Undergraduate Education
The BS degree program is designed to train students in data science methods, and to apply these methods to the study of material structure and behavior.
The material science and engineering degree program offers a materials informatics foundation together with a “wet lab-dry lab” paradigm for integrating experimental and computational training in materials research. By offering a strong materials core integrated into the use of data science techniques, graduates of the program will be a position to collaborate and communicate with practicing scientists from many fields.
The overall objective of the material science and engineering program is to expose students to an innovative program in which data intensive research support the translation of fundamental materials science and engineering into the fields of materials discovery, manufacturing, and engineering systems. We expect our graduates to achieve the following skills and capabilities within a short time after graduation:
- Demonstrate professional competence, broadly defined, by assuming a role of increasing importance within an organization or business, or making progress towards an advanced degree.
- Apply scientific and engineering principles to solve technical problems, using a wide range of skills including experimental and informatics techniques.
- Be able to express oneself in writing and orally.
- Interact well with a broad range of people, especially on teams.
Student outcomes describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time they graduate. They relate to the knowledge, skills and behaviors students acquire as they progress through the materials science and engineering program. They include:
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
- 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
- An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
- 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
- An ability to function effectively as part of a team whose members provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
- An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
- An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies
MDI 201, Introduction to Material Design & Informatics
MDI 210, Chemical Design of Materials
MDI 311, Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of Materials
MDI 312, Multiscale Design of Materials
MDI 321, Quantitative Methods in Materials Characterization
MDI 322, Materials Characterization and Synthesis Lab
MDI 332, Foundations of Materials Thermodynamics and Structure
MDI 336, Kinetics, Defects, and Transport
MDI 404, Statistical Principles of Materials Informatics
MDI 440, Design and Function of Soft Matter
MDI 450, Machine Learning in Materials Design
MDI 471, Materials for a Regenerative Economy
MDI 493, Materials Design Laboratory I
MDI 494, Materials Design Laboratory II
MDI 401, Special Topics
MDI 481, Thin Films, Surfaces, and Interfaces
MDI 483, Functional Materials
MDI 484, Computational Materials Design
MDI 485, Polymers, Colloids, Gels, and Active Matter
Note: All courses are 3 credits each.