Welcome to MSE at the University of Washington

What is Materials Science?

"Whatever is not ethereal is material!"

Everything we use is made of some material or a combination of materials. We use different types of materials - metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, and composites - in our daily lives. Materials Engineering deals with all aspects of materials:

• extraction of materials from natural and recycled resources,
• selection of appropriate materials for a given application,
• manufacturing useful objects from raw materials,
• assurance of quality of manufactured products,
• study of the behavior of materials under various conditions
• research and development of new materials and new ways to process them into useful objects, and
• analysis of the performance of materials in service and investigate causes of failure.

In short, Materials Engineering is involved with all the processes that turn natural resources into useful products that impact all facets of our economy, such as aerospace, electronics, transportation, communication, construction, recreation, entertainment, and environment.

What is the scope of Materials Science?

Materials science and engineering is an interdisciplinary field. We address the scientific fundamentals of materials, their processing, and their engineering design for technological applications. We apply basic principles of chemistry and physics in order to understand the structure of materials and how a material's structure determines its properties. We design scientific processes to manipulate materials to meet the needs of modern technology.

A large and growing shortage of materials professionals exists in industry and in universities today, and the field is recognized as providing one of the most promising career opportunities for engineers and scientists. Materials engineers and scientists, whether generalists or specialists in a particular class of material, are in demand by industry and government for jobs in research, development, production, and management. Many Materials Science and Engineering graduates go on to graduate school and more intensive study in materials, though the job market is also strong for Bachelor's degree graduates. The field also provides a natural preparation for further education and careers in medicine, law, and business.

What is being done in this field?

The world today is in the midst of a materials revolution, the outcome of which will affect the economic well-being of all nations and all industries. Examples of achievements of the field surround us. Smaller and faster devices in the electronics industry are almost entirely the result of materials improvements. Modern metal alloys and strong ceramics are critical to high-performance engines, energy conversion, and pollution control. MIT's Daedalus aircraft, which received worldwide attention recently for its success in human-powered flight, relied extensively on new polymeric materials which offer outstanding strength and stiffness at very low weight.

What is the demand for Materials Scientist and Engineers?

Materials Engineers are employed in the manufacturing and service industries. Because of the wide ranging impact of materials on the manufacturing and service sectors of the economy, the Materials Engineering field offers a wide variety of employment opportunities. Excellent opportunities exist in all parts of the country.

Materials engineers usually hold one of a variety of position titles such as Metallurgist, Metallurgical Engineer, Materials Engineer/Scientist, Polymer Engineer, Ceramic Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, Quality Assurance Engineer, Process Engineer, Biomaterials Scientist, Corrosion Engineer, and Foundry Engineer. The list is longer depending on the title that a particular employer attaches to the position. Employment opportunities and prospects have been very healthy. One hundred percent of our graduates are successfully employed in a variety of companies involved in manufacturing and in technical service.

What does the Department of MSE have to offer?

Materials scientists and engineers study the synthesis and processing of materials, their inner structure, their properties, and their performance in machines and devices serving society. At the Materials Science and Engineering Department at University Of Washington, the research and academic programs unify all classes of materials: metals, ceramics, polymers, and electronic materials.

The undergraduate MSE curriculum combines general core materials subjects, taken in the Sophomore and Junior year, followed by advanced elective subjects which treat specific materials types. Because of flexibility in choice of elective subjects, students can tailor their academic programs to suit their interests in a certain class of materials, for example, materials for the computer and electronics industry. Students receive instruction in the classroom and in the laboratory, where they learn to use research-grade equipment.