Materials Science and Engineering BSMSE

Major: Materials Science and Engineering
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering (BSMSE)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 186.5
Co-op Options: Three Co-op (Five years); One Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 14.1801
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 17-2131

About the Program

Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is concerned with the production, structure, characterization, properties and utilization of metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, electronic, optical, nano- and bio-compatible materials. Materials scientists and engineers play a key role in our increasingly complex technological society by extending the limited supply of materials, improving existing materials and developing and designing new and superior materials with an awareness of their cost, reliability, safety and societal/environmental implications.

Students majoring in materials science and engineering (MSE) receive a thorough grounding in the basic sciences and engineering of all materials. All students are required to take course sequences that include materials processing, thermodynamics and kinetics of materials, and their physical and mechanical behavior, plus laboratories designed to familiarize them with the instruments and advanced techniques used to process and characterize materials and evaluate their structure, properties and performance.

Several required senior level courses emphasize the role and importance of materials selection and specification in design. A number of tracks allow upper-level students to focus their technical electives in areas of specialization, including:

• Materials for Energy
• Materials for Sustainability
• Materials for Medical Technology
• Manufacturing
• Custom Track

During their senior year, students majoring in materials science and engineering (MSE) work on a capstone senior design project over the course of three terms, with guidance from a faculty advisor and graduate student mentor. Students, generally working in small groups, synthesize information and knowledge from their courses to arrive at solutions to real-world engineering problems.

Examples of recent senior design project topics include:

• Design of an Electrochromic Device Using Bi-layered Vanadium Oxide
• Modeling of Thermodynamic Properties and Phase Stability of High Entropy Alloys via Physics-Informed Machine Learning
• Synthesis of Biopolymer Biocomposites Using Food Waste Derived Cellulose Nanofibers
• Investigation of Alkali-Activated Concretes by Examining the Pozzolanic Activity in Diatomaceous Earth
• Microneedle Patch for Therapeutic Delivery
• Synthesis of High Glass-Transition Temperature Poly(imide) Based Covalent Adaptable Networks
• Design of a Solvent-Based Separation Process for Recycling Polyethylene and Polypropylene
• Fabrication of MXenes with Large Flakes
• Polymer/Metal Additive Manufacturing Materials Development
• Photoluminescent Nanocrystals as Photocatalysts
• Touchspinning of Chitosan Nanofibers
• Scaling-up a Topochemical Fluorination Reactor
• Synthesis of MXenes from Novel MAX Phases
• Screening of MXenes for Photothermal Therapy
• Hybrid Nanovesicles Made of Cell Membranes and Phosphoipids
• Stereocomplexed Nanofiber Shish-Kebabs for Sustainable Polymer Nanocomposites
• Solid Polymer Electrolytes (SPE) for Lithium Metal Batteries
• Photoluminescent Fibers as Smart Textiles

Mission Statement

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering will provide our BS, MS and PhD graduates with the technical and theoretical knowledge, design capabilities, professionalism and communications skills necessary for them to excel in leadership positions in academia, industry and government at the national and international levels.

Vision

Materials science and engineering is a multi-disciplinary field that will remain at the forefront of all emerging technologies. Advances in the understanding of the process-structure-property-performance relationships of materials will be critical for future developments, including in energy storage and power generation, biomaterials and nanomaterials. The Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Drexel University will be recognized as a world leader in these areas through its teaching and scholarly research.

Program Educational Objectives

The educational objectives of the Materials Science and Engineering BS degree program are:

• Materials Science and Engineering program graduates possess the core technical competencies in their field necessary to successfully interface with other engineering disciplines in the workplace.
• At least 30% of Materials Science and Engineering program graduates have progressed towards graduate education, to become leaders in industry, academia, etc.
• Materials Science and Engineering program graduates are leaders in their chosen fields.
• Materials Science and Engineering program graduates are engaged in lifelong learning.
• Materials Science and Engineering program graduates possess written and verbal communication skills appropriate for professional materials engineers and/or scientists. 

