Materials Engineering

Purdue University in West Lafayette

Materials engineering (MSE) influences our lives each time we buy or use a new device, machine, or structure. Materials engineers apply their understanding of metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, biomaterials and electronic materials to design products ranging from cellular phones to aircraft and from antibacterial coatings to biomedical implants.

MSE graduates work across nearly every technology and every industry, including nanotechnology, the aerospace applications of materials, and producers of materials (e.g. ArcelorMittal, Timken, ALCOA, GE Plastics, Corning, 3M etc.). MSEs also work as designers of new devices and engineering products (e.g. Boeing, GM, Ford, Intel, Applied Materials, IBM, DePuy Orthopedics, Johnson & Johnson, etc.) and with companies that solve major engineering challenges (e.g. Halliburton, Schlumberger, BP, Lockheed Martin). Because of its breadth, the MSE degree also prepares graduates well for careers as lawyers, doctors, pharmaceutical researchers—even as managers of diverse teams of engineers and scientists.

Note: The First-Year Engineering Program is the entry point for all beginning engineering students. They must complete the First-Year Engineering requirements before entering the engineering school of their choice. The mission of this student-oriented service program is to advise, teach and retain outstanding students for Purdue's College of Engineering. This core curriculum includes courses in math, chemistry, physics, computer programming, and communication skills, as well as introductory engineering coursework taught in the new Ideas to Innovation (i2i) Learning Laboratory. The First-Year Engineering Program provides students with a firm foundation and initial understanding of engineering and career options to assist them in identifying which of Purdue's engineering disciplines is the right fit. Our professional academic advisors, faculty and student advisors are dedicated to assisting beginning engineers with the first-year experience.