Proposed Undergraduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering
 
 
 
 
 

October 5 1999
 

Contact :
Professor Thomas Tsakalakos
Department of Ceramics and Materials Engineering
College of Engineering  Rutgers University
98 Brett Rd.  Piscataway, NJ 08855-8058
Tel: (732)-445-2888 Fax: (732)-445-3229
email: tsakalak@rci.rutgers.edu
web site: http://web.rutgers.edu/nanostructures/
 
 

Impact Statement
of the Proposed Undergraduate Program in
Materials Science and Engineering
 
 

The proposed undergraduate program continues the trend to develop Materials Science and Engineering as an important academic discipline, which links our understanding of the physical sciences with the application-driven world of an engineer. The Materials Science discipline remains an essential core science and engineering activity worldwide. It has been identified as one of the five largest critical areas for national growth, and it will remain so for the foreseeable future.

Because of its emerging strength, the Materials Synthesis and Processing area of the proposed program will have a significant impact on the related job growth rate in New Jersey. This will be achieved through co-op programs, internships, fellowships, partnerships with industrial and other research institutions, and the participation of spin-off companies from the University research.

The Undergraduate Program in MS&E will provide the focus for an already divergent interest within the University. It is an opportunity to pull together people with diverse backgrounds such as physics, chemistry, electrical engineering, chemical, mechanical and biomedical engineering. It also provides a unique opportunity to strengthen the existing graduate programs in the Materials related disciplines.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Materials Science and Engineering Program

The Major
The Mission / Objective
Admission Information
Advising
Financial Assistance
Course Descriptions
 
 

The Major

Materials will continue to provide the basis for technological advances in such areas as electronics, photonics, biotecnology, communication and structural applications.
The field of Materials Science and Engineering is one of the most exciting and rewarding career opportunities for engineers and scientists. Graduates are in demand by industry and government for research, development, production, and management. By integrating the fundamental principles of Materials Science, our students receive a quality education that prepares them for either an industrial or an academic career.

The host department for the MS&E initiative is the Department Ceramic and Materials Engineering at Rutgers University. The faculty is highly regarded in many materials areas, such as glass engineering, ceramic composites, piezoelectric and ferroelectric ceramics, advanced thin-film engineered materials, nanomaterials research, fiber optics, microelectronic and packaging materials, electroceramics and battery materials, ceramic and metallic surfaces, and theory and computational modeling. The Department also has a unique facility for fiber optics research, and one of the most advanced materials characterization facilities in the nation.
By virtue of its breadth and depth the department is well positioned to address new and exciting areas of materials.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Undergraduate Materials Science and Engineering Program
 
 

Mission Statement

It is the mission of the undergraduate Materials Science and Engineering Program to provide a quality education that encompasses both fundamental and specialized engineering disciplines. The program is designed to produce engineers and scientists whose degrees represent specialization in one of the areas coupled with a broad background in all materials.

 The goal of the Program is to provide an undergraduate curriculum, which insures that our graduates are equipped to meet the challenges of the future.  A degree in Materials Science and Engineering provides the essential elements that enable a graduate to grasp the fundamentals of materials, to be exposed to a wide range of applications, to understand contemporary challenges, and to be initiated in the lifelong learning process.

The Materials Science and Engineering curriculum embodies the interplay between structure, properties, and processing of engineering materials, with emphasis on applications and materials design. More importantly, this Program requires that a student select an area of focus, out of eight upper level (junior/senior) courses, in one of the following areas: Materials Science, Biomaterials, Metals, Polymers, Fiber Optics, Manufacturing, Packaging Materials, or in an area designed specifically to meet an individual student’s educational and career goals.
 
 
 
 
 

Educational Objectives

The Materials Science and Engineering Curriculum is designed to insure that the graduate students can meet the following educational objectives:

1. To Prepare students with Materials Science and Engineering skills and the ability to continue learning throughout their careers.

2. To understand structure-property-processing relationships and to have the skills necessary to apply this knowledge to modern day applications.

3. To apply the basic understanding of materials tools to the design, processing and synthesis of traditional and specialty materials.

4. To develop advanced manufacturing processing routes for high performance materials.

 5. To work as a materials specialist in multidisciplinary design teams
 in an industrial setting, and to develop criteria for materials selection.

6. To have skills to pursue graduate course study in the top graduate programs in materials engineering and related fields.

The Materials Science and Engineering curriculum enables the student to meet these program educational goals by providing:

1. A solid foundation in mathematics, physics, chemistry, advanced computer utilization, and basic engineering sciences, and integration of these skills in the materials curriculum.
2. An integrated program emphasizing structure, properties, processing and performance of materials, and the inter-relations between them.
3. An opportunity to develop in-depth knowledge in specific areas of materials science and engineering which include: manufacturing, metallic and polymeric materials, electrical and electronic materials, and materials for optical, biomaterial, and packaging applications.
4. Students with the opportunity to work with faculty and industry or government organizations on complex problems through projects, internships, research and co-op experiences.
5. A materials design experience in the senior design project, which brings together the many aspects of materials science and engineering in a global context that prepares the student to function as a practicing engineer.
6. Mandatory semester advising and planning of individually tailored educational and curriculum goals for students by the faculty.
 
 
 

Program Outcomes

The undergraduate Materials Science and Engineering Program has established the following program outcomes based on the program educational objectives. Our graduates must demonstrate the ability to:
1. Apply of mathematical, physical, chemical, and materials principles to solve problems of interest to industry and society.
2. Design experiments and processes for the production and use of all types of materials, apply appropriate mathematical models to analyze data, interpret data, and present results as a technical paper and/or oral presentation.
3. Solve a specific design problem within a CAPSTONE course using all acquired skills in Materials Science and Engineering.
4. Speak and write effectively and contribute to the functioning and success of multidisciplinary teams.
5. Understand contemporary issues and how engineering impacts society and to have the educational tools necessary to continue learning throughout their career.
6. Obtain an engineering position in his/her area of interest, and/or continue onto graduate school.

Table I: Relationship of the Undergraduate Materials Science and Engineering Program Outcomes to the ABET Engineering Criteria 2000 (a-k).
Program Outcome ABET Criterion
1 a,c,d,e,g,k
2 b,c,f,g,k
3 a,b,c,d,f,g,k
4 c,d,e,g
5 h,i,j
6 a - k
The Program Educational Objectives are met by the identification of the specific Educational Program Outcomes outlined above and through the use of a range of assessment tools and performance criteria in order to evaluate the outcomes and provide feedback for the continuous improvement of the program. These tools and performance criteria are outlined below.