Student Outcomes

The department’s student outcomes reflect the skills and abilities that the curriculum is designed to provide to students by the time they graduate. These are:  

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science and mathematics.
2. 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.
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
4. 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.
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks and meet objectives.
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Additional Information

The Materials Science and Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Degree Requirements

*

Co-op cycles for Materials Science & Engineering are only Spring/Summer.

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

**

Specialization tracks allow upper-class students to focus on a specific area of materials science and engineering through selection of three technical elective courses (minimum 9.0 credits). This tailored specialization, combined with foundational materials knowledge and co-op experiences, gives students a customized education to prepare them for their future career and/or graduate school. Students choose from four pre-determined specialization tracks or create their own track. In addition to the specific courses listed for each pre-determined track, other courses may be accepted subject to approval by the MSE advisor. Additional pre-requisites required for Track courses should be used to satisfy students' "Free Elective" credits. The pre-determined tracks are:

• Materials for Energy
• Materials for Medical Technologies
• Materials for Sustainability
• Manufacturing

***

General Education Electives

†

Choose one of the approved Business Electives (GE): ECON 201, ACCT 110, OPM 200, ORGB 300 [WI] or approved by MSE advisor.  

‡

Choose one of the approved Societal Impact Electives (GE): SOC 244, SOC 346, SCTS 202, SCTS 205 or approved by MSE advisor.

^

CHEM sequence is determined by the student's Chemistry Placement Exam score and the completion of a summer online preparatory course available based on that score.

^^

MATH and PHYS sequences are determined by the student's Calculus Placement Exam score and the completion of any summer online preparatory courses available based on that score.

§

Some students may need a one-credit concurrent practicum course depending on their calculus exam score and summer preparatory review participation.

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.

Sample Plan of Study 

4 year, 1 co-op 

*

CHEM sequence is determined by the student's Chemistry Placement Exam score and the completion of a summer online preparatory course available based on that score.

**

MATH and PHYS sequences are determined by the student's Calculus Placement Exam score and the completion of any summer online preparatory courses available based on that score.

***

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

****

Choose one of the approved Business Electives (GE): ECON 201, ACCT 110, OPM 200, ORGB 300 [WI] or approved by MSE advisor.  

‡

Choose one of the approved Societal Impact Electives (GE): SOC 244, SOC 346, SCTS 202, SCTS 205 or approved by MSE advisor.

†

 See degree requirements.

††

Specialization tracks allow upper-class students to focus on a specific area of materials science and engineering through selection of three technical elective courses (minimum 9.0 credits). This tailored specialization, combined with foundational materials knowledge and co-op experiences, gives students a customized education to prepare them for their future career and/or graduate school. Students choose from four pre-determined specialization tracks or create their own track. In addition to the specific courses listed for each pre-determined track, other courses may be accepted subject to approval by the MSE advisor. Additional pre-requisites required for Track courses should be used to satisfy students' "Free Elective" credits. The pre-determined tracks are:

• Materials for Energy
• Materials for Medical Technologies
• Materials for Sustainability
• Manufacturing

5 year, 3 co-op 

*

CHEM sequence is determined by the student's Chemistry Placement Exam score and the completion of a summer online preparatory course available based on that score.

**

MATH and PHYS sequences are determined by the student's Calculus Placement Exam score and the completion of any summer online preparatory courses available based on that score.

***

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

****

Choose one of the approved Business Electives (GE): ECON 201, ACCT 110, OPM 200, ORGB 300 [WI] or approved by MSE advisor.  

‡

Choose one of the approved Societal Impact Electives: SOC 244, SOC 346, SCTS 202, SCTS 205 or approved by MSE advisor.

†

See degree requirements.

