Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Undergraduate Study

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) offers several 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 Engineering Accreditation Commission of Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
• Course 3-A, leading to the Bachelor of Science as Recommended by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, provides students greater flexibility in designing their own self-guided program. The New Engineering Education Transformation (NEET) program offers a thread in Advanced Materials Machines that meets the 3-A requirements.
• Course 3-C leads to the Bachelor of Science in Archaeology and Materials as Recommended by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

The department also offers research and educational specialization in a large number of industrially and scientifically important areas leading to master's and doctoral degrees.

Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering (Course 3)

The undergraduate program serves the needs of students who intend to pursue employment in materials-related industries immediately upon graduation, as well as those who will do graduate work in the engineering or science of materials. The program is designed to be started at the beginning of the sophomore year, although it can be started in the spring term of the sophomore year or in the junior year with some loss of scheduling flexibility.

The first four academic terms of the program contain required core subjects that address the fundamental relations between processing, microstructure, properties, and applications of modern materials. The core subjects are followed by a sequence of restricted electives that provide more specialized coverage of the major classes of modern materials: biomaterials, ceramics, electronic materials, metals, and polymers, as well as cross-cutting topics relevant to all types of materials. Course 3 students write either a senior thesis or reports based on industrial internships. This provides an opportunity for original research work beyond that which occurs elsewhere in the program.

The required subjects can be completed in the sophomore and junior years within a schedule that allows students to take a HASS subject each term and a range of elective junior and senior subjects. Departmental advisors assist students in selecting elective subjects. While the program should satisfy the academic needs of most students, petitions for variations or substitutions may be approved by the departmental Undergraduate Committee; students should contact their advisor for guidance in such cases.

Participation in laboratory work by undergraduates is an integral part of the curriculum. The departmental core subjects include extensive laboratory exercises, which investigate materials properties, structure, and processing and are complementary to the lecture subjects. The junior-year core includes a capstone laboratory subject, 3.042 , that emphasizes design, materials processing, teamwork, communication skills, and project management. Undergraduate students also have access to extensive facilities for research in materials as part of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) and thesis projects. Engineering design figures prominently in a substantial portion of the laboratory exercises. Students develop oral and written communication skills by reporting data and analysis in a variety of ways.

Students in Course 3 are required to complete an intensive research field experience by participating in either the Internship Program or the Thesis Program. Both programs are conducted under the supervision of faculty members and extend curricular topics to real-world contexts and applications. The internship program consists of completing two paid internships with a significant materials component, typically conducted in the summer after the sophomore (3.930 ) and junior (3.931 ) years. The thesis program (3.THU ) consists of a significant materials research project in a faculty laboratory. Both programs conclude with a formal presentation of findings.

Bachelor of Science as Recommended by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (Course 3-A)

Some students may be attracted to the many opportunities available in the materials discipline but also have special interests that are not satisfied by the Course 3 program. For instance, some students may wish to take biology and chemistry subjects in preparation for medical school or management subjects prior to entering an MBA or law program, or they may wish to explore AI and computational methods in order to apply them to materials discovery and design or predictive modeling. In these cases, the 3-A program may be of value as a more flexible curriculum in which a larger number of elective choices is available.

The curriculum requirements for Course 3-A are similar to but more flexible than those for Course 3.

A student considering the 3-A program should contact the department Academic Office, who will counsel them more fully on the academic considerations involved. The student will prepare a complete plan of study which must be approved by the departmental Undergraduate Committee. This approval must be obtained no later than the beginning of the student's junior year. The student is then expected to adhere to this plan unless circumstances require a change, in which case a petition for a modified program must be submitted to the Undergraduate Committee. The department does not seek ABET accreditation for the 3-A program.

Bachelor of Science in Archaeology and Materials as Recommended by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (Course 3-C)

Students who have a specific interest in archaeology and archaeological science may choose Course 3-C. The 3-C program is designed to afford students broad exposure to fields that contribute fundamental theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of ancient and historic societies. The primary fields include anthropological archaeology, geology, and materials science and engineering. The program enriches knowledge of past and present-day nonindustrial societies by making the natural and engineering sciences part of the archaeological tool kit.

The program's special focus is on understanding prehistoric culture through study of the structure and properties of materials associated with human activities. Investigating peoples' interactions with materials, the objects that such interactions produced, and the related environmental settings leads to a fuller analysis of the physical, social, cultural, and ideological world in which people function. These are the goals of anthropological archaeology, goals that are reached, in part, through science and engineering perspectives.

