Materials Science & Engineering BS / Materials Science & Engineering MS
Major: Materials Science and Engineering
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering (BSMSE) and Masters of Science in Materials Science and Engineering (MSMSE)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Total Credit Hours: 225.5
Co-op Options: Three Co-op (Five years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 14.1801
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 17-2131
About the Program
The Materials Science and Engineering BS/MS program allows students to develop technical depth and breadth in their professional and related area, which enhances their professional productivity, whether in industry or as they proceed to the PhD. Their undergraduate courses provide the necessary technical prerequisite understanding and skills for the graduate studies, a natural progression. Because the technical concepts of engineering are common, the MS in a related discipline is readily achieved.
Admission Requirements
Students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.4 and have taken coursework sufficient to demonstrate a readiness to take graduate coursework.
Degree Requirements
| General Education/Liberal Studies Requirements | ||
| CIVC 101 | Introduction to Civic Engagement | 1.0 |
| COOP 101 | Career Management and Professional Development * | 1.0 |
| ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics | 4.0 |
| ECON 202 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 4.0 |
| ENGL 101 | Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research | 3.0 |
| or ENGL 111 | English Composition I | |
| ENGL 102 | Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing | 3.0 |
| or ENGL 112 | English Composition II | |
| ENGL 103 | Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres | 3.0 |
| or ENGL 113 | English Composition III | |
| PHIL 315 | Engineering Ethics | 3.0 |
| UNIV E101 | The Drexel Experience | 1.0 |
| General Education Electives ** | 12.0 | |
| Specialization Track Courses *** | 6.0 | |
| Free Electives | 6.0 | |
| Foundation Requirements | ||
| BIO 107 | Cells, Genetics & Physiology | 3.0 |
| BIO 108 | Cells, Genetics and Physiology Laboratory | 1.0 |
| CHE 350 | Statistics and Design of Experiments | 3.0 |
| CHEC 353 | Physical Chemistry and Applications III | 4.0 |
| CHEM 101 | General Chemistry I | 3.5 |
| CHEM 102 | General Chemistry II | 4.5 |
| CHEM 241 | Organic Chemistry I | 4.0 |
| ENGR 111 | Introduction to Engineering Design & Data Analysis | 3.0 |
| ENGR 113 | First-Year Engineering Design | 3.0 |
| ENGR 131 | Introductory Programming for Engineers | 3.0 |
| or ENGR 132 | Programming for Engineers | |
| ENGR 210 | Introduction to Thermodynamics | 3.0 |
| ENGR 220 | Fundamentals of Materials | 4.0 |
| ENGR 231 | Linear Engineering Systems | 3.0 |
| ENGR 232 | Dynamic Engineering Systems | 3.0 |
| MATH 121 | Calculus I | 4.0 |
| MATH 122 | Calculus II | 4.0 |
| MATH 200 | Multivariate Calculus | 4.0 |
| PHYS 101 | Fundamentals of Physics I | 4.0 |
| PHYS 102 | Fundamentals of Physics II | 4.0 |
| PHYS 201 | Fundamentals of Physics III | 4.0 |
| Professional Requirements | ||
| MATE 214 | Introduction to Polymers | 4.0 |
| MATE 230 | Fundamentals of Materials II | 4.0 |
| MATE 240 | Thermodynamics of Materials | 4.0 |
| MATE 245 | Kinetics of Materials | 4.0 |
| MATE 280 | Advanced Materials Laboratory | 4.0 |
| MATE 315 | Processing Polymers | 4.5 |
| MATE 341 | Defects in Solids | 3.0 |
| MATE 345 | Processing of Ceramics | 4.5 |
| MATE 351 | Electronic and Photonic Properties of Materials | 4.0 |
| MATE 355 | Structure and Characterization of Crystalline Materials | 3.0 |
| MATE 366 [WI] | Processing of Metallic Materials | 4.5 |
| MATE 370 | Mechanical Behavior of Solids | 3.0 |
| MATE 410 | Case Studies in Materials | 3.0 |
| MATE 455 | Biomedical Materials | 3.0 |
| MATE 460 | Engineering Computational Laboratory | 4.0 |
| MATE 491 [WI] | Senior Project Design I † | 2.0 |
| MATE 492 | Senior Project Design II † | 3.0 |
| MATE 493 [WI] | Senior Project Design III † | 3.0 |
| Master's Courses | ||
| MATE 510 | Thermodynamics of Solids | 3.0 |
