Find out more about majoring in Metallurgical Engineering or Materials Science & Engineering at the U.
If you have a love for chemistry and physics, but would like to have an engineering degree, Materials Science & Engineering is the place for you. We offer degrees in both Materials Science & Engineering and Metallurgical Engineering. These are the only disciplines in the College of Engineering and College of Mines & Earth Sciences that give students the opportunity to study science while getting an engineering degree.
Materials Scientists and metallurgists are continually engaged in developing new materials or upgrading the use of basic materials that will fit in the highly technological world that we live in. Since virtually everything that we use in our daily lives is made of materials, the need for materials scientists and metallurgists outpaces the ability of schools to graduate students.
Materials Scientists apply the principles of physics and chemistry to design and development of new materials for engineering applications. This application is a critical aspect of engineering, as virtually all technological advances are limited by the available materials. As a result of this challenge, Materials Scientists and Engineers are engaged in exploring the numerous ways that materials can enrich everyday lives. Without this effort to discover and develop new materials, our world of computers, wireless phones, biomedical implants, aircrafts, autos, and compact disks could not exist. Continued research is critical for the advancement and improvement of materials that underlie technologies used to develop energy sources, protect the environment, preserve the national infrastructure, cure diseases, and improve communication.
Within the Materials Science & Engineering program at the University of Utah our faculty focuses their research on:
Electronic materials
Nanomaterials
Biomaterials
Polymers
Computational materials
Ceramics
Composites
Approximately 50% of our undergraduates receive offers of employment before graduating, with an average salary of $60,000.
Some of our graduating undergraduates have furthered their education in pursuit of a Ph.D. or M.S. degree, while others have gone into industry. The following is an example of where our graduating students have gone the past couple of years …
Metallurgical engineers have a specific focus on minerals and metals and are engaged in the study, innovation, design, implementation, and improvement of processes that transform mineral resources and metals into useful products that improve the quality of our lives. Metals provide the foundation for our modern way of life. We need metals to generate electricity to drive our electronic age society as well as for vehicles, buildings, machines, and home appliances. Metals come from minerals that must be physically separated and chemically processed in order to transform them into the important products we use every day. Metallurgical Engineers work to meet the mineral and metal product needs of our modern civilization in an environmentally responsible way by designing processes and products that minimize waste, maximize energy efficiency, increase performance, and facilitate recycling.
Within the Metallurgical Engineering program at the University of Utah our faculty focuses their research on:
Physical Metallurgy
Nuclear Materials
Recycling
Aerospace Alloys
Chemical Metallurgy
Metals/Materials Processing
Mineral Processing
Magnetic Materials
Photonic Materials
Approximately 50% of our undergraduates receive offers of employment before graduating, with an average salary of $60,000.
Some of our graduating undergraduates have furthered their education in pursuit of a Ph.D. or M.S. degree, while others have gone into industry. The following is an example of where our graduating students have gone the past couple of years …
Bordering the 1,425-acre University campus are the rugged Wasatch Mountains, a mecca of pristine beauty and, for winter sports enthusiasts, unsurpassed downhill and cross-country skiing. Seven ski resorts, including three in the historic mining town of Park City, are within an hour’s drive of campus.
Spring through autumn, the nearby canyons, streams and lakes offer a variety of other recreational activities: hiking, biking, climbing, camping, and other outdoor activities for which the Rocky Mountains are famous. Some of the country’s most breathtaking and varied parkland is within a six-hour drive of Salt Lake City, including Yellowstone and five National Parks in Southern Utah: Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef.
The scenic campus helps convey the University’s differing viewpoints. Between historic buildings on President’s Circle and the contemporary Health Sciences Center are spacious malls, unique fountains and a wealth of native and exotic plantings. Five minutes away is downtown Salt Lake City, the heart of state government and a vigorous urban center that reflects the area’s expanding economic and cultural life.
Explore everything Salt Lake City has to offer here.