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, http://www.abet.org/. 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: materials based technologies (materials production), communication/information technologies (semiconducting materials, fiber optics), medical/environmental technologies (biomedical, energy production, waste containment), nanotechnologies, consumer products (building and construction, durable goods), and transportation industries (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
Upon graduation, students should be able to:
- practice materials engineering in a broad range of industries including materials production, semiconductors, medical/environmental, consumer products, and transportation products
- engage in advanced study in materials and related or complementary fields
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 other funded research. Graduates can develop a global perspective of engineering through various study abroad opportunities supported by the department. 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 both immediate entry into industry or further study in graduate school.
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 150 | Critical Thinking and Communication (Must have a C or better in this course) | 3 |
| ENGL 250 | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition (Must have a C or better in this course) | 3 |
| LIB 160 | Introduction to College Level Research | 1 |
| 3 |
| Business Communication | |
| Proposal and Report Writing | |
| Technical Communication | |
Advanced Communication Courses: 6 cr.
| ENGL 250 | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition (Must have a C or better in this course) | 3 |
| 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 200+ 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 177 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| or CHEM 167 | General Chemistry for Engineering Students |
| ENGL 150 | Critical Thinking and Communication (Must have a C or better in this course) | 3 |
| ENGR 101 | Engineering Orientation | R |
| ENGR 160 | Engineering Problems with Computer Applications Laboratory 3 | 3 |
| LIB 160 | Introduction to College Level Research | 1 |
| MATH 165 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 166 | Calculus II | 4 |
| PHYS 231 | Introduction to Classical Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS 231L | Introduction to Classical Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| Total Credits | 24 |
Math and Physical Science: 18 cr.
| CHEM 177L | Laboratory in General Chemistry I | 1 |
| CHEM 178 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 178L | Laboratory in College Chemistry II | 1 |
| MATH 265 | Calculus III | 4 |
| MATH 267 | Elementary Differential Equations and Laplace Transforms | 4 |
| PHYS 232 | Introduction to Classical Physics II | 4 |
| PHYS 232L | Introduction to Classical Physics II Laboratory | 1 |
| Total Credits | 18 |
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.)
| MAT E 170 | Numeric, Symbolic, and Graphical Methods for Materials Engineering | 3 |
| MAT E 214 | Structural Characterization of Materials | 3 |
| MAT E 215 | Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering I | 3 |
| MAT E 215L | Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering I - Lab | 1 |
| MAT E 216 | Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering II | 3 |
| MAT E 216L | Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering II - Lab | 1 |
| MAT E 311 | Thermodynamics in Materials Engineering | 3 |
| MAT E 314 | Kinetics and Phase Equilibria in Materials | 3 |
| MAT E 317 | Introduction to Electronic Properties of Ceramic, Metallic, and Polymeric Materials | 3 |
| MAT E 319 | Mechanics of Structures and Materials | 3 |
| MAT E 413 | Materials Design and Professional Practice I | 3 |
| MAT E 414 | Materials Design and Professional Practice II | 3 |
| MAT E 418 | Mechanical Behavior of Materials | 3 |
| 12 |
| Total Credits | 47 |
The courses below meet the specialization requirement. Students select one of the following tracks (ceramics, metals, polymers):
Ceramic Materials:
Metallic Materials:
Polymeric Materials:
| MAT E 350 | Polymers and Polymer Engineering. | 3 |
| MAT E 351 | Introduction to Polymeric Materials | 3 |
| MAT E 453 | Physical and Mechanical Properties of Polymers | 3 |
| MAT E 454 | Polymer Composites and Processing | 3 |
Other Courses: 21 cr.
| STAT 305 | Engineering Statistics | 3 |
| 2 | 6 |
| 2 | 12 |
| Total Credits | 21 |
Seminar/Co-op/Internships
| |
| MAT E 301 | Materials Engineering Professional Planning | R |
- 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.
- Choose from department approved list.
- See Basic Program for Professional Engineering Curricula for accepted substitutions for curriculum designated courses in the Basic Program.
Note: A Mat E 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.
Areas of specialization:
- Ceramic Materials: 321, 322, 425, 433
- Metallic Materials: 341, 342, 443, 444
- Polymeric Materials: 350, 351, 453, 454
The MSE Department offers B.S./M.S. and B.S./M.Eng. concurrent enrollment programs. Students accepted into a concurrent degree program may apply up to 6 credits of major or non-major graduate credit to both the B.S. degree and the relevant graduate degree (M.S. or M. Eng.). Admission to the B.S./M.S. program requires major professor sponsorship. 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 BS Mat E degree by the time of concurrent enrollment are eligible to apply for a concurrent program.
- Admission Requirements – All regular MSE Graduate Program admission criteria apply.
- 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
- GRE test score report (include paper report and have scores transmitted electronically)
- Three letters of recommendation
The MSE Department also offers a B.S. MAT E 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/.
