In this fast paced world, where consumer goods are being used up at a lightning speed and technologies are getting older the very next day, we can no longer rely on the old models of innovation. Those days are long past when we designed our products based on material we already had; today new material is invented to suit the needs of a specific product. Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is the driving force behind this technology which continues to improve our day to day life. MSE is an interdisciplinary branch of study whose focal point is to create new materials based on the needs of a particular project. Materials engineers help create products from tiny but complex computer chips to huge space launch vehicles.
Masters in Materials Science and Engineering engages students in developing and understanding relationships between processing, structure, properties, and the performance of materials in Engineering applications. It provides a research-intensive environment that encourages collaboration between students and professionals from the field. This environment provides a strong foundation for advancing the scope of materials research, developing important technical innovations, and preparing engineers and scientists for challenging leadership careers.
Course Structure
USA does have an open schooling system which means you are eligible to apply in any degree regardless of you background but such students who don’t have background in MSE are required to take some additional credit hours. These courses are taken in addition to the degree requirements and may include undergraduate courses. Without additional credit hours, it takes minimum 30 credit hours to graduate.
Curriculum is divided into three parts
1. Core courses which include
- Thermodynamics of materials
- Structure and Diffraction
- Principles of Inorganic Materials
- Soft matter physics
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Materials Science and Engineering
2. Electives which include
- Solar Energy: Fundamentals
- Composite Materials
- Techniques of surface and nano structure characterization
- Solid State Electronics for Engineering II
- Reliability and Failure of Solid State Devices
- Microfabrication Techniques
- Thermodynamics and Reaction Kinetics of Solids
- Polymer Properties and Structure
3. Last and most important section is area of specialization, candidates are required to choose any one area and then take at least six courses in it. Following are the options from which you can choose:
- Electronic and Photonic Materials
- Particulate and Nano Materials
- Mathematical and Computational Materials Science Track
Those of you who want to do MS with a thesis need to write and defend a thesis acceptable to an authoritative body generally made up of multiple faculties.
Eligibility
Masters in materials science and engineering is a STEM (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degree and in some countries they may put some eligibility restrictions based on your background. Most countries, however, follow open schooling system and hence there is no restriction based on your background.
Graduate level entry into international universities requires that you should have completed your bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. Your academic performance is measured through your Grade Point Average (GPA) by most of the international universities. Academic eligibility should be confirmed with the “Admission Committee” of your respective schools, and you should avoid taking advice from non-official channels.
A good GRE or GMAT score is absolutely indispensable when it comes to getting admitted into a top university for the Materials Science and Engineering program.
Language courses like TOEFL and IELTS are required by most top schools. TOEFL test scores are accepted in the USA, while IELTS is recognized by schools from many countries such as Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK.
You also need to prepare a resume, an SOP, and a recommendation letter. You can use this tool of ours to review your SOP. It is automated and hassle-free. Most candidates take the role of their resume and the recommendation letter very lightly. It is advisable to give proper attention to your resume as well as the recommendation letter. You should get your recommendation letter via professional or academic contacts, preferably by someone who knows you well.
The last obstacle to tackle would be the interview, most of the schools will require you to go through an interview round, once your application gets accepted. Get some insight into interview questions and make a note of the answers that are expected from you beforehand.
With masters in Materials Science and Engineering, You can choose to specialize from wide range of subjects depending on your interest. We will discuss some of those specializations down below.
Fire Protection Engineering
Fire protection Engineering is the application of engineering principles with the sole aim of protecting people, property, and their environments from the harmful and destructive effects of fire and smoke. It is an interdisciplinary field of engineering which focuses on fire detection, suppression and mitigation.
Employment of fire protection engineers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as the average for all occupations. As buildings, products, and processes continue to become more complex and new regulations are created, these engineers will be needed to reduce costs, save lives, and produce safe consumer products.
Mining Engineering
Mining Engineering is an engineering discipline that applies science and technology to the extraction of minerals from the Earth. The task of mining engineer is to design mines so that minerals could be removed safely and efficiently in order to use them in manufacturing and utilities.
Employment of mining engineers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2016 to 2026. Employment growth in this sector is driven by the need of latest technology in order to extract minerals as much efficiently as possible in order to survive the stiff competition in the market.
