Metallurgical engineers are needed all over the world, and graduates of our program experience a higher job placement percentage and larger starting salaries than they would in nearly any other undergraduate program. Our program has world-renowned faculty in their respective fields whose teaching expertise supports a creative learning environment. Undergraduate research positions are also available to help prepare students for their future careers.
Many scholarships are available for students in the Metallurgical Engineering BS program. To apply, complete a scholarship application and submit it to the Materials Science & Engineering department office (304 CME).
The detailed Program of Study can be found in a link at the bottom of this page. 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 Metallurgical Engineering 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.
For catalogue years 2023 and older, students majoring in Metallurgical Engineering are required to complete the following courses with a C- grade or better, except for math, which requires a C. For catalogue years 2024 and beyond, students are required to complete the following courses with a C or better. Courses required for this major may only be taken twice. To take a class a third time, students must petition and justify how they will be more successful. See "Course Retake Policy" for details on this process.
- MATH 1210 - Calculus I (4 credits)
- MATH 1220 - Calculus II (4 credits)
- MATH 2210 - Calculus III (3 credits)
- MATH 2250 - Differential Equations and Linear Algebra (4 credits)
- 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)
- PHYS 2210 - Physics for Scientists and Engineers I (4 credits)
- PHYS 2220 - Physics for Scientists and Engineering II (4 credits)
- COMP 1010 - Programming for All: Beginning Programming (3 credits)
- MSE 1800 - Contemporary Materials Science & Engineering (2 credit)
- MSE 2010 - Introduction to Materials Science & Engineering (4 credits)
- MSE 3061 - Transport Phenomena in Materials Science & Engineering (3 credits)
- MET E 1630 - Introduction to Metallurgical Engineering I (3 credits)
- ME EN 2010 - Statics (3 credits)
- MATH 3070 - Applied Statistics I (4 credits)
- MET E 3610 - Metallurgical Thermodynamics I (2 credits)
- MET E 3630 - Metallurgical Thermodynamics II (4 credits)
- MET E 5260 - Physical Metallurgy I (3 credits)
- MET E 5450 - Mechanical Behavior of Metals (3 credits)
- MET E 5670 - Mineral Processing I ( 3 credits)
- MET E 5700 - Low Temperature Chemical Processing (3 credits)
- MET E 5710 - High Temperature Chemical Processing (4 credits)
- MET E 5780 - Metals Manufacturing Processes (3 credits)
- MET E 5760 - Senior Design (4 credits)
Students must fulfill the University of Utah's General Education and Bachelor Degree requirements in addition to the METE degree requirements to graduate.
General Education Requirements:
- American Institutions (AI)
- Writing (WR)
- 2 Fine Arts (FF)
- 2 Humanities (HF)
- 2 Social/Behavioral Science (BF)
*QA and QB requirements are automatically fulfilled by the METE Program
Bachelor's Degree Requirements:
- Diversity (DV)
- International Requirement (IR)
*CW and QI requirements are automatically fulfilled by the METE Program
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.
Courses cannot count for both an emphasis and tech elective requirement.
- MET E 5055 - Microsystems Design and Characterization (3 credits)
- MET E 5210 - Nuclear Materials: Processing, fabrication, use and disposal (3 credits)
- MET E 5240 - Principles and Practice of Transmission Electron Microscopy (3 credits)
- MET E 5270 - Powder Metallurgy (3 credits)
- MET E 5280 - Magnetic Materials and Devices (3 credits)
- MET E 5290 - Principles and Practice of Nanoscience and Technology (3 credits)
- MET E 5300 - Alloy and Material Design (3 credits)
- MET E 5600 - Corrosion Fundamentals and Minimization (3 credits)
- MET E 5770 - Electrometallurgy (2 credits)
