Undergraduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering

Materials science and engineering is concerned with the structure, properties, design, manufacture, and use of all classes of materials, including metals, ceramics, semiconductors, polymers, and biomaterials, and with energy, environmental, health, economic, and manufacturing issues relating to materials. Materials science and engineering is a field critical to our future economic and environmental well-being, and graduates from our program are in continually high demand by industry and government for jobs in research, development, production, and management.

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering offers three undergraduate degree programs. Course 3, leading to the Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering, is taken by the majority of undergraduates in the department, and is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); Course 3-A, leading to the Bachelor of Science without specification, provides greater flexibility and is often taken by pre-med, pre-law, or pre-MBA students; and Course 3-C leads to a Bachelor of Science in Archaeology and Materials. These programs start in sophomore fall, but can be started in sophomore spring or in the junior year with some loss of scheduling flexibility. In 2009, US News and World Report ranked the MIT program in materials science and engineering best in the nation.

If you are interested in Course 3 and would like to know more about upcoming departmental events, meetings, etc...you can sign up to the course3-premajors mailing list.

The Bachelor of Science degree is ABET accredited and follows these Educational Objectives:

Our program will:

Objective 1: [Foundations] Develop a solid foundation in the fundamentals, methods and tools of the field, and be prepared to apply it to the practice of materials science and engineering through exposure to and mastery of state-of-the-art methods of materials design, processing, analysis, modeling and computation.

Objective 2: [Professional Balance] Be able to creatively balance practical and industrial needs with materials science and engineering fundamentals in addressing engineering problems encountered in engineered systems.

Objective 3: [Teamwork/Leadership] Be able to communicate and work in teams and be prepared to assume positions of leadership in materials science and engineering.

Objective 4: [Engineered Systems] Understand that materials are enabling and integral to the design and fabrication of engineered systems that serve society and the larger world.

Objective 5: [Societal Impact] Develop an appreciation for the potential impact of mateirals choices, design and applications on the everyday lives of people, the economic structure of business and industry, and the health of populations.

Objective 6: [Global awareness] Be prepared to function knowledgeably, competitively and responsibly in a global professional environment.

Objective 7: [Lifelong Learning] Be prepared to become lifelong learners in recognition of the diverse career paths followed by DMSE graduates.

These objectives are drawn from the Program Self-Study Report for Materials Science and Engineering submitted to the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission in July 2007 and are consistent with MIT's institutional mission and with the Mission of the School of Engineering.

Chair of the Undergraduate Committee, Prof. Lionel Kimerling

Academic Administrator, Angelita Mireles

Undergraduate Administrative Assistant, Amy Shea