Materials Engineering, BS

Materials Engineers design, characterize, and manufacture the “stuff” of our everyday world. Semiconductors, metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites are examples of the materials used to make everything around you - from your computer to the chair you are sitting in, from artificial body parts to the skin of the space shuttle. Materials scientists and engineers work in nanotechnology, biotechnology, aerospace, alternative energy, microelectronics and virtually every industry sector.

Major areas of study are the relationships between materials’ structure, properties, processing, and performance. The Materials Engineering program, offered by the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering , stresses the roles of design, development, and process engineering, and also prepares the exceptional student for research and graduate study. The Department has excellent laboratory facilities for courses and student research.

The Materials Engineering Bachelor of Science degree program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Program Criteria and the Materials (1), Metallurgical (2), Ceramics (3) and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Program Criteria. The department also offers a combined Materials Engineering BS + MS program.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

Major-Specific Graduation Requirements

The following course in Preparation for the Major must be completed with a “C- or Better”: ENGL 1B .

The following required courses in the Major Lower Division Core must be satisfied with a “C- or Better”“, and with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better: MATH 30 , MATH 31 , MATH 32 , CHE 110A , PHYS 50 , PHYS 51 , CHEM 1A , CHEM 1B , CE 99 (or CE 95 ), ME 20 , MATE 25 , and ENGR 10 .

The MATE Junior Core consists of a “C-” or better in {MATE 115 , MATE 141 , MATE 151 , MATE 153 , MATE 154 and MATE 155 } and a “C” or better in ENGR 100W . Students receiving more than one passing grade less than “C-” in any CHEMATE Junior Core course(s) will have to repeat the course(s). Only one passing grade below “C-” is allowed. The Junior Core must be satisfied with a GPA of 2.0 or better. The Junior Core must be satisﬁed in order to enroll in Senior Core course(s).

The MATE Senior Core consists of {MATE 186 , MATE 195 , MATE 198A , MATE 198B , MATE 185 , and MATE 152 }. Students receiving more than one passing grade less than a “C-” in any MATE Junior or Senior courses will have to repeat the courses. Only one passing grade below “C-” is allowed in all MATE core courses. The Senior Core must be satisfied with a GPA of 2.0 or better.

Prerequisite Requirements

Enrollment in any chemistry course requires that the prerequisite courses be passed with a grade of “C or better” (C- not accepted). Exceptions may be made only with instructor consent or if not explicitly stated in the course description. Refer to the course descriptions for specific information regarding course prerequisites.

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Students must satisfy the specific degree requirements for their undergraduate major and fulfill the following University degree requirements:

Academic (program total units with an average 2.0 GPA - “C” or better)
General Education (GE) (34 Lower Division + 9 Upper Division)
American Institutions (AI) (0-6 units) (may be satisfied in GE Areas 3A, 3B, 4, UD 3, or UD 4)
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) 3 units (see Writing in the Disciplines)
Physical Education (PE) (0-2 units)
Units in Residence (30 units, including 24 upper division and 12 in major)
Upper Division Units (40 units, including 12 upper div in major for BA, 18 upper div in major for BS)
Undergraduate Policies & Procedures

Apply for Graduation
Information about the Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of the Degree

Summary of Degree Units

Core Lower Division General Education: 12 (10 units may be satisfied by major coursework, 3 units of 1B waived, 3 units of 5B waived)

American Institutions/ US123 Requirements: 6 (Note: may be satisfied by GE coursework)

Upper Division General Education: 0 (9 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

Physical Education: 0 (waived)

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR): 0 (3 units satisfied by ENGR 100W)

Major Preparation: 33

Major Requirements: 69

Total: 120

2. Major Preparation (33 units)

CHEM 1A - General Chemistry 5 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)
CHEM 1B - General Chemistry 5 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)
ENGL 1B - Argument and Analysis 3 unit(s) (GE Area 3B / Formerly Area C2) (or equivalent second semester composition course.)
MATH 30 - Calculus I 3 unit(s) (GE Area 2 / Formerly Area B4) (or MATH 30X )
MATH 31 - Calculus II 4 unit(s) (GE Area 2 / Formerly Area B4) (or MATH 31X )
MATH 32 - Calculus III 3 unit(s) (GE Area 2 / Formerly Area B4) (or MATH 32H or MATH 32X )
CHE 110A - Mathematical Methods in Chemical and Materials Engineering 2 unit(s)
PHYS 50 - General Physics I: Mechanics 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)
PHYS 51 - General Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)

3. Major Requirements (69 units)

Core Courses (11 units)

ENGR 10 - Introduction to Engineering 3 unit(s)
ENGR 100W - Engineering Reports 3 unit(s) [WID + (GE UD Area 2/5 / Formerly Area R)]
MATE 25 - Introduction to Materials 3 unit(s)
CE 99 - Introductory Statics 2 unit(s) (CE 95 also accepted.)

Major Courses (49 units)

CHE 110B - Computational Methods in Chemical Engineering 2 unit(s)
CHE 161 - Process Safety and Engineering Ethics 1 unit(s)
CHE 162 - Engineering Statistics and Analysis 2 unit(s)
MATE 115 - Structure/Properties of Solids 3 unit(s)
MATE 141 - Structure and Analysis of Materials 3 unit(s)
MATE 146 - Experimental Methods in Materials Characterization 3 unit(s)
MATE 150 - Introduction to Computational Materials Engineering 3 unit(s)
MATE 151 - Solid State Thermodynamics 3 unit(s)
MATE 152 - Solid State Kinetics 3 unit(s)
MATE 153 - Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of Materials 3 unit(s)
MATE 154 - Metals and Alloys 3 unit(s)
MATE 155 - Materials Selection and Process Design 3 unit(s)
MATE 185 - Ceramics 3 unit(s)
MATE 186 - Polymers 3 unit(s)
MATE 195 - Mechanical Behavior of Materials 3 unit(s)
MATE 198A - Senior Design Project 2 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
MATE 198B - Senior Design Project 2 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
ME 20 - Design and Graphics 2 unit(s)
ENGR 195A - Global and Social Issues in Engineering 1 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
ENGR 195B - Global and Social Issues in Engineering 1 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)

Technical Electives (9 units)

Electives must be selected from the approved departmental list in consultation with the students’ advisor.

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