Mineral and energy economics
Mineral and energy economics as a discipline combines tools from economics, finance and operations research specifically applied to minerals and energy. This specialization provides students with the skills necessary for understanding the complex interactions of markets and policy that influence the energy and mineral sector.
Under this specialization you can expect to find plenty of jobs in the field of private and public policy making. Energy sector is set to expand in low and middle income nations which will in turn boost the growth of employment in this sector.
Metallurgical Engineering
Metallurgical engineering is the study of physical and chemical behavior of metals. It involves the design, implementation, and improvement of processes that transform mineral resources and metals into useful products that improve the quality of our lives. Metallurgical engineering has three branches:
- Physical Metallurgy
- Mineral Processing
- Chemical Metallurgy
Job outlook for people with specialization in this field stays bright because expansion is underway in developing nations and large numbers of experienced engineers are expected to retire in developed ones.
Ceramic Engineering
Ceramic engineering is the technology of creating objects from inorganic, non-metallic materials.
As ceramics are heat resistant, they find their use in wide range of crucial industries such as mining, aerospace, medicine, food and chemical industries. As a materials engineer, you may specialize in ceramic engineering and develop processes to convert ceramic materials into usable products like LCD screens, glass optical fibers or scintillators used in CT scans.
If you’re a critical thinker, a problem solver and an active listener, you’re well suited for a career in the field of ceramic engineering.
Composite Materials
A composite material is a combination of two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties. Composite materials finds its application in manufacturing many crucial items such as Kevlar vests, Parts of Aerospace industries, Parts of luxury cars, military hardware etc. Specialization in this field is a direct entry ticket for employment in Multi-billion dollar companies.
Mining and Earth Systems Engineering
Mining and earth systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field of specialization covering subject areas such as mine planning and development, computer-aided mine design, rock mechanics, mine mechanization, mine evaluation and similar mining engineering topics. With this specialization you won’t just be able to work in traditional sectors like mining but also in construction sector which is today heavily dependent on techniques of underground excavation and tunneling.
College Name | Popularity Rank | Global Rank | Total Tuition Fees | Deadline | Annual RA+TA | Unsecured loan Offer | Secured Loan Offer |
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University of Southern California | 1 | 132 | 61805 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Florida | 2 | 178 | 60260 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Stanford University | 3 | 2 | 108030 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of California, San Diego | 4 | 38 | 53088 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Pennsylvania | 5 | 19 | 86264 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Carnegie Mellon University | 6 | 47 | 94600 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Cornell University | 7 | 14 | 59000 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Stevens Institute of Technology | 8 | 651-700 | 71920 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Columbia University | 9 | 18 | 96864 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Michigan | 10 | 21 | 99016 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Arizona State University | 11 | 209 | 60396 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of California, Irvine | 12 | 164 | 22884 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of California, Los Angeles | 13 | 33 | 53088 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
The Johns Hopkins University | 14 | 17 | 107480 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
The University of Texas at Arlington | 15 | NA | 38072 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of California, Berkeley | 16 | 27 | 29700 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
William Marsh Rice University | 17 | NA | NA | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Northwestern University | 18 | 28 | 108240 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Boston University | 19 | 81 | 105632 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | 20 | 69 | 68660 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
The Ohio State University | 21 | 86 | 68128 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Stony Brook University | 22 | 382 | 45300 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 23 | 367 | 53648 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Wisconsin-Madison | 24 | 55 | 48108 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
North Carolina State University | 25 | 263 | 50810 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Colorado Boulder | 26 | 182 | 66276 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Delaware | 27 | 421-430 | 54810 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Georgia Institute of Technology | 28 | 70 | 57136 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Virginia | 29 | 173 | 55548 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Iowa State University | 30 | 471-480 | 51428 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
The Pennsylvania State University | 31 | 93 | 76932 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Texas A&M University | 32 | 195 | 67333 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School of Engineering | 33 | 651-700 | NA | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
The University of Texas at Dallas | 34 | 421-430 | 53704 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Maryland, College Park | 35 | 129 | 46440 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Michigan Technological University | 36 | 551-600 | 34290 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