| MATE 512 | Introduction to Solid State Materials | 3.0 |
| MATE 897 | Research | 6.0 |
| MATE 898 [WI] | Master's Thesis | 9.0 |
| Graduate Selected Core Courses †† | 12.0 | |
| GR Graduate Optional Core Courses | 9.0 | |
| Graduate Technical Electives ¶ | 3.0 | |
| Total Credits | 225.5 | |
| * | Co-op Cycles for Materials Science & Engineering are only Spring/Summer |
| ** | |
| *** | 6.0 credits of Undergraduate Specialization Track Courses are shared with Graduate Selected Core Courses. Specialization tracks allow upper-class students to focus on a specific area of materials science and engineering. Combining foundational knowledge of materials with a tailored topic gives students a customized educational experience that has relevance for co-op, graduate school and future career opportunities. Students select a track in their third (pre-junior) year, with the option of choosing from five pre-determined tracks or creating their own path. The pre-determined tracks are:
|
| † | MATE courses are required as part of the non-thesis option. For students taking the thesis option, MATE 491 [WI] , MATE 492, and MATE 493 [WI] are substituted by Undergraduate MSE Electives. |
| †† | |
| ¶ | MATE 501, MATE 507, MATE 515, MATE 535, MATE 563, MATE 610, MATE 661 Any graduate level course in a STEM field (Engineering, Physical Sciences, or Computing/Data), excluding MATE 536 (1 credit seminar) and MATE 504 (Art of Being a Scientist). |
Sample Plan of Study
5 year, 3 co-op: Non-thesis option
| First Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| CHEM 101 | 3.5 | CHEM 102 | 4.5 | COOP 101* | 1.0 | VACATION | |
| ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | ||
| ENGR 111 | 3.0 | ENGR 131 or 132 | 3.0 | ENGR 113 | 3.0 | ||
| MATH 121 | 4.0 | MATH 122 | 4.0 | MATH 200 | 4.0 | ||
| UNIV E101 | 1.0 | PHYS 101 | 4.0 | PHYS 102 | 4.0 | ||
| (UG) General Education Elective** | 3.0 | (UG) General Education Elective** | 3.0 | ||||
| 17.5 | 16.5 | 18 | 0 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| BIO 107 | 3.0 | CHEM 241 | 4.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| BIO 108 | 1.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | ||||
| ENGR 220 | 4.0 | ENGR 210 | 3.0 | ||||
| ENGR 231 | 3.0 | ENGR 232 | 3.0 | ||||
| PHYS 201 | 4.0 | MATE 230 | 4.0 | ||||
| (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | ||||||
| 18 | 17 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ECON 201 | 4.0 | ECON 202 | 4.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| MATE 214 | 4.0 | MATE 245 | 4.0 | (GR) Graduate Optional Core Course*** | 3.0 | (GR) Technical Elective††† | 3.0 |
| MATE 240 | 4.0 | MATE 315 | 4.5 | ||||
| MATE 355 | 3.0 | MATE 341 | 3.0 | ||||
| MATE 370 | 3.0 | (GR) Graduate Selected Core Course† | 3.0 | ||||
| 18 | 18.5 | 3 | 3 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| CHEC 353 | 4.0 | MATE 345 | 4.5 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| MATE 280 | 4.0 | MATE 351 | 4.0 | MATE 897 | 3.0 | MATE 897 | 3.0 |
| MATE 366 | 4.5 | PHIL 315 | 3.0 | ||||
| MATE 455 | 3.0 | (UG) Track Elective†† | 3.0 | ||||
| (GR) Graduate Optional Core Course*** | 3.0 | MATE 510 | 3.0 | ||||
| 18.5 | 17.5 | 3 | 3 | ||||
| Fifth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| CHE 350 | 3.0 | MATE 492 | 3.0 | MATE 410 | 3.0 | ||
| MATE 460 | 4.0 | (UG) Track Elective/(GR) Selected Core Course | 3.0 | MATE 493 | 3.0 | ||
| MATE 491 | 2.0 | (UG) General Education Elective** | 3.0 | (UG) General Education Elective** | 3.0 | ||
| (UG) Track Elective/(GR) Selected Core Course | 3.0 | (UG) Free Electives | 3.0 | (UG) Track Elective†† | 3.0 | ||
| (GR) Graduate Selected Core Course† | 3.0 | MATE 512 | 3.0 | (GR) Graduate Selected Core Course† | 3.0 | ||
| (GR) Technical Elective | 3.0 | (GR) Graduate Selected Core Course | 3.0 | (GR) Technical Elective | 3.0 | ||
| 18 | 18 | 18 | |||||
| Total Credits 225.5 | |||||||
| * | Co-Op cycles for Materials Science & Engineering are only Spring/Summer |
| ** | |
| *** | |
| † | Three of: MATE 501, MATE 507, MATE 515, MATE 535, MATE 563, MATE 610, or MATE 661 |
