Materials Science and Engineering is an integrated discipline of chemistry, physics and engineering. This is reflected in our Program of Study. The student receives a foundation of basic chemistry, physics and engineering coursework during their first two years. These courses are then woven into a Materials Science and Engineering framework. 

The detailed Program of Study is shown below. This must be used as a guideline to complete the degree requirements. Most courses have prerequisites that must be completed first. Also, many courses and all MSE courses are only offered one semester per year, please plan carefully.  The Program of Study is a roadmap to be used in planning your degree.  It is necessary that students follow the Program of Study as closely as possible; any deviation must be arranged in advance with the Academic Advisor.  Taking courses out of sequence may result in a conflict, particularly if a student is planning to continue in the combined BS/MS program.

Academic Advising

Office: CME 304

MSE Undergraduate Program of Study

All students new to the University of Utah (freshmen and transfer students) as of Fall 2018 should use the 2019-20 flowchart:

MSE BS Program of Study (Engineering Calculus)*

MSE BS Program of Study (Traditional Calculus)

MSE Transfer Articulation Guide 

*Engineering Calculus only available at University of Utah (Engineering Calculus classes are geared towards engineering majors, whereas traditional Calculus classes may include students from many majors. The Engineering classes would be less theoretical and more applied towards engineering type problems).  Please see the MSE advisor if you’ve only taken Calculus I and would like to switch to Engineering Calculus (one week Math boot camp required).

MSE Undergraduate Student Handbook

MSE Undergraduate Handbook Year 2019-2020

MSE Undergraduate Handbook Year 2018-2019

 MSE Undergraduate Handbook Year 2017-2018

Pre-Major StatusMajor StatusGeneral EducationTechnical ElectivesSenior Design ProjectHonorsEngineering Entrepreneurship CertificateInternshipHow to Transfer Credits

Any student may be admitted to pre-major status in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) by requesting Pre-MSE on their application for admission or applying through the MSE Academic Advisor. Students must meet with the MSE Academic Advisor to gain major status. Major status requires students to complete the following prerequisite courses with a “C” grade or better and a minimum 2.3 GPA. Courses required for this major may only be taken twice.

  • CHEM 1210 – General Chemistry I (4 credits)
  • CHEM 1215 – General Chemistry Lab I (1 credit)
  • CHEM 1220 – General Chemistry II (4 credits)
  • CHEM 1225 – General Chemistry Lab II (1 credit)
  • CHEM 2310 – Organic Chemistry (4 credits)
  • MATH 1310 – Engineering Calculus I (4 credits)
  • MATH 1320 – Engineering Calculus II (4 credits)
  • MATH 2250 – Differential Equations and Linear Algebra (4 credits)
  • MATH 3140 – Vector Calc. & Partial Differential Equations for Engineers (4 credits)
  • MSE 3061 – Transport Phenomena in Materials Science & Engineering (3 credits)
    (OR) MET E 5750 – Transport and Rate Phenomena (3 credits)*

*Students are not allowed to count both MSE 3061 and MET E 5750 – Transport and Rate Phenomena towards their MSE BS program of study. Only one of the two courses will fulfill the major requirement. MET E 5750 cannot be taken as a tech elective.

  • MSE 1800 – Contemporary Materials Science & Engineering I (1 credit)
  • MSE 1801 – Contemporary Materials Science & Engineering II (1 credit)
  • MSE 2010 – Introduction to Materials Science & Engineering (4 credits)
  • ME EN 2010 – Statics (3 credits)
  • CS 1001 – Engineering Computing using MATLAB (1.5 credits)
  • PHYS 2210 – Physics for Scientists and Engineers I (4 credits)
  • PHYS 2220 – Physics for Scientists and Engineers II (4 credits)
  • LEAP 1501 –  Social and Ethical Implications of Engineering (3 credits)^
  • LEAP 1500 – LEAP Seminar in Humanities for Engineers (3 credits)^

^Students are required to complete LEAP 1501 and LEAP 1500 or a  specific Ethics course and Diversity courses. A list of approved courses can be found below. If you believe that you have already taken a course(s) that fits one/both of the descriptions below, please complete the Ethics & Diversity Form.  

