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Materials Science and Engineering

College of Engineering and Architecture

	QUICK JUMP
	Materials Science and Engineering
	Requirements and Core Courses
	Specialization Areas
	Related Fields of Study That Might Interest You
	Department Facilties and Technology
	Careers in Materials Science and Engineering
	Salaries
	Suggested Strengths, Interests, and Preparation
	Scholarships and Financial Aid
	Campus Organizations and Activities
	Contact Information

Materials Science and Engineering

Materials scientists and engineers examine the behavior and interrelationship among properties, structure and composition, synthesis and processing, and performance of materials. This field focuses on improving the performance of existing materials and in designing and fabricating new, higher performance materials that do not exist in nature. An important part of designing new materials is understanding the structure of materials from the atomic level upward. • Offered at WSU: Bachelor of science, minor, master of science, doctorate in materials science • Available at: Pullman

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Requirements and Core Courses

—Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering A bachelor of science degree in MSE requires 129 semester hours. All students interested in pursuing a degree in MSE should enroll in MSE 110 during their freshman year. REQUIREMENTS FOR JOINING PROGRAM To be eligible for certification, a student must have completed at least 30 semester hours of graded course work and the following courses or their equivalents with a minimum 2.0 GPA: Chem 105, Chem 106, Engl 101, Math 171, Math 172, and Phys 201. Students must also have minimum overall GPA of 2.0. When it becomes necessary to limit enrollment, the overall GPA as well as the GPA for the prerequisite courses listed above will be important factors. REQUIRED MSE COURSES MSE 110—Introduction to Materials Science MSE 201—Materials Science MSE 302—Electronic Materials ME 310—Manufacturing Processes MSE 312—Thermodynamics and Phase Equilibrium MSE 320—Materials Structure – Properties Lab ME 316—Systems Design MSE 316—Kinetics of Chemical and Physical Reactions MSE 321—Materials Characterization MSE 323—Materials Characterization Lab ME 416—Mechanical Systems Design MSE 401—Metallic Materials MSE 402—Polymeric Materials MSE 403—Ceramic Materials MSE 413—Mechanics of Solids MSE 425 & 426—Senior Thesis I and II MSE 404—Engineering Composites MSE 450—Seminar NOTE: Students should consult the General Catalog for course planning and must meet course requirements as outlined in the General Catalog in order to graduate.

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Specialization Areas

Several areas of emphasis are available in the materials science and engineering major. Biomaterials Apply aspects of materials science and engineering that relate to biomedical fields such as bone tissue engineering, sensors, and biomedical devices. Work in biomaterials can involve all aspects of materials--for instance, new materials development through inspiration from biological structures; innovating novel compositions and structures; or improving the performance of existing materials using structure and process modification. Students interested in biomaterials as a specialization should take MSE 406 (Biomaterials) as an elective. Electronic materials Apply aspects of materials science and engineering that relate to semiconductor devices, sensors, dielectrics, and magnetic and optical devices. Work in electronic materials can involve all aspects of materials engineering, including new materials development; using structure and process modification to improve the performance of existing materials; device design; and failure analysis for yield enhancement. Students interested in electronic materials should take MSE 515 (Electronic Materials) as an elective. Metallurgy As a specialization in the broad field of materials science and engineering, metallurgy involves: • Studying the relationship between the structure of metals and their alloys from the atomic level (i.e. 0.2 nanometers) to the bulk level (meters or several meters) and relating that structure to mechanical, chemical, electrical, magnetic, and other properties. • Selecting appropriate metals for given applications, taking into account the requirements of the application and the properties of the material. For example, aluminum alloys are used in aircraft wings and fuselages because they are light and strong. Nickel base alloys are used in jet engines because they are resistant to high temperature chemical attack and retain their strength even at very high temperatures. • Making improvements to metallic materials by changes in composition and processing techniques. For example, techniques such as chemical vapor deposition allow very thin films to be made from different composition alloys. These films have excellent properties for many electronic applications. Metallurgical engineers usually work in interdisciplinary teams that may involve members from many other engineering disciplines. Other specialization areas available at WSU include: - Ceramics - Composite materials - Nanomaterials - Polymers

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Related Fields of Study That Might Interest You

• Mechanical engineering • Electrical engineering • Chemical engineering • Nanotechnology

