 116)
- CoE Core Engineering 101
- CoE Core Physics (140 and 141)
- Elective Intellectual Breadth

Sophomore Year

Fall Semester
- CoE Core Calculus III (Math 215)
- CoE Core Physics (240 and 241)
- Major Requirement Engineering Materials (MSE 220/250)
- Elective Unrestrictive Elective
Winter Semester
- CoE Core Differential Equations (Math 216)
- Major Requirement Solid Mechanics (ME 211)
- Major Requirement Physics of Materials (MSE 242)
- Elective Intellectual Breadth

Junior Year

Fall Semester
- Major Requirement Thermodynamics of Materials (MSE 330)
- Major Requirement Principles of Engineering Materials (MSE 350)
- Major Requirement Materials Lab I (MSE 360)
- Major Requirement MSE Elective
Winter Semester
- Major Requirement Kinetics & Transitions in Materials Engineering (MSE 335)
- Major Requirement Materials Lab II (MSE 365)
- Major Requirement Science and Technical Elective
- Major Requirement MSE Elective
- Elective Unrestrictive Elective

Senior Year

Fall Semester
- Major Requirement Mechanical Behavior of Materials (MSE 420)
- Major Requirement Materials Processing Design (MSE 481)
- Major Requirement MSE Elective
- Elective Science and Technical Elective
- Elective Unrestrictive Elective
Winter Semester
- Major Requirement Materials & Engineering Design (MSE 482)
- Major Requirement MSE Elective
- Major Requirement Science and Tech Elective Math
- CoE Core Intellectual Breadth
- Elective Unrestrictive Elective