Ethics

Ethics – Student must take one course that provides an understanding of the role of ethics in the engineering professional by focusing on specific issues set out by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).  Students engage in a discussion of community by examining how the world of social science studies human institutions, cultures, and behaviors.  Students then apply the concepts learned to engineering ethics and decision-making processes in national and global communities.

The following courses fulfill the ABET Ethics requirement:

Diversity

Diversity – Student must take one course that focuses on how concepts of community have developed and been implemented in the American experience, chiefly by studying the way individuals have perceived their relationships with an obligations to community and how they have defined who counts as members of their communities. In other words, students analyze how we define and value community in America.

The following courses fulfill the ABET Ethics requirement:

  • ANTH 3112 – The First Nations of Western North America (DV)
  • ANTH 4110 / GNDR 4110 – Women Cross Culturally (IR/BF)
  • DANC 1013 – History of Hip-Hop (FF / DV)
  • EAS 1600 – Teaching and Learning across Languages (HF / DV)
  • ETHNC 2500 –  Introduction to Ethnic Studies (BF / DV)
  • ETHNC 2590 – Pacific Islander American Experiences (HF / DV)
  • ETHNC 3381 – Exploring Social Inequality through Music & Film (BF / DV)
  • HONOR 2050 – Ethics, Leadership and the Humanities: Rediscovering Liberal Education
  • PRT 3310 – Leisure Behavior and Human Diversity (DV)
  • THEA 1770 – The American Experience Through Black Theater (FF / DV)

Courses that can be completed at Salt Lake Community College:

  • ENGL 1050 – Introduction to Reading Diverse Culture (HU / DV)
  • ENGL 2850 – Intro to Queer Studies (HU / DV)
  • HIST 2200 – Americanization (SS / DV)

Students are required to meet with the MSE Academic Advisor to be moved from pre-major to major status. Major status can only be awarded when students are planning their schedule for the Fall semester of their junior year.

Students admitted to major status are required to complete the following Materials Science and Engineering courses with a “C” grade or better and a minimum 2.3 GPA. Courses required for this major may only be taken twice.

  • ECE 2200 – Electrical & Computer Engineering for Civil Engineers (1.5 credits)
  • MSE 3010 – Materials Processing Laboratory (3 credits)
  • MSE 3011 – Structural Analysis of Materials (4 credits)
  • MSE 3032 – Introduction to Thermodynamics (4 credits)
  • MSE 3210 – Electronic Properties of Solids (3 credits)
  • MSE 3310 – Introduction to Ceramics (3 credits)
  • MSE 3410 – Introduction to Polymers (3 credits)
  • MSE 5025 – Mechanical Properties of Solids (3 credits)
    (OR) MET E 5450 – Mechanical Metallurgy (3 credits)*

*Students are not allowed to count both MSE 5025 and MET E 5450 – Mechanical Metallurgy towards their MSE BS program of study. Only one of the two courses will fulfill the major requirement. MET E 5450 cannot be taken as a tech elective.


Students must fulfill the University of Utah's General Education and Bachelor Degree requirements in addition to the MSE degree requirements to graduate.

General Education Requirements:

  • American Institutions (AI)
  • Writing (WR)
  • Fine Arts (FF)
  • Humanities (HF)
  • Social/Behavioral Science (BF)

Bachelor's Degree Requirements:

  • Diversity (DV)
  • International Requirement (IR)

Graduation Requirement Worksheet

If you have students that need to have a general education credit from another institution reviewed, please complete the College of Engineering General Education Exception Form.

Click here for more information on MSE Technical Electives.

The senior design project is a capstone project that prepares the student for engineering design practice. It provides an avenue to determine if the student has an integrated understanding of the scientific and engineering principles.

