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Materials Engineering

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For the undergraduate curriculum in Materials Engineering leading to the degree Bachelor of Science. The Materials Engineering Program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Materials (1), Metallurgical (2), Ceramics (3) and Similarly Named Engineering Programs. Materials engineering is a broadly-based discipline relating the composition, structure, and processing of materials to their properties, uses and performance. Materials engineering includes a variety of traditional and modern technologies involving metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, and electronic materials.

Because of its interdisciplinary nature, career opportunities for materials engineers bridge all industrial and government sectors including: advanced manufacturing, materials for energy and power, biomaterials and biomedical technology, functional materials and devices, nanomaterials and coatings, durable goods, infrastructure, and vehicle technologies (automotive, aerospace). 

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Materials Engineering curriculum should have at the time of graduation:

1.   An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.

2.   An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.

3.   An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.

4.   An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.

5.   An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.

6.   An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.

7.    An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Program Educational Objectives

Within a few years of completing the Materials Engineering degree program, our graduates are expected to:

  • Work-competently engage in professional employment, applying knowledge and skills related to the structure, properties, processing, and performance of materials.
  • Learn-invest in broad life-long learning activities, such as advanced academic or professional degree programs, practical training, professional development, and leadership training.
  • Serve-actively contribute to professional communities in their chosen career paths, including professional societies, advisory boards, standards and regulatory boards, and internal company organizations.

Graduates in materials engineering are able to apply scientific and engineering principles to select or design the best materials to solve engineering problems. They are also able to control the microstructure of materials through processing to optimize properties and performance. They are skilled in creative, independent problem solving under time and resource constraints. Graduates have the opportunity to gain experience in materials engineering practice through cooperative work experience or internships in industry, national laboratories, or another funded research. Graduates can develop a global perspective of engineering through various study abroad opportunities. Classes provide hands-on skills with a broad range of modern materials processing and characterization equipment and methods.

A degree in materials engineering relies on a strong foundation of math, chemistry and physics. The core materials courses include fundamentals of materials, kinetics and thermodynamics, mechanical properties, computational methods, design, and professional practice experience. Students tailor their programs to their goals and interests through the selection of a specialization from the three available: ceramic materials, metallic materials and polymeric materials. Additional technical electives can be taken in other areas of interest. The breadth and depth of the program provide excellent preparation for immediate entry into industry, further study in graduate school, as well as many other unique career paths (i.e. law, military service, art conservation, museum conservatorship, etc.).

Curriculum in Materials Engineering

Administered by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Leading to the degree Bachelor of Science.

Total credits required: 128 cr. Any transfer credit courses applied to the degree program require a grade of C or better (but will not be calculated into the ISU cumulative GPA, Basic Program GPA or Core GPA). See also Basic Program and Special Programs.

International Perspectives: 3 cr.1

U.S. Diversity: 3 cr.1

Communication Proficiency/Library requirement:

ENGL 1500Critical Thinking and Communication (Must have a C or better in this course)3
ENGL 2500Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition (Must have a C or better in this course)3
LIB 1600Introduction to College Level Research1
Complete one of the following courses (Must earn a grade of C or better)3
Business Communication
Proposal and Report Writing
Technical Communication

Advanced Communication Courses: 6 cr. 

ENGL 2500Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition (Must have a C or better in this course)3
Complete one of the following courses (Must earn a grade of C or better)3
Technical Communication
Proposal and Report Writing
Business Communication

General Education Electives: 12 cr.

Complete 12 cr. from approved list with a minimum of 3 cr. from 2000+ level courses and maximum of 9 cr. from the same designator2

Basic Program: 24 cr.3

A minimum GPA of 2.00 is required for this set of courses. (Please note that transfer course grades will not be calculated into the Basic Program GPA.) See Requirement for Entry into Professional Program in College of Engineering Overview section.

CHEM 1770General Chemistry I4
or CHEM 1670 General Chemistry for Engineering Students
ENGL 1500Critical Thinking and Communication (Must have a C or better in this course)3
Engineering Orientation
ENGR 1600Engineering Problems with Computer Applications Laboratory 33
LIB 1600Introduction to College Level Research1
MATH 1650Calculus I4
MATH 1660Calculus II4
PHYS 2310Introduction to Classical Physics I4
PHYS 2310LIntroduction to Classical Physics I Laboratory1
Total Credits24

Math and Physical Science: 18 cr.

CHEM 1770LLaboratory in General Chemistry I1
CHEM 1780General Chemistry II3
CHEM 1780LLaboratory in College Chemistry II1
MATH 2650Calculus III4
MATH 2670Elementary Differential Equations and Laplace Transforms4
PHYS 2320Introduction to Classical Physics II4
PHYS 2320LIntroduction to Classical Physics II Laboratory1
Total Credits18

Materials/Specialties Engineering Core: 47 cr.

A minimum average GPA of 2.00 is required for this set of courses. (Please note that transfer course grades will not be calculated into the Core/Specialization GPA.)