Participation in laboratory work by undergraduates is an integral part of the curriculum. The program requires that all students take a materials laboratory subject. Many of the archaeology subjects are designed with a laboratory component; such subjects meet in the Undergraduate Archaeology and Materials Laboratory. Undergraduate students also have access to the extensive CMRAE facilities for research in archaeological materials as part of UROP and thesis projects. Such projects may include archaeological fieldwork during IAP or the summer months.

The department does not seek ABET accreditation for the 3-C program. Students may contact Dr. Franco Rossi, francoro@mit.edu, for more information.

HASS Concentration in Archaeology and Archaeological Science

The HASS Concentration in Archaeology and Archaeological Science provides concentrators with a basic knowledge of the field of archaeology, the systematic study of the human past. Students pursuing the SB in 3-C may not also concentrate in this area. The archaeology and archaeological science concentration consists of four subjects:

Required Subjects
3.986		12
3.985		9
Select two other HASS electives from among the following:		18-21
3.094
3.982
3.983
3.987
3.993
Total Units		39-42

Minor in Materials Science and Engineering

Required Subjects
3.010	Structure of Materials	12
3.020	Thermodynamics of Materials	12
Core Subjects (Select 2)		24
3.013	Mechanics of Materials
3.023	Synthesis and Design of Materials
3.030	Microstructural Evolution in Materials
3.033	Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Properties of Materials
3.044	Materials Processing
3.042	Materials Project Laboratory
Restricted Electives (Select 2)		24
Select 2 subjects from the list of Restricted Electives in Course 3/3-A.
Total Units		72

With the approval of the minor advisor, students may substitute one subject taken outside the department for one of the core or restricted elective subjects, provided that the coverage of the substituted subject is similar to one of those in the departmental program. A minimum of 60 units must be Course 3 subject units, with the exception being if the minor proposal includes 18.03. In this case, a minimum of 48 Course 3 credits may be approved. Examples of minor programs in materials science and engineering can be obtained from the department.

Minor in Archaeology and Materials

The Minor in Archaeology and Materials (3-C) consists of six undergraduate subjects as described below.

Required Subjects
3.010	Structure of Materials	12
3.020	Thermodynamics of Materials	12
3.030	Microstructural Evolution in Materials	12
3.985[J]	Archaeological Science (HASS-S)	9
3.986[J]	The Human Past: Introduction to Archaeology (HASS-S)	12
Elective
Select one of the following: 1		9-12
3.981	Communities of the Living and the Dead: the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt
3.982	The Ancient Andean World
3.983	Ancient Mesoamerican Civilization
3.987	Human Evolution: Data from Palaeontology, Archaeology, and Materials Science
3.990	Seminar in Archaeological Method and Theory
3.993	Archaeology of the Middle East
Total Units		66-69

1	All of these subjects, with the exception of 3.990, provide HASS-S credit.

With the approval of the minor advisor, students may substitute one subject taken outside the Course 3 program, provided the coverage is equivalent. The 3-C minor advisor, Dr. Franco Rossi, will ensure that the minor program forms a coherent group of subjects.

A general description of the minor program may be found under Undergraduate Education.

Inquiries

Additional information regarding undergraduate programs may be obtained from the DMSE Academic Office at dmse-ugoffice@mit.edu.

Graduate Study

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) offers the degrees of Master of Science, Doctor of Philosophy, and Doctor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering. The department also offers opportunities for interdisciplinary study through the programs in Archaeological Materials, Computational Science and Engineering, Polymers and Soft Matter, and Technology and Policy.

Admission Requirements for Graduate Study

General admissions requirements are described under Graduate Education. Programs are arranged on an individual basis depending upon the preparation and interests of the student. Those who have not studied some thermodynamics and kinetics at the undergraduate level are expected to know the material covered in 3.010 , 3.020 , and 3.030 .

Requirements for Completion of Graduate Degrees

The general requirements for completion of graduate degrees are also described under the section on Graduate Education. Students completing a Master of Science degree are required to present a seminar summarizing the thesis. The department requires that candidates for the doctoral degrees go through a qualifying procedure and pass Institute-mandated general written and oral examinations before continuing with their programs of study and research, and that they satisfy a minor requirement. Information on the qualifying procedure and on the subject areas covered by the general examinations is available in the DMSE Academic Office.

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

The department offers a Master of Science degree in materials science and engineering. The general requirements for the master's degree are described under the section on Graduate Education. The coherent program of subjects (34 units, though not necessarily all DMSE subjects) must be approved by the Department Committee on Graduate Students. Of the 66 total units required for the master's degree, 42 graduate degree credits are required to be in DMSE subjects at the graduate level. The thesis must have significant materials research content. An internal departmental thesis reader is required if the student's advisor is outside DMSE.