Senior Project Guidelines 2018-2019

Senior Project Guidelines 2017-2018

Required Courses

MSE 5090 Case Studies is the pre-requisite to MSE 5098 Senior Design and MSE 5099 Senior Thesis. Students must take MSE 5090 Spring Semester of their Junior Year. NO EXCEPTIONS. Students not prepared for senior level courses will not be permitted to take MSE 5090. The required senior design project consists of three courses taken during the junior and senior year:


Group Component

Senior design projects are group projects with the size of the team varying based on class size. If the student is a BS/MS student or an honors student, they should be a team leader for their respective groups. The Honors Students would need to complete an individual paper per the Honors College Requirement.

The projects will be identified by the Senior Design/Thesis Advisor who has previously obtained from all participating Materials Science and Engineering faculty, possible projects. The students will rank their interest in each project presented by the faculty based on the interest of the student (ceramics, composites, computation, electronic materials and polymers). The Senior Advisor will create the teams based on the input from the students.


Design Component

Senior design projects must be design projects and not research projects. For more information on this, please review the Senior Project Guidelines 2017-2018.


Grading

Grading will be done by a committee, with input from the Senior Advisor and the Faculty advisor for the teams. This will be based on the participation in both MSE 5098 (faculty advisor input) and MSE 5099 (senior advisor input). Both the faculty advisors and the senior advisor will submit a report on the participation of each student on each team to the academic advisor to be used in the meeting to discuss the grades. Grades for both MSE 5098 and MSE 5099 will be assigned for each student after the meeting.

Grades will not be given for MSE 5098 and MSE 5099 until the senior design and thesis project has been completed and signed off by the faculty advisor, the senior advisor, and the department chair.

The completed senior design project is due the last day of classes of the Spring Semester the student is enrolled in MSE 5099, regardless if the student has classes to take Summer or Fall Semester.  The Senior Thesis must be signed by the faculty project advisor and ready for submission to the Senior Advisor for his signature before the due date.  NO EXCEPTIONS.

In order to be an Honors Student in Materials Science and Engineering, students must have been admitted to the University of Utah Honors College at admissions time. Students who are honors student need to work with the Academic Advisor to make sure they are taking the appropriate courses for their Honors Degree. For more information on the Honors College and the honor degree requirements click here.

Honors Thesis

Honors student must complete an Honors Thesis. Honors student are required to submit a completed Honors Thesis Proposal Form to the Honors College during the Junior Year. The proposal form must be signed by the Department Honors Advisor and the Senior Thesis Advisor.

Honors students are required to present their thesis work at the annual Undergraduate  Research Symposium at the University of Utah, which is in early April. The Honors College will contact the student about deadlines and requirements.

Honors students are also required to publish their thesis abstract in the University of Utah Undergraduate Research Abstract Journal. This is due mid-March of the senior year. The Honors College will contact the student for formatting guidelines and deadlines.

Honors students are strongly encouraged to publish in other peer reviewed journals based on their research interest.

The Honors Thesis is due to The Honors College on the last day of classes, which is the department deadline for all Senior Design Projects. The honors thesis must be signed by the Senior Thesis Advisor, the Departmental Honors Advisor, Senior Thesis Advisor, and the Department Chair before it is submitted to The Honors College for the Dean of The Honors College signature. Check with The Honors College for number of copies required. Materials Science and Engineering will accept The Honors College formatting of the thesis for submission to complete the department requirements.

In partnership with the David Eccles School of Business, the Engineering Entrepreneurship Certificate offers engineering students the opportunity for hands-on innovation experience as well as a strong foundation in the business aspects of technology. The program is intended for students who want to start their own company as well as for those interested in the complexities of the dynamic business world in which we live. Our aim is to provide the educational background to thrive in small and large business environments, convey technical information in business terms and understand business viability of engineering solutions. All engineering students interested in understanding the complexities of the dynamic business world in which we live are invited to apply. For more information, click here.

