The Materials science major is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. Top material science schools prepare students for a rewarding career making the material we take for granted. This scientific field investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates elements of applied physics and chemistry.
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"New technologies in materials science include Gorilla Glass on the iPhone, low-density ceramics used as heat-shielding tiles in SpaceX rockets, specialty polymers used for targeted drug delivery to cancerous tumors, semiconductor solar cells on rooftops, lightweight metal alloys used in high-performance aircraft, and hybrid nanomaterials used in next-generation batteries."
(Provided By: The University of California - Irvine)
"Materials play a central role in the performance and reliability of virtually every technology and living organism. The central theme of materials science and engineering is that the relationships between the structure, properties, processing, and performance of materials are crucial to their function. Materials scientists seek to understand these fundamental relationships, synthesize new materials, develop improved processes for making materials, and understand the role of materials in the functioning of biological organisms."
(Provided By: Johns Hopkins University)
"Undergraduate students wishing to extend their education can undertake specialized study in a range of fields. These include research in ceramics, polymers, composites, nanostructured materials, high-temperature alloys, solidification, corrosion, deformation processing, welding, high-strength high-modulus materials, biomaterials, electronic materials, surface and molecular kinetics, glass science, and the origin of mechanical and physical properties in many different types of materials."
(Provided By: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)
"Materials scientists who graduate from Lehigh University go on to work in research, development, operations, management, manufacturing and sales. They investigate the relationship between the structure of materials at the atomic or molecular level and their macroscopic properties. Generally speaking, materials scientists use existing materials to improve a product or process or develop new materials and processing methods, often connected to pursuits in nano-, bio-, structural, and optical engineering and electronics."
(Provided By: Lehigh University)
"The discipline of materials science and engineering (MSE) links scientific research with applied engineering to design materials for specialized uses. This field draws upon many areas in both the scientific and engineering realms. From science, the study of physics, chemistry, mathematics and computer science each play a part in explaining the origin of unique properties found in a substance."
(Provided By: The Ohio State University)
"Materials engineers and scientists study the structure and properties of engineering materials on scales ranging from the atomic through the microscopic to the macroscopic. These materials include ceramics, metals, polymers, composites, biomaterials, nanomaterials, semiconductors, and electronic, magnetic, and photonic materials."
(Provided By: Virginia Tech University)
University of Washington - Materials Science
Rutgers University: Materials Science
University of Minnesota: Why I chose my major: Chemical Engineering & Materials Science
Iowa State University: Materials Science
Why Materials Science and Engineering at UT? - Will Chemelewski, PhD Student