The department may also recommend awarding a master's degree without departmental specification; the general requirements are described under Graduate Education. The thesis must be materials-related. An internal departmental thesis reader is required if the thesis advisor is outside DMSE.

Simultaneous Award of Two Master of Science Degrees for Students from Other Departments

Graduate students may seek two Master of Science degrees simultaneously or in sequence, one awarded by the student's home department and the other by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The rules governing dual degrees are found in the section detailing degree requirements under Graduate Education. Additional information on requirements that must also be met to obtain the Master of Science degree from the Materials Science and Engineering Department is available from the department.

Doctoral Degree in Materials Science and Engineering

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) offers a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Doctor of Science (ScD) in Materials Science and Engineering; the program is the same for both degrees. The DMSE doctoral program provides an advanced educational experience that is versatile, intellectually challenging, and of enduring value for high-level careers relating to the generation and application of knowledge concerning materials. It develops students’ ability, confidence, and originality to grasp and solve challenging problems involving materials.

All students in the DMSE doctoral program have the same foundation of core requirements: four core subjects, two seminar-based courses, and first-year thesis research requirements. The courses define what the department considers to be the fundamental knowledge that serves as the basis of materials science and engineering as a discipline—what every PhD materials scientist or materials engineer from MIT ought to know. The first-year student seminars and core subjects provide a rigorous, unified foundation for subsequent advanced-level subjects and thesis research. The successful completion of the core requirements is assessed via the student's performance in each subject.

Each doctoral student must take three post-core electives, selected from among the graduate subjects offered by the department and approved by the thesis committee. A full range of advanced-level subjects is offered in a variety of topics, and arrangements can be made for individually planned study of any relevant topic. In addition, students are required to take a two- or three-subject minor program.

Students in the DMSE doctoral program must successfully complete the general examination, which consists of written and oral evaluations to qualify as a candidate for the doctoral degree:

• A core curriculum assessment and review of research progress during the first year of the graduate program
• A thesis area examination, in which each student is expected to demonstrate a general understanding of the fundamentals of their chosen field and deeper understanding of one or more of its significant aspects that specifically relate to their thesis topic, as reflected in their chosen elective and minor subjects. The thesis area examination includes submission of a written thesis proposal and an oral examination.

Doctoral candidates (who have passed the general examination) must complete a doctoral thesis that satisfies the Institute and departmental requirements to receive the doctoral degree. During their first semester, students will meet with faculty members and evaluate research opportunities available in each lab. Selection of a research lab and thesis project is done by the student with the understanding that the student and faculty member mutually agree on the general topic and content area of the thesis. The research culminates in the writing of a thesis document. The results of the research must be of sufficient significance to warrant publication in the scientific literature; depending on the research field, this publication can come in the form of journal articles, conference proceedings, patents, or combinations of these or other public disclosure formats. Visit the DMSE website for additional information on the doctoral program.

Interdisciplinary Programs

Program in Archaeological Materials

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering offers an interdisciplinary doctoral program for individuals who wish to consider the study of archaeology and materials science and pursue research in the field of archaeological materials. Admission to the program is through the department. The program requires four core subjects—half in materials science and engineering, half in archaeology—and six additional subjects. Many of the subject requirements may be met with coursework in the Architecture; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; Mechanical Engineering; and Urban Studies and Planning departments; or in the Technology and Policy Program; the Program in Science, Technology, and Society; and the Anthropology Department at Harvard University. Field research opportunities are available, most notably in Mesoamerica and South America.

Computational Science and Engineering

The Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) doctoral program allows students to specialize in a computation-related field of their choice through focused coursework and a doctoral thesis through a number of participating host departments. The CSE PhD program is administered jointly by the Center for Computational Science and Engineering (CCSE) and the host departments, with the emphasis of thesis research activities being the development of new computational methods and/or the innovative application of computational techniques to important problems in engineering and science.

For more information, see the program descriptions under Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs.

Polymers and Soft Matter

The Program in Polymers and Soft Matter (PPSM) offers students from participating departments an interdisciplinary core curriculum in polymer science and engineering, exposure to the broader polymer community through seminars, contact with visitors from industry and academia, and interdepartmental collaboration while working towards a PhD or ScD degree.

Research opportunities include functional polymers, controlled drug delivery, nanostructured polymers, polymers at interfaces, biomaterials, molecular modeling, polymer synthesis, biomimetic materials, polymer mechanics and rheology, self-assembly, and polymers in energy. The program is described in more detail under Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs.

Financial Support

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering offers assistantships and fellowships for graduate study. Research and teaching assistantships are available in the fields in which the department is active.

Inquiries

Contact the Academic Office at dmse-gradoffice@mit.edu for additional information regarding graduate programs, admissions, and financial aid.