MSE 5800: Materials Science and Engineering Internship I - This course will allow students to earn academic credit for successful completion of a Materials Science and Engineering-related internship. To have an internship fulfill a Section 3 - Technical Elective requirement, students must earn a total of 3 credit hours and complete a graded Technical Report. The internship progress will be monitored, evaluated, and graded by the Internship Program Advisor. Students must take an active role in finding and applying for an appropriate internship before enrolling for the course.

MSE 5801: Materials Science and Engineering Internship II - This course is a continuation of MSE 5800. This course will allow students to earn academic credit for successful completion of a Materials Science and Engineering-related internship. To have an internship fulfill a Section 3 - Technical Elective requirement, students must earn a total of 3 credit hours and complete a graded Technical Report. The internship progress will be monitored, evaluated, and graded by the Internship Program Advisor. Students must take an active role in finding and applying for an appropriate internship before enrolling for the course.

For more information on the internship program, click here.

MSE Transfer Articulation Guide 

Transfer credit will not automatically transfer to the University of Utah. Students must request that an official transcript be sent to the University of Utah – Office of Admission.

Please ensure that your transcripts are sent to the Admission Office, not the Department of Materiel Science & Engineering. The Admissions Office processes all credit transfers. For the purpose of sending your official transcripts to the University of Utah, if you have any questions about the process, or to determine if your transcripts have been received, please see the contact information below.

Email (for online transcripts orders): admisstranscripts@sa.utah.edu

Mailing Address (for paper transcript orders):

University of Utah Admissions Office
201 S. 1460 E, RM 250-S
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-9057

Phone number: (801) 581-8761

For information on how to transfer credit from Salt Lake Community College, please click here.

Transferology

Students wanting to see how specific classes will transfer to the University of Utah should use the tool Transferology. To log into Transferology, please click here. 