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Department Facilties and Technology

The MSE laboratories are housed in the new Engineering and Teaching Research Laboratory building, which provides world-class facilities. The University's experimental facilities are routinely used in undergraduate laboratories. Equipment includes optical and electron microscopes, sample preparation laboratories, heat-treating laboratories, mechanical, electrical, and magnetic testing labs, and superb computational facilities for data reduction and analysis as well as for report preparation. Facilities are available for studying deformation and fracture of engineering materials under a variety of loading conditions. Students can also study the micromechanical properties of materials using nanoindentation and a coupled scanning probe microscope. WSU’s processing facilities allow students to produce a wide range of ceramics, composites, and thin films. A clean room is available for microelectronic fabrication and for producing micro-electro-mechanical systems. All students in the department’s undergraduate courses will use instruments such as the scanning electron microscope and the transmission electronic microscope. Although these tools are reserved for graduate students at most universities, WSU ensures that undergraduates get a hands-on research experience not available elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest.

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Careers in Materials Science and Engineering

Materials science engineers make the materials that all other engineers make into things. Students who graduate with a degree in MSE are in great demand in all areas of the economy. Graduates of the program often find employment in industries such as aerospace, electronics, power, and national laboratories, where they apply the knowledge they have gained to exciting challenges in which development, selection, and appropriate use of materials plays a key role. WSU graduates have gone on to work for a wide range of small, medium, and large companies. Most recently, they have been employed by such companies as Micron Technology, Hewlett-Packard, Advanced Silicon Materials, Boeing, Intel, and Sikorsky Helicopter. A degree in MSE can lead to careers in technical sales and marketing, consulting, patent law, business, and teaching. Many graduates go on to do research at leading schools in the U.S. or work in national laboratories. MSE graduates may be involved in creating the following: • New composite materials for aircraft and space applications • Materials for the next generation of integrated circuits • Magnetic and optical materials for information storage • New alloys with improved high-temperature stability, increased fracture toughness, and better fatigue resistance • Polymer materials for sealants and coatings • Ceramics with better fracture toughness for structural applications • Biomaterials for use in the body

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Salaries

Starting salaries typically range from $45,000 to $55,000 per year.

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Suggested Strengths, Interests, and Preparation

• Four years of high school math, including trigonometry and preferably introductory calculus, and one year each of physics and chemistry • Skills in effective communication

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Scholarships and Financial Aid

In addition to University-wide scholarships, the College of Engineering and Architecture offers more than 300 scholarships a year to students in their first and second years of study. Students who enroll in MSE 110 during their freshman year and have demonstrated academic excellence may be eligible for a special scholarship. Incoming freshmen and transfer students have the opportunity to receive scholarship money from the College that will be continued by the school.

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Campus Organizations and Activities

A variety of engineering-related activities help Washington State University students develop personal and professional skills. The School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering has a student chapter of ASM/TMS, the national professional materials societies, which has won a number of national awards over the past few years. The ASM/TMS student chapter organizes technical events as well as many social activities.

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Contact Information

Materials Science and Engineering Program

Undergraduate Student Services School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering Washington State University P.O. Box 642920 Pullman, WA 99164-2920 Phone: (509) 335-2727 or (800) 401-1755

newcoug@mme.wsu.edu

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Strengths of the Program

• Gain broad educational exposure to all classes of materials: metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, and composites.
• Students expand their knowledge through WSU's high-quality design and research experiences, which provide the type of background that leads companies to hire WSU's graduates.
• Benefit from relatively small classes that allow students to pursue unique lab experiences and receive personal attention from faculty. Average MSE junior and senior courses have just 10-20 students.
• Pursue hands-on projects beginning in the MSE freshman year courses.
• The MSE senior research thesis can lead to publication in internationally recognized journals and presentations at national meetings.
• Apply science to real and important problems in engineering and technology, pursue an interdisciplinary approach, and broaden understandings beyond a single traditional science subject.
• Join other science, math, and engineering students in WSU Pullman's Stephenson residence hall—share classes with your neighbors, study together, get free tutoring, and use the hall’s computer lab.

Office of Enrollment Management, PO Box 641067, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164-1067, 888-GO TO WSU (888-468-6978), Contact Us