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Our Mission

The mission of the Materials Science and Engineering Department at the University of Maryland is to provide a quality engineering education, research at the forefront of the field, and leadership to the Materials and Engineering communities. Our educational programs will have the following objectives:

• Produce high quality graduates who will be successful in their chosen careers in industry, government or academia, in the State of Maryland, the nation and the world
• Give our students the foundation to define and solve engineering and science problems in the field of Materials Science and Engineering throughout their careers
• Provide our students with the ability to relate basic physics, math and engineering principles to the field of Materials Science and Engineering so they can function professionally as materials engineers and scientists
• Prepare our students to design and engineer materials and manufacturing systems for the next generation of products and deal effectively with the rapid pace of technological advances
• Continually improve our educational program, attract the best students and improve the visibility and stature of the program.

The Department will support our students with an educational program at both the graduate and undergraduate levels that has sufficient breadth in both fundamental and specialized engineering topics to insure our graduates meet the current and future needs of society. In the area of research, the Department conducts a range of scientific research programs and establishes partnerships with government and industry, both in Maryland and elsewhere, to accomplish this goal.

Educational Outcomes

The overall educational outcomes of the Materials Science and Engineering Program are to provide undergraduate engineering students:

• A solid foundation in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and basic engineering sciences
• An integrated program emphasizing structure, properties, processing and performance and the inter-relations between them along with the design of materials systems, experiments and data interpretation
• An opportunity to develop in-depth knowledge in specific areas of materials science and engineering which include: applications of materials and manufacturing, materials science, organic materials, electrical and electronic materials or biomaterials
• The opportunity to work with faculty and industry on complex problems through projects, internships, and research and co-op experiences
• A culminating design experience centered about a 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 on a multi-disciplinary team
• Continuous improvement of written and oral communication skills throughout the curriculum through lab reports, papers and individual/group project presentations
• Emphasis on current science and technology of materials in the curriculum and the relationship to the engineering profession in a societal and global context
• Integration of professional and ethical responsibility in the curriculum
• Mandatory semester advising and planning of individually tailored educational and curriculum goals for students
• Mandatory mentoring for four semesters generally during the sophomore and junior years. This is intended to provide the student with increased access to faculty members and an opportunity to discuss career options and preparation with other faculty members in addition to their advisor.