| †† | Specialization tracks allow upper-class students to focus on a specific area of materials science and engineering. Combining foundational knowledge of materials with a tailored topic gives students a customized educational experience that has relevance for co-op, graduate school and future career opportunities. Students select a track in their third (pre-junior) year, with the option of choosing from five pre-determined tracks or creating their own path. The pre-determined tracks are:
|
| ††† | Any graduate level course in a STEM field (engineering, physical sciences, or computing/data), excluding MATE 536 (1 credit seminar) and MATE 504 (Art of Being a Scientist) |
5 year, 3 co-op: Thesis option
| First Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| CHEM 101 | 3.5 | CHEM 102 | 4.5 | COOP 101* | 1.0 | VACATION | |
| ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | ||
| ENGR 111 | 3.0 | ENGR 131 or 132 | 3.0 | ENGR 113 | 3.0 | ||
| MATH 121 | 4.0 | MATH 122 | 4.0 | MATH 200 | 4.0 | ||
| UNIV E101 | 1.0 | PHYS 101 | 4.0 | PHYS 102 | 4.0 | ||
| (UG) General Education Elective** | 3.0 | (UG) General Education Elective** | 3.0 | ||||
| 17.5 | 16.5 | 18 | 0 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| BIO 107 | 3.0 | CHEM 241 | 4.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| BIO 108 | 1.0 | ENGL 103 | 3.0 | ||||
| ENGR 220 | 4.0 | ENGR 210 | 3.0 | ||||
| ENGR 231 | 3.0 | ENGR 232 | 3.0 | ||||
| PHYS 201 | 4.0 | MATE 230 | 4.0 | ||||
| (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | ||||||
| 18 | 17 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ECON 201 | 4.0 | ECON 202 | 4.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| MATE 214 | 4.0 | MATE 245 | 4.0 | (GR) Graduate Optional Core Course*** | 3.0 | (GR) Technical Elective††† | 3.0 |
| MATE 240 | 4.0 | MATE 315 | 4.5 | ||||
| MATE 355 | 3.0 | MATE 341 | 3.0 | ||||
| MATE 370 | 3.0 | (GR) Graduate Selected Core Course† | 3.0 | ||||
| 18 | 18.5 | 3 | 3 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| MATE 280 | 4.0 | MATE 345 | 4.5 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| MATE 366 | 4.5 | MATE 351 | 4.0 | MATE 897 | 3.0 | MATE 897 | 3.0 |
| MATE 455 | 3.0 | PHIL 315 | 3.0 | ||||
| CHEC 353 | 4.0 | (UG) Track Elective†† | 3.0 | ||||
| (GR) Graduate Optional Core Course*** | 3.0 | MATE 510 | 3.0 | ||||
| 18.5 | 17.5 | 3 | 3 | ||||
| Fifth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| CHE 350 | 3.0 | (UG) General Education Elective** | 3.0 | MATE 410 | 3.0 | ||
| MATE 460 | 4.0 | (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | (UG) MSE Elective | 3.0 | ||
| (UG) MSE Elective | 2.0 | (UG) MSE Elective | 3.0 | (UG) General Education Elective** | 3.0 | ||
| (UG) Track Elective/(GR) Selected Core Course | 3.0 | (UG) Track Elective/(GR) Selected Core Course | 3.0 | (UG) Track Elective†† | 3.0 | ||
| MATE 898 | 3.0 | MATE 512 | 3.0 | MATE 898 | 3.0 | ||
| (GR) Graduate Selected Core Course† | 3.0 | MATE 898 | 3.0 | (GR) Graduate Selected Core Course† | 3.0 | ||
| 18 | 18 | 18 | |||||
| Total Credits 225.5 | |||||||
| * | Co-Op cycles for Materials Science & Engineering are only Spring/Summer |
| ** | |
| *** | |
| † | Three of: MATE 501, MATE 507, MATE 515, MATE 535, MATE 563, MATE 610, or MATE 661 |
| †† | Specialization tracks allow upper-class students to focus on a specific area of materials science and engineering. Combining foundational knowledge of materials with a tailored topic gives students a customized educational experience that has relevance for co-op, graduate school and future career opportunities. Students select a track in their third (pre-junior) year, with the option of choosing from five pre-determined tracks or creating their own path. The pre-determined tracks are:
|
| ††† | Any graduate level course in a STEM field (engineering, physical sciences, or computing/data), excluding MATE 536 (1 credit seminar) and MATE 504 (Art of Being a Scientist) |
Materials Science and Engineering Faculty
Michel Barsoum, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Distinguished Professor. Processing and characterization of novel ceramics and ternary compounds, especially the MAX and 2-D MXene phases.
