Welcome to the Materials Science and Engineering Program! We are a dynamic new program in Bourns College of Engineering, created to meet the growing demands for materials experts in today’s high-tech industry. MSE is concerned with the study of the structure, properties and applications of materials. Today, many of the most exciting scientific and technological breakthroughs occur at the material level and this trend is expected to continue well into the future.
Our undergraduate and graduate programs are interdisciplinary, and designed to produce engineers capable of working with a variety of materials, with expertise in electrical, optical, magnetic, mechanical, and chemical materials characterization. The interdisciplinary nature of our MSE is ensured by involving faculty from all departments of the College of Engineering as well as the physics and chemistry departments. Ur students get the necessary training in each of these fields focused through an MSE lens. Our undergraduate major begins with a solid foundation of knowledge from the physical sciences and engineering, and goes on to emphasize emerging fields like nanotechnology and alternative energy. Graduates of our MSE undergraduate program acquire a broad technical base that prepare them for careers in a variety of fields, such as nanotechnology, electronics, computing, automotive, aerospace, energy generation/distribution, medical and pharmaceutical industries. They also have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in graduate school in Engineering and Science. The M.S. and Ph.D. program aims to provide coordinated and coherent training that will allow students from various undergraduate disciplines to obtain a core background in the fundamental materials subjects. This offers our students the flexibility to pursue many areas of specialization and obtain rewarding careers in academia, government laboratories or industry.
Career Options
The broad technical base of the MSE degree prepares graduates for employment in a wide range of industries, including electronics, data-storage, automotive, medical products and aerospace. Graduates of our program are well suited to work not only for large high-tech corporations that need people specialized in particular disciplines, but also for smaller entrepreneurial companies that need engineers with a broad background. These days, many companies require engineers with a broad materials background who can perform materials selection, oversee production, and/or maintain quality control. Independent testing and consulting companies are also strongly interested in MSE experts. These career options explain why MSE degree is such a smart career choice for future engineers.
Please take a moment to browse the MSE Program web pages and find out more information about the program, education opportunities and the internationally recognized faculty who participate in the program.
Sincerely,
Juchen Guo
Department Chair