It is the policy of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering that every student who aspires to become an engineer should have an opportunity to obtain that goal. Students admitted to the University of Utah may designate Materials Science and Engineering as a major and begin a program under the Pre-Materials Science and Engineering classification. The first step for prospective students is to apply for admissions to the University of Utah, please click here for more information. Any student may be admitted to pre-major status in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) by requesting Pre-MSE on their application for admission or applying through the MSE Academic Advisor. Students must meet with the MSE Academic Advisor to gain major status. Major status requires students to complete the prerequisite courses listed above with a “C” grade or better and a minimum 2.3 GPA. Courses required for this major may only be taken twice.
Grading Policy
Materials Science & Engineering Undergraduates are required to take all MSE courses and receive a grade of “C” or better in order to advance to higher level MSE courses. If a student does not receive a “C” or better in a MSE course they will be required to retake the course. Failure to receive a “C” or better on the second attempt will result in dismissal from the program. A cumulative grade point average of 2.3 or higher must be maintained for all courses completed towards a degree in Materials Science and Engineering. Students who fall below the GPA of 2.3 will be put on probation. Students on probation must raise their cumulative GPA above a 2.3 within 12 months or they will be dropped from the program.
Adding, Dropping, and Withdrawal Procedures
Students should meet with both the MSE Academic Advisor and a Financial Aid Advisor before dropping and withdrawing from a course. Dropping and withdrawing from a course can effect a student’s financial aid. Adding Classes – All classes must be added within two weeks of the beginning of the semester. Adding classes after the deadline is not permitted in the College of Engineering and requires a petition letter. Dropping Classes – A drop implies that the student will not be held financially responsible and a “W” will not be listed on the transcript. Student may drop any class without penalty or permission during the first ten calendar days of the term. Withdrawing from Classes – means that a “W” will appear on the student’s transcript and tuition will be charged. Withdrawal from Full Term Length –Beginning the eleventh calendar day and continuing through the midpoint of the term, students may withdraw from a class or the University without instructor/department permission. After midpoint of the term, students may petition the deadline for withdrawal if they have a nonacademic emergency. For more information about the petition process, please contact your Academic Advisor. Check the academic calendar for specific add, drop, and withdrawal dates.
Repeating Courses
All courses required for the MSE majors must be passed with a grade of “C” or better. When a College of Engineering class is taken more than once, only the grade for the second attempt is counted. Grades of W, I, or V on the student’s record count as having taken the class. The Department of Materials Science and Engineering enforce these guidelines for other courses as well (e.g., math, physics, chemistry). Attempts of courses taken at transfer institutions count as one attempt. This means a student may take the course only one time at the University of Utah. Courses taken at the University of Utah may not be taken a second time at another institution. If a second attempt is needed, it must be at the University of Utah. Students should note that anyone who takes a required class twice and does not have a satisfactory grade the second time may not be able to graduate or continue in the declared major. It is the responsibility of the student to work with the department determine how this policy applies in extenuating circumstances. It is the responsibility of the student to complete the MSE Course Repeat Petition Form and meet with the MSE Academic Advisor for each course repeated after a second attempt. Failure to submit a completed petition before the start of the semester, for which a repeated course is taken, may result in a denied petition. This could significantly affect a student’s ability to continue in the MSE major or graduate. If the Course Repeat Petition is approved, students may be placed on Academic Probation by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Academic Probation letters will be sent by the MSE Academic Advisor and will state clear academic expectations that students must perform to during the following semester.
Major Declassification
It is the goal of the Materials Science and Engineering Department to successfully graduate all Materials Science and Engineering students. However, any student who does not perform satisfactorily may be dropped from the program. “Satisfactory performance” must be evaluated individually, but generally consists of meeting the standards of professional and ethical conduct that are expected of engineers (and hence engineering students), and maintaining satisfactory academic progress. While it is impossible to give an exhaustive list of actions that could cause us to revoke Major Status, examples include:
  • Cheating or plagiarizing
  • Abuse of faculty or teaching assistants
  • Other serious violation of the student behavior code
  • Failing to pass major required courses within the boundaries of the repeat policy
  • Allowing your cumulative GPA to drop below a 2.3
Leave of Absence
A Leave of Absence allows degree-seeking undergraduate students who have registered for and completed university credit classes to request an extension of their enrollment eligibility for a maximum period of seven consecutive semesters (including summers). Requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be granted for the following reasons: illness (personal or familial), military service, humanitarian or religious service, or participation in a University of Utah sponsored program. To apply for a leave of absence and for more information click here.
Appeals Procedures
If a student believes that an academic action is arbitrary or capricious he/she should discuss the action with the involved faculty member and attempt to resolve. If unable to resolve, the student may appeal the action in accordance with the following procedure.
  1. Appeal to the Department Chair (in writing) within 40 working days; chairs must notify student of a decision with 15 days. If the faculty member or student disagrees with decision then,
  2. Appeal to Academic Committee, see II Section D, Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities for details on Academic Appeal Committee hearings.
Americans with Disabilities Act
The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in classes, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the instructor and to the Center for Disability and Access.
Academic Standings
Academic Warning A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 from good standing shall be placed on academic warning and have a hold placed on their account preventing course registration. To clear this hold, the student must complete the academic success workshop, which includes a workbook and a quiz. Detailed instructions on how to complete the workshop are emailed to the student’s university email account after grades are posted. Second Warning A student who goes back to academic warning and who has already completed the academic success workshop must now meet with an Academic Advising Center advisor. In order to remove the registration hold, please contact the Academic Advising Center to schedule a second warning appointment with an advisor. Please schedule an appointment by calling 801-581-8146 Academic Probation A student already on academic warning whose cumulative GPA and most recent term GPA are below 2.0 will be placed on academic probation. A registration hold is placed on the student’s record until they meet with their department advisor AND an Academic Advising Center advisor. Prior to meeting with an Academic Advising Center advisor: 1) Print the attached form to take to both of your advising appointments, (you may also click here for the form) 2) Make an appointment with your major program advisor, and 3) Meet with them to discuss your department requirements and have them fill out the major form. 4) Once you have met with your department advisor, schedule and keep an appointment with an Academic Advising Center advisor. If you are undecided, you will need to meet twice with an advisor in the Academic Advising Center. Call our office if you have any questions of who you are required to meet with. Please contact the Academic Advising Center to learn more about the specific requirements a student will need to complete in order to remove their registration hold. For more information on Academic Standings and how to remove an Academic Warning, visit the Academic Advising Center website.
Department of Materials Science and Engineering Forms University of Utah Forms
Transfer students are those who have already attended any other universities or colleges. The applications process for transfer students is different than for freshman. For information on the admission process, application requirements, deadlines, and how to transfer credit, please click here. The College of Engineering offers many scholarships for transfer students, please apply here. Students with transfer credit must meet with an Academic Advisor as soon as they are admitted to the University of Utah and have declared Materials Science & Engineering as their major. In-State Transfer Credit is evaluated using the State Articulation Guide. Out-of-State Transfer Credit is evaluated on a case-by-case basis using course descriptions from the transfer school. Transfer students are required to take PHIL 3500, 3520, or 3530, regardless of their completing the General Education requirements at their transfer institution.
Transferology
Students wanting to see how specific classes will transfer to the University of Utah should use the tool Transferology. To log into Transferology, please click here. 
The following process is recommended to help students prepare for graduation:
  • During the semester before your graduation date, students should generate a degree audit on CIS in My Degree Dashboard. For more information on how to generate an audit click here.
  • If students have questions or issues surrounding graduation, they should make an appointment with the MSE Academic Advisor. It is important that you communicate with the Academic Advisor about your intended graduation date and progress.
In order to graduate, students must meet all of the University of Utah requirements as well as the department requirements for graduation. For graduation deadlines and how to apply click here. Students can also find information on the Commencement Ceremony here.
Our students’ success and well-being are paramount in providing a world-class education. Take advantage of the numerous resources and services created to help students of all kinds prosper during their time at the U. For a list of complete resources click here.