††

Specialization tracks allow upper-class students to focus on a specific area of materials science and engineering through selection of three technical elective courses (minimum 9.0 credits). This tailored specialization combined with foundational materials knowledge and co-op experiences gives students a customized education to prepare them for their future career and/or graduate school. Students choose from four pre-determined specialization tracks or create their own track. In addition to the specific courses listed for each pre-determined track, other courses may be accepted subject to approval by the MSE advisor. The pre-determined tracks are:

• Materials for Energy
• Materials for Medical Technologies
• Materials for Sustainability
• Manufacturing and Materials Processing

Co-op/Career Opportunities

Examples of industries in which materials science and engineering graduates play major roles include: base metals industries; specialist alloys; advanced ceramics; petrochemical; biomaterials and implants; pharmaceuticals; consumer products; electronics and photonics; nanotechnology; power generation; energy conversion, storage and conservation (fuel cells, advanced batteries, supercapacitors and photovoltaics); environmental protection and remediation; information and telecommunications; and transportation (aerospace, automotive,  railways).

Typical job functions include design and development of new materials, materials selection for specific applications, manufacturing, performance and failure analysis, quality control and testing, research and development, technical management, sales and marketing, teaching, technical services, and technical writing.

Please visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.

Dual/Accelerated Degree

Dual Degree Bachelor’s Programs

With careful planning, students can complete two full degrees in the time usually required to complete one. For detailed information, students should contact their advisors.

Bachelor’s/Master’s Accelerated Degree Program

The Accelerated Degree Program within the College of Engineering provides opportunities for highly talented and motivated students to progress toward their educational goals essentially at their own pace. Exceptional students can pursue a master of science (MS) degree in the same period as the bachelor of science (BS). The combined BS/MS degree in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) differs from the standard BS degree in that there may be two six-month Co-op periods instead of three.

For more information about this program, please visit the Department's BS/MS Degree Program page.

Facilities

Nanobiomaterials and Cell Engineering Laboratory
This laboratory contains a fume hood with vacuum/gas dual manifold, vacuum pump and rotary evaporator for general organic/polymer synthesis; gel electrophoresis and electroblotting for protein characterization; bath sonicator, glass homogenizer and mini-extruder for nanoparticle preparation; centrifuge; ultrapure water conditioning system; precision balance; pH meter and shaker.

Ceramics Processing Laboratory
This laboratory contains a photo-resist spinner, impedance analyzer, Zeta potential meter, spectrafluorometer, piezoelectric d33 meter, wire-bonder, and laser displacement meter.

Layered Solids Laboratory
This laboratory contains a vacuum hot-press; creep testers, Ar-atmosphere glove-box, high-speed saw, and assorted high temperature furnaces; metallographic preparation facilities; high temperature closed-loop servo-hydraulic testing machines.

Mechanical Testing Laboratory
This laboratory contains mechanical and closed-loop servo-hydraulic testing machines, hardness testers, Charpy and Izod impact testers, equipment for fatigue testing, metallographic preparation facilities and a rolling mill with twin 6" diameter rolls.

Macromolecular Materials Laboratory
This laboratory contains a hybrid rheometer, inert environment glove box, size exclusion chromatography with multi-angle laser light scattering, HPLC and RI detector & MALS, centrifuge, rotovapor, and vacuum oven used for developing innovative synthetic platforms to generate functional soft materials with complex macromolecular architectures.

Mesoscale Materials Laboratory
This laboratory contains instrumentation for growth, characterization, device fabrication, and design and simulation of electronic, dielectric, ferroelectric and photonic materials. Resources include physical and chemical vapor deposition and thermal and plasma processing of thin films, including oxides and metals, and semiconductor nanowire growth. Facilities include pulsed laser deposition, atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), sublimation growth, and resistive thermal evaporation.  Variable-temperature high-vacuum probe station and optical cryostats including high magnetic field, fixed and tunable-wavelength laser sources, several monochromators for luminescence and Raman scattering spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with electron beam lithography, and a scanning probe microscope.