Jason Baxter, PhD (University of California, Santa Barbara). Associate Professor. Solar cells, semiconductor nanomaterials, ultrafast spectroscopy.
Hao Cheng, PhD (Northwestern University). Assistant Professor. Drug delivery, molecular self-assembly, cell-nanomaterial interactions, regenerative medicine and cell membrane engineering.
Adam K. Fontecchio, PhD (Brown University) Vice Dean, Graduate College. Professor. Electro-optics; remote sensing; active optical elements; liquid crystal devices.
Alexander Fridman, DSc, PhD (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology) Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, John A. Nyheim Endowed University Chair Professor, Director of the Drexel Plasma Institute. Professor. Plasma science and technology; pollutant mitigation; super-adiabatic combustion; nanotechnology and manufacturing.
Yury Gogotsi, PhD (Kiev Polytechnic Institute) Director, A. J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute. Distinguished University & Trustee Chair Professor. Nanomaterials; carbon nanotubes; nanodiamond; graphene; MXene; materials for energy storage, supercapacitors, and batteries.
Haviva M. Goldman, PhD (City University of New York) Neurobiology and Anatomy. Associate Professor. Understanding how the size and shape of whole bones, as well as the distribution quantity and quality of the mineralized tissue that forms the bone, reflect both evolutionary constraints of skeletal growth and development, and responsiveness to mechanical loading during life.
Lin Han, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Assistant Professor. Nanoscale structure-property relationships of biological materials, genetic and molecular origins soft joint tissue diseases, biomaterials under extreme conditions, coupling between stimulus-responsiveness and geometry.
Maher Harb, PhD (University of Toronto). Assistant Professor. Solid state physics, ultrafast electron diffraction, time-resolved X-ray diffraction, ultrafast lasers, nanofabrication, nano/microfluidics, instrument development, vacuum technologies.
Haifeng Frank Ji, PhD (Chinese Academy of Sciences). Professor. <em>Chemistry</em> Micromechancial sensors for biological and environmental applications; Nanomechanical drug screening technology.
Vibha Kalra, PhD (Cornell University) Chemical and Biological Engineering. Assistant Professor. Electrodes for energy storage and conversion; supercapacitors; Li-S batteries; fuel cells; flow batteries; electrospinning for nanofibers; molecular dynamics simulations; Nanotechnology, polymer nanocomposites.
Richard Knight, PhD (Loughborough University) Associate Department Head and Undergraduate Advisor. Teaching Professor. Thermal plasma technology; thermal spray coatings and education; plasma chemistry and synthesis.
E. Caglan Kumbur, PhD (Pennsylvania State University). Associate Professor. <em>Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics</em> Next generation energy technologies; fuel cell design and development.
Harry G. Kwatny, PhD (University of Pennsylvania) S. Herbert Raynes Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Professor. Dynamic systems analysis; stochastic optimal control; control of electric power plants and systems.
Leslie Lamberson, PhD (California Institute of Technology) P.C. Chou Assistant Professor of Mechanical Angineering. Assistant Professor. Dynamic behavior of materials, dynamic fracture, damage micromechanics, active materials.
Kenneth K.S. Lau, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Chemical and Biological Engineering. Associate Professor. Surface science; nanotechnology; polymer thin films and coatings; chemical vapor deposition.
Christopher Y. Li, PhD (University of Akron). Professor. Soft and hybrid materials for optical, energy, and bio applications; polymeric materials, nanocomposites, structure and properties.
Andrew Magenau, PhD (University of Southern Mississippi). Assistant Professor. Structurally complex materials exhibiting unique physical properties designed and fabricated using an assortment of methodologies involving directed self-assembly, externally applied stimuli, structure-function correlation, and applied engineering principles suited for technologies in regenerative medicine, biological interfacing, catalytic, electronic, and optical applications
Michele Marcolongo, PhD, PE (University of Pennsylvania) Department Head. Professor. Orthopedic biomaterials; acellular regenerative medicine, biomimetic proteoglycans; hydrogels.