Campus Resources

Tutoring Resources

Safety and Wellness
Your safety is our top priority. In an emergency, dial 911 or seek a nearby emergency phone (throughout campus). Report any crimes or suspicious people to 801-585-COPS; this number will get you to a dispatch officer at the University of Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS; dps.utah.edu). If at any time, you would like to be escorted by a security officer to or from areas on campus, DPS will help — just give a call.
The University of Utah seeks to provide a safe and healthy experience for students, employees, and others who make use of campus facilities. In support of this goal, the University has established confidential resources and support services  to assist students who may have been affected by harassment, abusive relationships, or sexual misconduct. A detailed listing of University Resources for campus safety can be found at https://registrar.utah.edu/handbook/campussafety.php
Your well-being is key to your personal safety. If you are in crisis, call 801-587-3000; help is close.
The university has additional excellent resources to promote emotional and physical wellness, including the Counseling Center (https://counselingcenter.utah.edu), the Wellness Center (https://wellness.utah.edu), and the Women’s Resource Center (https://womenscenter.utah.edu). Counselors and advocates in these centers can help guide you to other resources to address a range of issues, including substance abuse and addiction. [/su_column]
All students should be familiar with My Degree Dashboard. My Degree Dashboard is a platform that helps you stay on track for graduation. In My Degree Dashboard, there are two very handy tools, audits and plans. Audits show you what classes you still need before you can graduate! Your degree audit is an automated report that matches the courses you have completed with the requirements of the major. Your degree audit will also show any test scores or transfer courses, you have sent to the University of Utah in addition to your U of U course history. Plans can help you plan your semesters in advance so you can rest easy knowing you're on track for graduation! You can avoid that last minute scramble to figure out which classes you should register for by creating a semester-by-semester plan. Once you have built your plan, your advisor can review it with you to make sure you're on the right path. You can even run an audit with your planned courses! To learn more about each tool and how to run and read the reports, please visit: https://mydegreedashboard.utah.edu/