- MET E 5800 - Special Topics in Metallurgy Engineering (.5 - 3 credits)
- MET E 5690 - Process Engineering Statistics*
- MET E 5830 - Senior Project (.5 - 3 credits)
- MET E 5910 - Selected Topics (1-4 credits)
- MET E 5460 - Advanced Characterization (3 credits)
- MET E 5790 - Metal Failure Analysis (2 credits)
- MET E 5050 - Non-Crystalline Solids (3 credits)
- MET E 5250 - Principles and Practice of X-ray diffraction Analysis (2 credits)
- MET E 3200 - Computational Methods in Metallurgical Engineering (3 credits)
- MSE 3310 - Introduction to Ceramics (3 credits)
- MSE 3410 - Introduction to Polymers (3 credits)
- MSE 3210 - Electronic Properties of Solids (3 credits)
- MSE 5072 - Thin Film Techniques
- MSE 5073 - Nanostructures Materials: Science and Technology
- MSE 5201 - Semiconductors Physics I
- MSE 5353 - Physical Ceramics
- MSE 5354 - Processing of Ceramics
- MSE 5475 - Introduction of Composites
- MSE 5510 - Materials Innovation
- MSE 5520 - Single Crystal Growth and Crystallography
- MSE 5530 - Polymer Synth. and Character
- MSE 5050 - Computational Materials Science
- MSE 5050 - Polymers: Chemistry *
- MSE 5050 - Polymers: Materials*
- MSE 5050 - Optics for Energy
- MSE 5050 - Nanoscale Probing and Imaging
- MSE 5050 - Def and Frac Nanocomposites
- MSE 5050 - Biomaterials Engineering
- MSE 5050 - Materials for Energy
- MSE 5050 - Fundamentals of Nanofabrication
- MSE 5800 - MSE Internship I
- MSE 5801 - MSE Internship II
- MG EN 5020 - Surface Mining Methods (3 credits)
- MG EN 5030 - Materials Handling (2 credits)
- MG EN 5080 - Sustainable Resource Development (2 credits)
- MG EN 5320 - Hydraulic Systems (3 credits)
- ME EN 5055 - Microsystems Design and Characterization
- ME EN 5110 - Industrial Safety
- ME EN 5520 - Mechanics of Composite Materials
- ME EN 5000 - Engineering Law and Contracts
- ENGIN 5030 - Patent Law and Strategy
- ECE 5221 - Fundamentals of Micromachining Processes
- CH EN 3603 - Mass Transfer and Separations (3 credits)
- CH EN 3553 - Chemical Reaction Engineering (3 credits)
- CH EN 3453 - Heat Transfer (3 credits)
- CH EN 4203 - Process Dynamics and Control (3 credits)
- CHEM 3000 - Quantitative Analysis (4 credits)
- CHEM 3070 - Thermodynamics and Chemical Kinetics (4 credits)
- COMP 5005 - Programming for Engineers*
- CVEEN 5730 - Project Management and Contract Administration
- MATH 5750 - Topics in Applied Mathematics (3 credits)
- MATH 5610 - Introduction to Numerical Analysis I (4 credits)
- PHYS 3740 - Introduction to Quantum Theory and Relativity (3 credits)
Emphasis Programs:
Students must choose one emphasis and complete 11 credits from the approved list of courses for each emphasis. Courses cannot count for both an emphasis and tech elective requirement.
Mineral/Particle Processing Emphasis
Choose a minimum of 11 credits from the following:
| Course Name | Credits | Pre-requisites | Most likely to be offered: |
| METE 5420 – Mineral Surface Chemistry | 3 | 'C' or better in MSE 3032 OR MET E 3630 | fall, even years only |
| METE 5680 – Mineral Processing II | 3 | 'C-' or better in CHEM 1220 OR CHEM 1221 | fall, odd years only |
| CH EN 3353 – Fluid Mechanics | 3 | "C" or better in (MATH 2250 AND PHYS 2220 AND CH EN 2300 AND CH EN 2450 AND CH EN 2800) AND Full Major status in Chemical Engineering. | every fall |
| GEO 3070 – Mineralogy and Petrology for Engineers | 2 | GEO 1110 AND CHEM 1210 Corequisites: MATH 1210 OR MATH 1310 | sometimes fall; last taught spring 2025 |
| MG EN 3010 – Introduction to Mining | 1 | MG EN 3015. Corequisites: MATH 1210. | every fall |
| MET E 5470 – Practical Digital Image Processing and Analysis | 3 | none listed | every spring |
| MATH 5770 – Introduction to Optimization | 3 | ‘C’ or better in MATH 2250 OR MATH 2270 OR MATH 2271 OR Instructor Consent | every fall |
| MATH 5610 – Introduction to Numerical Analysis | 4 | ‘C’ or better in MATH 2250 OR MATH 2270 OR MATH 2271 OR Instructor Consent | every fall |
Students can take MATH 5610 or MATH 5770, but not both.