Nanomaterials Laboratory
This laboratory contains instrumentation for synthesizing, testing and manipulation of nanomaterials carbon and two dimensional carbides under microscope, high-temperature autoclaves, Sievert’s apparatus; glove-boxes; high-temperature vacuum and other furnaces for the synthesis of nano-carbon coatings and nanotubes; tube furnaces for synthesis of carbides and nitrides; potentiostat/galvanostat for electrochemical testings; ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectrophotometry; Raman spectrometers; Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) up to 1500 °C with mass spectrometer, Zeta potential analyzer; attrition mill, bath and probe sonicators, centrifuges; electro-spinning system for producing nano-fibers.

Functional Inorganic Materials Synthesis Laboratory
The laboratory contains equipment for the synthesis of inorganic and hybrid materials, including gas cabinets for NH₃ and H₂, a CVD furnace, and spin-coater; UV-Vis spectrophotometer; and a photodegradation test station with Xe 1000 W lamp.   

Films and Heterostructures Laboratory
This laboratory contains an oxide molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film deposition system; physical properties measurement system (PPMS) for electronic transport and magnetometry measurements from 2 to 400 K, up to 9 T fields; 2 tube furnaces; spectroscopic ellipsometer.

Powder Processing Laboratory
This laboratory contains vee blenders, ball-mills, sieve shaker + sieves for powder classification, several furnaces. 

Soft Matter Research and Polymer Processing Laboratories
These laboratories contain computerized thermal analysis facilities including differential scanning calorimeters (DSC), dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) and thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA); tabletop tensile tester; strip biaxial tensile tester; vacuum evaporator; spin coater; centrifuge; optical microscope with hot stage; liquid crystal tester; microbalance; ultrasonic cleaner; laser holographic fabrication system; polymer injection molder and single screw extruder.

Natural Polymers and Photonics Laboratory
This laboratory contains a high purity liquid chromatography (HPLC) system; refractometer; electro-spinning and touch-spinning systems for producing nanofibers.

X-ray Tomography Laboratory
This laboratory contains a high resolution X-ray micro-tomography instrument and a cluster of computers for 3D microstructure reconstruction; mechanical stage, a positioning stage and a cryostage for in-situ testing.

MSE Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory
Contains an FTIR spectrometer, metallographic sample preparation, equipment, polymer 3D printers, polymer extruder and injection molder, Vickers hardness tester, inverted metallograph, multiple  furnaces.

Materials Characterization Core (MCC)
The Department of Materials Science & Engineering relies on the Materials Characterization Core facilities within the University for materials characterization and micro- and nano-fabrication. These facilities contain a number of state-of-the-art materials characterization instruments, including high resolution and variable pressure field-emission scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) for elemental analysis, Orientation Image Microscopy (OIM) for texture analysis, various in-situ and in-operando stages (cryo mat, heating, tensile, 3- and 4-point bending, and electrochemistry); two Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEMs) with STEM capability and TEM sample preparation equipment; a dual-beam focused ion beam (FIB) system for nano-characterization and nano fabrication; a Nanoindenter; an X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer (XPS)/Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) system; X-Ray Diffractometers (XRD); and an X-ray microscope (NanoCT) with an in-situ tensile/compression temperature controlled stage.

More details of these instruments, information on how to access them, and instrument usage rates can be found at Drexel University’s Materials Characterization Core webpage.

Program Educational Objectives

The educational objectives of the Materials Science and Engineering BS degree program are:

• Materials Science and Engineering program graduates possess the core technical competencies in their field necessary to successfully interface with other engineering disciplines in the workplace.
• At least 30% of Materials Science and Engineering program graduates have progressed towards graduate education, to become leaders in industry, academia, etc.
• Materials Science and Engineering program graduates are leaders in their chosen fields.
• Materials Science and Engineering program graduates are engaged in lifelong learning.
• Materials Science and Engineering program graduates possess written and verbal communication skills appropriate for professional materials engineers and/or scientists. 

Student Outcomes

The department’s student outcomes reflect the skills and abilities that the curriculum is designed to provide to students by the time they graduate. These are:  

1. 1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
2. 2. 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.
3. 3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
4. 4. 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.
5. 5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
6. 6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
7. 7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty

Emeritus Faculty