The Program

The Materials Engineering Certificate Program is a 15-credit curriculum program available to undergraduate students in the College of Engineering (COE).  Most of the courses of this program are 500-level courses, appropriate also for graduate students with research and professional interests in Materials Engineering in COE and in other Colleges in the University.  The program involves specialized study in Materials Engineering with most of the requirements extending beyond the requirements of any individual major within COE and within the University in general.  The Certificate students will acquire skills and knowledge specific to the discipline of Materials Science and Engineering.  The 15-credit package includes 12 credits from classroom instruction in four courses, 2 credits from projects (two 1-credit projects), and 1 credit from laboratory instruction.  An outline of this curriculum is given below.  We also note that with the development of various new courses, several alternatives for credit in mechanical behavior of materials (MIE/ChE 590C) and in advanced topics in materials engineering (ChE/MIE 579) are currently available.  

MIE 201: Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering (3 credits). The course presents the broad classification of materials into metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, and electronic materials based on atomic bonding, structure, and properties.  The course focuses on understanding how material properties depend upon composition, structure, and processing with emphasis on mechanical properties.  The course also aims at applying knowledge of materials properties to the selection of materials for design, production, and end use, as well as at introducing the concepts of cost, environmental, and safety factors in engineering design with materials.  This sophomore-level introductory course is a prerequisite for the remaining 500-level courses required for the Certificate.

MIE/ChE 590C: Mechanical Behavior of Materials (3 credits). The course aims at a comprehensive introduction to the mechanical behavior of solid engineering materials utilized in current materials engineering technologies, including modern device fabrication technologies.  The course reviews the fundamental processes that are operative at the microscopic and/or atomic level in response to external or internal mechanical forces that may result in elastic deformation, plastic deformation, and fracture of a solid.  In conjunction with materials microstructure and bulk properties, these processes will provide the necessary background for understanding concepts of mechanical behavior as measured and assessed at the macroscopic level.  The course will provide junior/senior undergraduate and first-year graduate students with the necessary background for understanding materials mechanical behavior toward addressing materials design and development problems that are important in materials engineering and for following the relevant science & engineering literature.

MIE/ChE 590F: Mechanical Behavior of Materials Laboratory (1 credit). This is a one-credit laboratory supplement to fulfill the requirements in the area of materials mechanical behavior for Certificate students.  The laboratory goals and outcomes are consistent with those of the course on Mechanical Behavior of Materials, MIE/ChE 590C.

ChE/MIE 571: Physical and Chemical Processing of Materials (3 credits). The course aims at a comprehensive introduction to the physical and chemical processes involved in the design and manufacturing of materials used in current materials engineering technologies, including modern device fabrication technologies.  The course offers a broad review of kinetic processes in engineering materials that control the materials’ structural and chemical characteristics in relation to material properties.  Emphasis also is placed on specific materials processing methods that are utilized in the production of complex heterogeneous materials microstructures and nanostructures, which are typical of both traditional and modern materials engineering technologies. The course will provide junior/senior undergraduate and first-year graduate students with the necessary background for understanding and addressing materials processing, design, and development problems that are important in materials engineering and for following the relevant science & engineering literature.

ChE/MIE 572: Physical and Chemical Processing of Materials Project (1 credit). This is a one-credit project supplement to fulfill the requirements in the area of materials processing for Certificate students.  The project goals and outcomes are consistent with those of the course on Physical and Chemical Processing of Materials, ChE/MIE 571.

ChE/MIE 579: Advanced Materials Engineering (3 credits). The course aims at a comprehensive introduction to the synthesis, processing, and physical properties of nonmetallic engineering materials (ceramics, composites, semiconductors, and dielectrics) for advanced applications in materials engineering and device/component fabrication. A broad review of the applications, structural characteristics, processing methods, and physical properties is given of ceramic, composite, and electronic materials. Emphasis also is placed on understanding the design and properties of nonconventional material structures that are utilized in advanced engineering applications. The course will provide junior/senior undergraduate and first-year graduate students with the necessary background for understanding and addressing synthesis, processing, design, and development problems that are important in engineering ceramic, composite, and electronic materials and for following the relevant science & engineering literature.

ChE 573: Materials Science and Engineering Project (1 credit). This one-credit course will provide junior/senior undergraduate and first-year graduate students with an experience in the critical reading of the technical literature on a focused topic in Materials Science and Engineering.  The students will gain experience in searching the current scientific literature, preparing a technical report, and delivering a seminar to a professional audience while expanding their knowledge in and understanding of a relevant topic. The topics are selected by the students from a list of technologically relevant research areas provided by the instructors.