Biomedical Materials Emphasis
Choose a minimum of 11 credits from the following:
| Course Name | Credits | Pre-requisites | Most likely to be offered: |
| BME 3202 – Physiology for Engineers | 4 | ‘C’ or better in (BME 3301 AND (CHEM 2310 OR CHEM 2311)) AND Full Major status in Biomedical Engineering. Go here to request a permission code. | every fall |
| BME 3801 – bioDesign I | 3 | ‘C’ or better in BME 3301 AND BME 3202 AND Full Major status in Biomedical Engineering. Corequisites: ‘C’ or better in BME 3070 OR CS 3130 OR ECE 3530. Go here to request a permission code. | every spring |
| BME 4250 – Biomechanics I | 4 | ‘C’ or better in BME 3301 AND Full Major status in Biomedical Engineering. Go here to request a permission code. | every fall |
| BME 4801 – bioDesign II | 3 | ‘C’ or better in BME 3801 | every fall |
| CH EN 3353 – Fluid Mechanics | 3 | ‘C’ or better in (MATH 2250 AND PHYS 2220 AND CH EN 2300 AND CH EN 2450 AND CH EN 2800) AND Full Major status in Chemical Engineering. Go here to request a permission code. | every fall |
| MET E 5230 – Biomedical Devices and Sensors | 3 | none listed | fall, odd years only; last taught fall 2021 |
| CHEM 5810/PHYS 5810 – Nanoscience: Where Biology, Chemistry, and Physics Intersect | 3 | none listed | spring; last taught spring 2023 |
| ME EN 5050 – Fundamentals of Micromachining Processes | 3 | Full Major status in the College of Engineering | every fall |
| MET E 5600 – Corrosion Fundamentals and Minimization | 3 | CHEM 1220 | fall, odd years only; last taught fall 2021 |
| MSE 5040 – Introduction to Modern Biomaterials | 3 | ‘C’ or better in (MATH 2250 AND PHYS 2210 AND CHEM 2310) AND Full Major status in Materials Science & Engineering. | spring; last taught spring 2022 |
| MSE 5530 – Polymer Synthesis and Characterization | 2 | ‘C-‘ or better in CHEM 2310 | spring; last taught spring 2024 |
| MET E 5310 – Renewable Energy | 2 | unknown | fall (inconsistently taught) |
| MSE 3410 – Intro to Polymers | 3 | 'C' or better in CHEM 2310 OR CHEM 2311 | every fall |
| MATH 5770 – Introduction to Optimization | 3 | ‘C’ or better in MATH 2250 OR MATH 2270 OR MATH 2271 OR Instructor Consent | every fall |
| MATH 5610 – Introduction to Numerical Analysis | 4 | ‘C’ or better in MATH 2250 OR MATH 2270 OR MATH 2271 OR Instructor Consent | every fall |
Students can take MATH 5610 or MATH 5770, but not both.
Materials for Energy Emphasis
Choose a minimum of 11 credits from the following:
| Course Name | Credits | Pre-requisites | Most likely to be offered: |
| CH EN 5308 – Battery Technology and Manufacturing | 3 | ‘C’ or higher in CH EN 2300 AND CH EN 3553 AND CH EN 3603 AND CH EN 3853 | fall |
| CHEM 5640/MSE 5050 – Materials Chemistry for Alternative Energy | 2 | none listed | spring; last taught spring 2022 |
| ECE 5331 – Optics for Energy | 3 | none listed | fall |
| ENV 3368 – Energy Choices for the 21st Century | 3 | none listed | fall |
| MET E 5210 – Nuclear Materials: Processing, fabrication, use/disposal | 3 | ‘C-‘ or better in CHEM 1220 OR CHEM 1221 | spring, even years only; last taught spring 2024 |
| MET E 5310 – Concepts and Applications in Renewable Energy | 3 | unknown | unknown |
| MET E 5720 – Molten Salt Engineering | 2 | ‘C-‘ or better in MSE 3032 OR MET E 3630 | spring, odd years only; last taught spring 2023 |
| MET E 5074 – Photovoltaic Materials and Solar Cells | 3 | ‘C’ or better in (MSE 3210 OR Department Consent) AND Full Major status in Materials Science & Engineering | fall, even years only; last taught fall 24 (upcoming) |
| MET E 5600 – Corrosion Fundamentals and Minimization | 3 | CHEM 1220 | fall, odd years only; last taught fall 2021 |
| MET E 5320 – Materials Engineering and Environment | 2 | 'C-' or better in CHEM 1220 OR CHEM 1221 | fall, odd years only; last taught fall 23 |
| MSE 3201 – Electronic Properties of Solids | 3 | 'C' or better in PHYS 2220 OR PHYS 3220 | every fall |
| NUCL 3000 – Nuclear Principles in Engineering and Science | 3 | ‘C-‘ or better in (MATH 1220 OR MATH 1320 OR MATH 1321) AND (CHEM 1220 OR CHEM 1221) AND (ME EN 2010) AND (PHYS 2220) | every fall |
| NUCL 3100 – Radiation Interactions | 3 | ‘C-‘ or better in (MATH 1220 OR MATH 1320 OR MATH 1321) AND (CHEM 1220 OR CHEM 1221) AND (ME EN 2010) AND (PHYS 2220) | every spring |
| MATH 5770 – Introduction to Optimization | 3 | ‘C’ or better in MATH 2250 OR MATH 2270 OR MATH 2271 OR Instructor Consent | every fall |
| MATH 5610 – Introduction to Numerical Analysis I | 4 | ‘C’ or better in MATH 2250 OR MATH 2270 OR MATH 2271 OR Instructor Consent | every fall |
Students can take MATH 5610 or MATH 5770, but not both.
