School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy
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Undergraduate Program

The Program: Materials Science and Engineering, B.S.E.: prepares students for exciting careers in Materials, with job opportunites in a wide variety of high-tech industries which includes:

Microelectronics
(Intel, Motorola): Materials engineers work on shrinking the size of microelectronic circuits, because this makes them both cheaper (more can be produced on the same wafer) and faster (because it takes less time for an electrical signal to travel through the circuit).  Similarly, materials engineers work on magnetic memory devices such as hard drives to lower their prices and increase their capacity.
Computer Hardware
(IBM, Apple):  In addition to the microelectronic circuitry, materials engineers work on other important aspects of computers, such as increasing battery lifetime, decreasing power consumption, enhancing monitor resolution, and decreasing weight for easy portability
Telecommunications
(AT&T, Sprint):  The replacement of copper wires with fiber optics has revolutionized the telecommunications field, allowing far more signal to be carried at much less cost.  Materials engineers continue to increase the quality of fiber optics to  increase signal capacity, for applications ranging from high-speed modem lines to picture phones.  Also, advances in materials have revolutionized the cellular phone industry, making them increasingly affordable for everyone.
Aerospace
(Boeing, McDonnell-Douglas):  Lightweight composites allow greater cargo capacity, and high-temperature superalloys increase engine efficiency.  Ceramic tiles on the space shuttle protect it from high temperatures during reentry into the earth’s atmosphere. 
Automotive
(Ford, GM):  Materials advances are rapidly occurring in automobiles to increase their safety, raise fuel efficiency, and decrease pollution.  Composites and polymers are replacing steel body panels to decrease weight, and ceramic parts are used to raise engine temperatures and thereby enhance fuel efficiency.  Crash-resistant windshields and air bags are protecting people during collisions, and catalytic converters decrease pollution.
Manufacturing
Materials engineers work in a wide variety of manufacturing areas, assisting with materials selection, optimizing processing to improve properties and lower cost, and failure analysis/re-design.
Energy Production (Solar, Nuclear, Wind, etc.)
(Arizona Power, Salt River Project): Current power production is becoming cleaner, due to sulfur controls for coal plants. New power sources, like solar cells to convert sunlight into electricity, are becoming more cost effective with new research developments. New cements are being created for long-term storage of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants. Future fusion power plants will require radiation-resistant materials to survive the extreme conditions due to creating an artificial sun.
Biomaterials For Healthcare
(Abbot Labs): From artificial skin for burn victims to chrome alloy hip implants, artificial materials are increasingly being used to replace damaged body parts and increase people's quality of life. Also, new diagnostic equipment like ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging are based on materials advances that help doctors better diagnose and treat health problems.
Nanomaterials
Many new materials are being developed on the nano-scale, for applications ranging from medical (drug delivery) to sensors to nanoelectronics. At nanoscale dimensions, materials often have different and interesting properties, creating many opportunities for development of new materials for new applications.
Minor in Materials Science & Engineering:

For a list of course requirements to fulfill the minor, click here

Questions & Answers:

What do Materials Engineers Do?

What types of career paths are available for Materials Engineers?

What are typical salaries for Materials Engineers?

What special opportunities does ASU offer?

Arizona State University has a strong, nationally recognized Materials program that offers many advantages:

  • Excellent 7:1 faculty-to-undergraduate ratio & a majority of classes have 20-30 students, which provides a great deal of personalized attention

  • Newly renovated undergraduate laboratory which provides a wide range of practical, hands-on training, students take a lab course almost every semester

  • Faculty have strong research programs and many undergraduates colloborate with them on state-of-the-art research projects

  • Industry oriented students can work in co-op or summer intern positions in the greater Phoenix area, which has a wide range of high-tech companies including Intel, Honeywell, Boeing Helicopter, Lockheed-Martin Aerospace, and many others. These research and work experiences are a major advantage when looking for a permanent job after graduation, and Materials graduates from ASU have been highly sought-after.

  • Materials engineering is rapidly evolving field and half of our BS graduates typically go on to graduate school to prepare them for careers in research in materials and new applications for materials. To accomodate industry demand, ASU offers a 4 + 1 BS/MS degree in which students can earn a bachelor's and master's degree in 5 years.

Undergraduate Materials Science & Engineering: Major map
List of approved Technical Electives

Accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org/.