Undergraduate engineering students have a new degree option at the University of Central Florida with the addition of a bachelor’s degree program in materials science and engineering, a field that combines engineering, physics and chemistry to design and manufacture materials that all other engineering fields require.
UCF is one of only two universities in the state to offer the MSE major.
Graduates in materials science and engineering are highly sought by employers in a wide variety of high-tech industries such as space, defense, electronics, energy and medicine – all of which have experienced significant economic growth in Central Florida in recent years.
The bachelor’s degree, approved earlier this year by the Florida Board of Governors, expands the degree offerings of UCF’s nationally-ranked Department of Materials Science and Engineering, which also offers a master’s degree and a doctoral degree program.
“This is a great addition to our repertoire of outstanding engineering programs and is very timely,” says Manoj Chopra, associate dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “MSE has applications ranging from biomaterials and nanotechnology on the one hand, to construction materials on the other.”
The MSE bachelor’s program will emphasize lab and experiential learning to help undergraduates become materials engineers.
“Our new undergraduate program will shape the landscape of materials engineering research and instruction in the region and will generate skilled jobs in the area industries and beyond,” says Sudipta Seal, chair of the UCF Department of Materials Science and Engineering. “Our undergraduate students will be offered numerous hands-on learning opportunities to work on projects with wide-reaching societal impact in our modern labs alongside renowned faculty and graduate students.”
MSE students at UCF tend to be entrepreneurial, Seal says. “Many of our students start companies with their discoveries. There are no limits to what materials science and engineering graduates can do.”
News stories published by UCF illustrate the variety of ways materials engineers apply their knowledge and discoveries.
- Two MSE graduates teamed up to develop a self-heating blanket to keep newborn infants warm in rural areas. http://www.cecs.ucf.edu/materials-engineering-alumni-develop-self-heating-blanket-to-save-babies/
- An MSE research team developed a super-stretchable electronic material that mimics the ancient art form of kirigami to increase electrical properties of materials. https://www.ucf.edu/news/ucf-researchers-make-super-stretchable-e-material-using-kirigami-nanotechnology/
- MSE researchers developed a medical-device coating to reduce infections in diabetes patients. https://www.cecs.ucf.edu/ucf-materials-science-engineer-working-to-reduce-infections-in-diabetes-treatment-device/
The 128-credit hour degree requirements include classes in chemistry, physics, and intensive study of the properties of materials. Classes for the new bachelor’s degree program are scheduled to begin August 2020 at the start of the fall semester. Students may choose the MSE major after completing general engineering courses and prerequisites.
For additional information, visit the UCF Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