California Institute of Technology | 37 | 4 | 104466 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Purdue University | 38 | 105 | 58264 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of California, Santa Barbara | 39 | 134 | 55344 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Rochester | 40 | 186 | 49620 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Pittsburgh | 41 | 142 | 88948 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Minnesota -Twin Cities | 42 | 163 | 42000 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 43 | 364 | 105100 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University at Buffalo, SUNY | 44 | 318 | 45300 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Clemson University | 45 | 701-750 | 45952 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Cincinnati | 46 | 501-550 | 49064 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of California, Davis | 47 | 118 | 57346 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Houston | 48 | 601-650 | 36612 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
University of Illinois at Chicago | 49 | 207 | 56336 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Missouri University of Science and Technology | 50 | 651-700 | 50164 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 51 | 1 | 103040 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Wayne State University | 52 | 461-470 | 42720 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
The State University of New York at Binghamton | 53 | 801-1000 | NA | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
The University of Texas at Austin | 54 | 67 | 37884 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Duke University | 55 | 21 | 107080 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Illinois Institute of Technology | 56 | 395 | 56700 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
New Jersey Institute of Technology | 57 | 801-1000 | 59920 | Log in | Log in | Log in | 1.5 Cr, Interest Rate starts @8.85% |
Materials Engineer
Materials engineers are responsible for the research, specification, design and development of new materials in order to improve technologies and commodities. They are expected to have a good understanding of the properties and behaviors of different substances, from raw material to finished products. Median pay of $92,390 per year makes the job of Materials Engineer highly desirable.
Materials Scientist
Materials scientists study and analyze various natural and synthetic materials, including metals, alloys, rubber, ceramics, semiconductors, polymers etc at the atomic and molecular level. They research on ways to improve existing materials or develop new ones as per the requirements of a particular product or applications. Overall employment of materials engineers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2016 to 2026.
Process Engineer
Process Engineers use their understanding of the fundamental principles and laws of nature in order to transform raw materials and energy into products that are useful to society. They must create and develop product specifications, develop equipment requirements, implement manufacturing strategies, and monitor all of the processes they develop in order to ensure maximum productivity. With automation, job of process engineers becomes even more crucial to keep the manufacturing industry running.
Metallurgical Engineer
Metallurgical engineers develop ways of extracting metals from ores and then converting them into useful products. They work primarily in heavy metal industries such as iron and steel industries. Industries that make products using metals such as automobiles and industrial equipments also employ Metallurgical engineers. Ongoing industrialisation of developing nations promises job growth in this field in the coming decades.
Metallurgist
Metallurgists are materials scientists who hold expertise in metals such as iron, copper and aluminum. Metallurgists work on structural level to create metals with desirable properties. They also investigate and examine the performance of metals such as iron, aluminum, nickel and copper and use them to produce a range of useful products. Aerospace and semiconductor industries are some of the biggest job creators in this field.
Apart from them, there are many job profiles available for people who hold degree of masters in Materials Science and Engineering.
Job Prospects
Graduates of Materials Science and Engineering are in great demand to design new materials which are used both in traditional industries, such as aerospace manufacturing, and in industries focused on new scientific products. Employment of materials engineers is projected to grow 2 percent over the next ten years, slower than the average for all occupations. Materials engineers will be needed to design new materials for use both in traditional industries, such as aerospace manufacturing, and in industries focused on new medical or scientific products. However, most materials engineers work in manufacturing industries, many of which are expected to have declines or little change in employment.
Demand for materials engineers is expected to come from growing fields, such as biomedical engineering and three-dimensional printing. For example, materials engineers' expertise is crucial in helping biomedical engineers develop new materials for medical implants.
Research and development firms will increasingly employ materials engineers as they explore new uses for materials technology in consumer products, industrial processes, and medicine. Companies that hire Materials Science and Engineering graduates include GlobalFoundries, Apple, Intel, IBM, Western Digital, Ford, Boeing, Exxon, Dupont, Dow etc.
Global Rank | Employability Range | Salary Range |
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1-10 | Log in | Log in |
11-25 | Log in | Log in |
26-50 | Log in | Log in |
50-100 | Log in | Log in |
101-200 | Log in | Log in |
201-500 | Log in | Log in |
500+ | Log in | Log in |