Nuclear Emphasis
| Course Name | Credits | Pre-requisites | Most likely to be offered: |
| CH EN 5308 – Battery Technology and Manufacturing | 3 | ‘C’ or higher in CH EN 2300 AND CH EN 3553 AND CH EN 3603 AND CH EN 3853 | fall |
| ENV 3368 – Energy Choices for the 21st Century | 3 | none listed | fall |
| MET E 5210 – Nuclear Materials: Processing, fabrication, use and disposal | 3 | ‘C-‘ or better in CHEM 1220 OR CHEM 1221 | spring, even years only; last taught spring 2024 |
| MET E 5600 – Corrosion Fundamentals and Minimization | 3 | CHEM 1220 | fall, odd years only; last taught fall 2021 |
| MET E 5720 – Molten Salt Engineering | 2 | ‘C-‘ or better in MSE 3032 OR MET E 3630 | spring, odd years only; last taught spring 2023 |
| MSE 3201 – Electronic Properties of Solids | 3 | ‘C’ or better in PHYS 2220 OR PHYS 3220 | every fall |
| NUCL 3000 – Nuclear Principles in Engineering and Science | 3 | ‘C-‘ or better in (MATH 1220 OR MATH 1320 OR MATH 1321) AND (CHEM 1220 OR CHEM 1221) AND (ME EN 2010) AND (PHYS 2220) | every fall |
| NUCL 3100 – Radiation Interactions | 3 | ‘C-‘ or better in (MATH 1220 OR MATH 1320 OR MATH 1321) AND (CHEM 1220 OR CHEM 1221) AND (ME EN 2010) AND (PHYS 2220) | every spring |
| NUCL 3200 – Radiochemistry I | 3 | "C-" or better in (MATH 1220 OR MATH 1320 OR MATH 1321 OR AP Calc BC score of 4+) AND (CHEM 1220 OR CHEM 1221) AND (CVEEN 2010 OR ME EN 2010 OR PHYS 2220 OR PHYS 3220 OR AP PHYS EM score of 4+). | every fall and spring |
Physical Metallurgy Emphasis
Choose a minimum of 11 credits from the following:
| Course Name | Credits | Pre-requisites | Most likely to be offered: |
| MET E 5270 – Powder Metallurgy | 3 | 'C-' or better in MET E 1630 AND MET E 5260 | fall, even years only; last taught fall 2022 |
| MET E 5320 – Materials Engineering and Environment | 2 | ‘C-‘ or better in CHEM 1220 OR CHEM 1221 | fall, odd years only; last taught fall 2023 |
| METE 5600 – Corrosion Fundamentals and Minimization | 3 | CHEM 1220 | fall, odd years only; last taught fall 2021 |
| METE 5480 – Steelmaking | 3 | none listed | fall, odd years only |
| MSE 3210 – Electronic Properties of Solids | 3 | ‘C’ or better in PHYS 2220 OR PHYS 3220 | every fall |
| MSE 5073 – Nanostructured Materials: Science and Technology | 3 | 'C' or better in PHYS 2220 OR PHYS 3220 | every fall |
| METE 5230 – Biomedical Devices and Sensors | 3 | none listed | fall, odd years only; last taught fall 2021 |
| METE 5300 – Alloy and Materials Design | 3 | MET E 5260 AND MET E 5450 | spring, even years only; last taught spring 2022 |
| MSE 3011 – Structural Analysis of Materials | 4 | 'C-' or better in PHYS 2220 OR PHYS 3220 | every spring |
| MSE 5034 – Kinetics | 3 | 'C-' or better in MSE 3032 | every spring |
| MET E 5280 – Magnetic Materials and Devices | 3 | unknown | not offered consistently |
| METE 5250 – Principles and Practice of X-ray Diffraction | 2 | 'C-' or better in PHYS 2220 | fall; last taught fall 2022 |
| MATH 5770 – Introduction to Optimization | 3 | ‘C’ or better in MATH 2250 OR MATH 2270 OR MATH 2271 OR Instructor Consent | every fall |
| MATH 5610 – Introduction to Numerical Analysis | 4 | ‘C’ or better in MATH 2250 OR MATH 2270 OR MATH 2271 OR Instructor Consent | every fall |
Students can take MATH 5610 or MATH 5770, but not both.
