MatSE is an interdisciplinary study encompassing the exploration of the properties, performance, synthesis, and applications of materials both naturally occurring and man-made. Advances in materials science and engineering have produced countless breakthroughs in fields such as healthcare and medical device manufacturing, energy industries including renewable and green technology, electronics and computing, advanced battery technology, nanotechnology, space exploration, aeronautics, and the list goes on. A direct line can be drawn from much of the technology we enjoy today back to a materials scientist. Simply put, MatSE scientists make the" stuff" that makes tomorrow.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State is an international leader in materials education and research. As a top-ranked program, the department thrives on a rich collaboration between faculty, staff, students, and researchers to promote a well-rounded academic experience and innovative research opportunities. Our department offers ABET accredited degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
The undergraduate program is customizable by each student— allowing for the blending of interest areas and materials topics. This ultimately allows each student to create their own materials major to fit their individual interests and needs.
Our Intercollege Graduate Degree Program (IGDP) offers the ability to continue your materials education with either a Masters of Science or Doctoral degree. Since this is an intercollege program, students have access to the best materials minds at the University, both here in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and from other science and engineering disciplines.
To better serve all areas of the department an External Advisory Board (EAB) was created to advise the department on academic issues, current trends and future directions in engineering. The EAB is comrpised of a select group of represenatives from industry, government agencies, academia and the profession.
Both faculty and students are engaged in high-level research through our manymaterials research centers , faculty research groups, Undergraduate Research Fellows program, International Internships in Materials (IIM) and more. This research spans the many subdisciplines of materials science and engineering and generates more than $10 million in project funding each year. Students also benefit from the department' s relationships with various corporate partners and from on-campus visits from materials scientists at the top of their fields for endowed lectures and other special programs.
