Department of Materials Science and Engineering
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DEPARTMENT OF MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT OF MATERIALS SCIENCE AND and characterization equipment. The Undergraduate Teaching ENGINEERING Laboratory on the Innite Corridor includes facilities for biomaterials research, chemical synthesis, and physical and electronic properties measurement. The Laboratory for Advanced Materials contains Materials science and engineering (MSE) studies the ways in which thermal, electrical, optical, and magnetic characterization atoms and molecules can be built into solid materials and how equipment. The Laboratory for Engineering Materials has machining the structural arrangement of the atoms in a material governs its and 3D printing capabilities. The Nanomechanics Laboratory has properties. The department's research and academic programs a suit of equipment for probe microscopy and mechanical and address all classes of materials, used in every domain of human tribological measurements. Other departmental laboratories include endeavor, including energy, sustainability, nanotechnology, facilities for preparation of a variety of bulk and thin lm materials, healthcare, information technology, and manufacturing. Because and characterization by optical, electron (TEM, SEM), and scanning almost all technological advances are based upon materials probe (AFM, STM) microscopy, and electrical, optical, magnetic, advances, MSE is unique for its balance of basic science (examining and mechanical property measurements. DMSE faculty, students, the relationships and connections between processing, structure, and sta also access the materials characterization tools in the and properties of materials) and practical applications. The Materials Research Laboratory (http://catalog.mit.edu/mit/research/ department draws on scientic perspectives from chemistry, materials-research-laboratory) and the cleanroom facilities and physics, biology, computational, and mathematical approaches, and tools in MIT.nano (https://mitnano.mit.edu), including state of the art engineering, economics, and industrial design. electron microscopy. Recent advances in materials have depended as much on advances in materials engineering as they have on materials science. When Undergraduate Study developing engineering processes for the production of materials and when designing materials for specic applications, the materials The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) oers scientist and engineer must understand both fundamental concepts several undergraduate degree programs: such as thermodynamics, kinetics, and atomic structure and economic, social, and environmental factors. Today's materials • Course 3, leading to the Bachelor of Science in Materials Science scientists and engineers address some of the key challenges facing and Engineering, is taken by the majority of undergraduates humanity, including sustainable energy generation and storage, in the department and is accredited by the Engineering the environmental impact of human activities, and advancements in Accreditation Commission of Accreditation Board for Engineering health and medicine. and Technology (ABET) (http://www.abet.org). • Course 3-A, leading to the Bachelor of Science as Recommended The fundamental concepts and applications of materials science by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and engineering are taught within core subjects and electives at provides students greater flexibility in designing their own self- the undergraduate and graduate levels. Undergraduate lectures guided program. The New Engineering Education Transformation are complemented by a variety of laboratory experiences. By (NEET) program (https://neet.mit.edu) oers a thread in Advanced selecting appropriate subjects, students can follow many dierent Materials Machines that meets the 3-A requirements. paths with emphasis on engineering, science, or a mixture of • Course 3-C leads to the Bachelor of Science in Archaeology and the two. In addition, students may pursue a path in archaeology Materials as Recommended by the Department of Materials and archaeological science within the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Science and Engineering and the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology (CMRAE) (http://web.mit.edu/cmrae). The department also oers research and educational specialization This curriculum is unique within departments of anthropology, in a large number of industrially and scientically important areas archaeology, and engineering. leading to master's and doctoral degrees. Materials engineers and materials scientists are continually in Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering high demand by industry and government for jobs in research, (Course 3) development, production, and management. They nd a diversity The undergraduate program (http://catalog.mit.edu/degree-charts/ of challenging opportunities in in industries related to energy, materials-science-engineering-course-3) serves the needs of the environment, electronics, aerospace, consumer products, students who intend to pursue employment in materials-related biomaterials, and medicine, as well as in national laboratories, industries immediately upon graduation, as well as those who will consulting, and entrepreneurship. A large number of DMSE alumni do graduate work in the engineering or science of materials. The are faculty at leading universities. program is designed to be started at the beginning of the sophomore The department has extensive undergraduate materials teaching year, although it can be started in the spring term of the sophomore laboratories containing a wide range of materials processing year or in the junior year with some loss of scheduling flexibility. Department of Materials Science and Engineering | 3 DEPARTMENT OF MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING The rst four academic terms of the program contain required MBA or law program. In these cases, the 3-A program may be of value core subjects that address the fundamental relations between as a more flexible curriculum in which a larger number of elective processing, microstructure, properties, and applications of modern choices is available. materials. The core subjects are followed by a sequence of restricted electives that provide more specialized coverage of the major classes The curriculum requirements for Course 3-A (http://catalog.mit.edu/ of modern materials: biomaterials, ceramics, electronic materials, degree-charts/materials-science-engineering-course-3-a) are similar metals, and polymers, as well as cross-cutting topics relevant to all to but more flexible than those for Course 3. types of materials. Course 3 students write either a senior thesis or A student considering the 3-A program (including NEET) should reports based on industrial internships. This provides an opportunity contact the department Academic Oce, who will counsel them for original research work beyond that which occurs elsewhere in the more fully on the academic considerations involved. The student program. will prepare a complete plan of study which must be approved by The required subjects can be completed in the sophomore and the departmental Undergraduate Committee. This approval must be junior years within a schedule that allows students to take a HASS obtained no later than the beginning of the student's junior year. The subject each term and a range of elective junior and senior subjects. student is then expected to adhere to this plan unless circumstances Departmental advisors assist students in selecting elective subjects. require a change, in which case a petition for a modied program While the program should satisfy the academic needs of most must be submitted to the Undergraduate Committee. The department students, petitions for variations or substitutions may be approved does not seek ABET accreditation for the 3-A program. by the departmental Undergraduate Committee; students should The NEET option allows students to pursue a project-centered contact their advisor for guidance in such cases. academic program across multiple departments and disciplines. Participation in laboratory work by undergraduates is an integral part of the curriculum. The departmental core subjects include Bachelor of Science in Archaeology and Materials as extensive laboratory exercises, which investigate materials Recommended by the Department of Materials Science and properties, structure, and processing and are complementary to the Engineering (Course 3-C) lecture subjects. The junior-year core includes a capstone laboratory Students who have a specic interest in archaeology and subject, 3.042 Materials Project Laboratory, that emphasizes design, archaeological science may choose Course 3-C. The 3-C program materials processing, teamwork, communication skills, and project (http://catalog.mit.edu/degree-charts/archaeology-materials- management. Undergraduate students also have access to extensive course-3-c) is designed to aord students broad exposure to facilities for research in materials as part of the Undergraduate elds that contribute fundamental theoretical and methodological Research Opportunities Program (UROP) (http://uaap.mit.edu/ approaches to the study of ancient and historic societies. The research-exploration/urop) and thesis projects. Engineering design primary elds include anthropological archaeology, geology, and gures prominently in a substantial portion of the laboratory materials science and engineering. The program enriches knowledge exercises. Students develop oral and written