Chemical Processing Emphasis
Choose a minimum of 11 credits from the following:
| Course Name | Credits | Pre-requisites | Most likely to be offered: |
| CHEM 2310 – Organic Chemistry I | 4 | 'C-' or better in (CHEM 1220 OR CHEM 1221) OR AP Chemistry score of at least 5 | every fall and spring |
| CHEM 3100 – Inorganic Chemistry | 5 | 'C-' or better in CHEM 2310 OR CHEM 2311. Corequisites: 'C-' or better in CHEM 3060 OR CHEM 3070. Go here to request a permission code. | every fall |
| CHEM 3000 – Quantitative Analysis | 4 | ("C" or better in (MATH 1220 OR MATH 1320 OR MATH 1321 OR MATH 2210)) OR ("C-" or better in (MATH 2250) AND (CHEM 1220 OR CHEM 1221) | every fall and spring |
| CVEEN 3610 – Environmental Engineering | 3 | 'C' or better in (CHEM 1210 OR CHEM 1211) AND Full Major status in Civil Engineering OR Construction Engineering Corequisites: CVEEN 2140 AND CVEEN 3615. Go here to request a permission code. | every fall and spring |
| METE 5600 – Corrosion Fundamentals and Minimization | 3 | CHEM 1220 | fall, odd years only; last taught fall 2021 |
| METE 5480 – Steelmaking | 3 | none listed | fall, odd years only |
| CH EN 5308 – Electrochemical Systems for Energy Storage | 3 | ‘C’ or higher in CH EN 2300 AND CH EN 3553 AND CH EN 3603 AND CH EN 3853 | every fall |
| CH EN 3353 – Fluid Mechanics | 3 | ‘C’ or better in (MATH 2250 AND PHYS 2220 AND CH EN 2300 AND CH EN 2450 AND CH EN 2800) AND Full Major status in Chemical Engineering. Go here to request a permission code. | every fall |
| METE 5210 – Nuclear Materials | 3 | ‘C-‘ or better in CHEM 1220 OR CHEM 1221 | spring, even years only; last taught spring 2024 |
| METE 5720 – Molten Salt | 2 | ‘C-‘ or better in MSE 3032 OR MET E 3630 | spring, odd years only; last taught spring 2023 |
| MSE 5034 – Kinetics | 3 | 'C-' or better in MSE 3032 | every spring |
| MATH 5770 – Introduction to Optimization – 3 credits | 3 | ‘C’ or better in MATH 2250 OR MATH 2270 OR MATH 2271 OR Instructor Consent | fall |
| MATH 5610 – Introduction to Numerical Analysis | 4 | ‘C’ or better in (MATH 1260 OR MATH 1321 OR MATH 2210 OR MATH 2310 OR MATH 3140) AND (MATH 2250 OR MATH 2270 OR MATH 2271) | fall |
Students can take MATH 5610 or MATH 5770, but not both.
The Materials Science and Engineering Department upholds a two-class retake policy for math, chemistry, physics, materials science, and metallurgical engineering classes (i.e. major classes). Students can take a class two times without penalty. If a student fails the class for the second time, then they must petition to take take the class a third time. A failing grade is a C- for students following Degree Audit catalogues dated 2023 or older (except for math classes, which require a C). Students following the 2024 (and newer) catalogues are required to pass their major classes with a C or better.
The petition process requires students to fill out the form (see below), write a personal statement (see below for rubric), and provide supporting materials if applicable. Supporting materials could include a doctor's note, obituary for a family/friend, email from a parent, or other forms of documentation that support the student's personal statement.
Submit all petition materials to the departmental academic advisor. Faculty will review the petition and determine if the student can count the third attempt toward the materials science and engineering program. If a student fails a class for a third time, then faculty will evaluate the petition to determine if the student can remain in the program. The student's voice and their individual circumstances will be highly valued in this process. The student will work with the academic advisor to ensure that they are given a fair opportunity for their case to be evaluated.
Office of the Registrar Transfer Articulation
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. Log into Transferology