MATE 1700Numeric, Symbolic, and Graphical Methods for Materials Engineering3
MATE 2140Structural Characterization of Materials3
MATE 2150Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering I3
MATE 2150LIntroduction to Materials Science and Engineering I - Lab1
MATE 2160Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering II3
MATE 2160LIntroduction to Materials Science and Engineering II - Lab1
MATE 3110Thermodynamics in Materials Engineering3
MATE 3140Kinetics and Phase Equilibria in Materials3
MATE 3170Introduction to Electronic Properties of Materials3
MATE 3190Mechanics of Structures and Materials3
MATE 4130Materials Design and Professional Practice I3
MATE 4140Materials Design and Professional Practice II3
MATE 4180Mechanical Behavior of Materials3
Students must choose one from the three areas of specialization (12 cr.): ceramic, metallic or polymeric materials.12
Total Credits47

The courses below meet the specialization requirement. Students select one of the following tracks (ceramics, metals, polymers):

Ceramic Materials:

MATE 3210Introduction to Ceramic Science3
MATE 3220Introduction to Ceramic Processing3
MATE 4250Glass Science and Engineering3
MATE 4330Advanced Ceramics and Electronic Materials3

Metallic Materials:

MATE 3410Metals Processing3
MATE 3420Structure/Property Relations in Nonferrous Metals3
MATE 4430Physical Metallurgy of Ferrous Alloys3
MATE 4440Corrosion and Failure Analysis3

Polymeric Materials:

MATE 3500Polymers and Polymer Engineering.3
MATE 3510Introduction to Polymeric Materials3
MATE 4530Physical and Mechanical Properties of Polymers3
MATE 4540Polymer Composites and Processing3

Other Courses: 21 cr.

STAT 3050Engineering Statistics3
In-department electives from list of materials courses 26
Technical electives from approved departments 212
Total Credits21

Seminar/Co-op/Internships

Co-op and internships are optional
Materials Engineering Professional Planning
  1. These university requirements will add to the minimum credits of the program unless the university-approved courses are also approved by the department to meet other course requirements within the degree program. U.S. diversity and international perspectives courses may not be taken Pass/Not Pass.
  2. Choose from department approved list.
  3. See Basic Program for Professional Engineering Curricula for accepted substitutions for curriculum designated courses in the Basic Program.

Note: A MATE student may take up to 6 credit hours from General Education electives on a P/NP basis, except for courses used to meet the U.S. Diversity and International Perspectives requirements. S/F courses (different from P/NP) will be considered for these requirements on a course-by-course basis.

See also: A 4-year plan of study grid showing course template by semester.

Materials Engineering, B.S.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
CHEM 17704CHEM 17803
CHEM 1770L1CHEM 1780L1
ENGL 15003MATH 16604
ENGR 1010RMATE 17003
ENGR 16003Gen Ed Elective3
MATH 16504US Diversity3
LIB 16001 
 16 17
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 26504MATE 3010R
MATE 21503MATH 26704
MATE 2150L1MATE 21403
PHYS 23104MATE 21603
PHYS 2310L1MATE 2160L1
ENGL 25003PHYS 23204
 PHYS 2320L1
 16 16
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATE 31103MATE 31403
MATE 31703MATE 31903
Specialization3Specialization3
Materials Elective3STAT 30503
Technical Elective3International Perspective3
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATE 41303MATE 41403
MATE 41803Specialization3
Specialization3Materials Elective3
Technical Elective3Technical Elective3
Technical Writing3Technical Elective3
 Gen Ed Elective3
 15 18

Areas of specialization:

  • Ceramic Materials: 3210, 3220, 4250, 4330
  • Metallic Materials: 3410, 3420, 4430, 4440
  • Polymeric Materials: 3500, 3510, 4530, 4540

The MSE Department offers concurrent enrollment program opportunities for students wishing to enroll in either the M.S. degree program or the M. Eng. degree program during the final stages of their B.S. program completion. Minimum admission requirements for these concurrent programs are the same as those for the regular M.S. and M. Eng. admission.  (See MSE Graduate admission requirements.) Concurrently enrolled students are considered graduate students for official enrollment and tuition/fee purposes. MSE students concurrently enrolled as B.S./M.S. students are eligible for Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA), but these require Major Professor sponsorship and are not guaranteed with admission to the program. Assistantships are not available for B.S./M.Eng. students.

See the Graduate College Handbook for more details concerning application procedures. Undergraduate students should visit with both their academic advisor and the MSE Director of Graduate Education to discuss interest in a concurrent program, learn more about blending the undergraduate and graduate curricula, and to obtain copies of the application forms.

  • Eligibility – Undergraduate students who will have earned 90 credits toward the B.S. MATE degree by the time of concurrent enrollment are eligible to apply for a concurrent program.
  • Application Process – Applications for concurrent enrollment are not submitted through the Graduate College online application system. Rather, completed (paper) application packages should be submitted directly to the MSE Graduate Program Coordinator.
  • Applications are accepted anytime.
  • Application Package – The application package must include the following materials:
  • The ISU Concurrent Enrollment application form (“Concurrent Enrollment for Undergraduate Student Wishing to Pursue a Graduate Certificate or Degree”).
  • MSE Concurrent Enrollment Request form
  • Resume/CV
  • Three letters of recommendation

The MSE Department also offers a B.S. MATE and MBA concurrent enrollment program in collaboration with the Ivy College of Business. For more information about this program, please visit: https://www.ivybusiness.iastate.edu/full-time-concurrent-mba/.