Steven May, PhD (Northwestern University). Associate Professor. Synthesis of complex oxide films, superlattices, and devices; materials for energy conversion and storage; magnetic and electronic materials; x-ray and neutron scattering.
Bahram Nabet, PhD (University of Washington) Associate Dean for Special Projects, College of Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering. Professor. Optoelectronics; fabrication and modeling; fiber optic devices; nanoelectronics; nanowires.
Giuseppe R. Palmese, PhD (University of Delaware) Department Head, Chemical and Biological Engineering. Professor. Reacting polymer systems; nanostructured polymers; radiation processing of materials; composites and interfaces.
Ekaterina Pomerantseva, PhD (Moscow State University, Russia). Assistant Professor. Solid state chemistry; electrochemical characterization, lithium-ion batteries, energy generation and storage; development and characterization of novel nanostructured materials, systems and architectures for batteries, supercapacitors and fuel cells.
Caroline L. Schauer, PhD (SUNY Stony Brook) Graduate Advisor. Associate Professor. Polysaccharide thin films and nanofibers.
Wan Y. Shih, PhD (Ohio State University). Associate Professor. Piezoelectric microcantilever biosensors development, piezoelectric finger development, quantum dots development, tissue elasticity imaging, piezoelectric microcantilever force probes.
Wei-Heng Shih, PhD (Ohio State University). Professor. Colloidal ceramics and sol-gel processing; piezoelectric biosensors, optoelectronics, and energy harvesting devices; nanocrystalline quantum dots for bioimaging, lighting, and solar cells.
Karl Sohlberg, PhD (University of Delaware). Associate Professor. <em>Chemistry</em> Computational and theoretical materials-related chemistry: (1) complex catalytic materials; (2) mechanical and electrical molecular devices.
Jonathan E. Spanier, PhD (Columbia University) Associate Dean, Strategic Planning, College of Engineering. Professor. Light-matter interactions in electronic materials, including ferroelectric semiconductors, complex oxide thin film science; laster spectroscopy, including Raman scattering.
Kara Spiller, PhD (Drexel University). Assistant Professor. Macrophage-biometerial interactions, drug delivery systems, and chronic would healing. Cell-biomaterial interactions, biomaterial design, and international engineering education.
Mitra Taheri, PhD (Carnegie Mellon University) Hoeganeas Associate Professor of Metallurgy. Associate Professor. Development of the ultrafast Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscope (DTEM) for the study of laser-induced microstructural evolution/phase transformations in nanostructured materials; use of various <em>in-situ </em>Transmission Electron Microscopy techniques.
Garritt Tucker, PhD (Georgial Institute of Technology). Assistant Professor. Computational materials science and engineering; microstructural evolutiona nd material behavior in extreme environments; interfacial-driven processes for improving material functionality; multi-scale physics modeling.
Christopher Weinberger, PhD (Stanford University). Assistant Professor. <em>Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics</em> Multiscale materials modeling of mechanical properties including DFT, atomistics, mesoscale and microscale FEM modeling.
Christopher Weyant, PhD (Northwestern University). Associate Teaching Professor.
Margaret Wheatley, PhD (University of Toronto) John M. Reid Professor. Ultrasound contrast agent development (tumor targeting and triggered drug delivery), controlled release technology (bioactive compounds), microencapsulated allografts (<em>ex vivo </em> gene therapy) for spinal cord repair.
Antonios Zavaliangos, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) A.W. Grosvenor Professor. Professor. Constitutive modeling; powder compaction and sintering; pharmaceutical tableting, X-ray tomography.
Emeritus Faculty
Roger D. Corneliussen, PhD (University of Chicago). Professor Emeritus. Fracture, blends and alloys, as well as compounding.
Roger D. Doherty, PhD (Oxford University). Professor Emeritus. Metallurgical processing; thermo-mechanical treatment.
Ihab L. Kamel, PhD (University of Maryland). Professor Emeritus. Nanotechnology, polymers, composites, biomedical applications, and materials-induced changes through plasma and high energy radiation.
Jack Keverian, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Professor Emeritus. Rapid parts manufacturing, computer integrated manufacturing systems, strip production systems, technical and/or economic modeling, melting and casting systems, recycling systems.
Alan Lawley, PhD (University of Birmingham, England). Professor Emeritus. Mechanical and physical metallurgy, powder metallurgy, materials engineering design, engineering education.
