Materials Engineering

What is Materials Engineering?

Materials engineering is the development of metals, alloys, polymers, ceramics, semiconductors, nanotechnologies and composites that are used to produce every object that you own, see, lose, borrow or give away. It is concerned with the fundamental relationships between the structure and processing of materials and their properties. Materials engineers develop biomedical implants for bones, tissues, and heart valves; fiber optics for information super highways, and thousands of other quality-of-life products.

The responsibilities of a materials scientist and engineer include research and development of materials for various applications, devising new ways to produce materials for improved performance, reducing cost or creating new products.

The University of Cincinnati Materials Science & Engineering program is one of the finest materials programs in the country. Fused with a robust academic curriculum is a co-op program that allows our students to gain valuable industry experience. This makes our graduates some of the most sought after engineers in the country.

The materials field has experienced explosive growth within the past decade. The development of new materials for the aerospace industry has led to many advances in the space program and in the performance of modern jet engines. Advances in computer technology are a direct result of this development and of the introduction of new and improved materials. The rapid changes occurring in the area of superconductors and composite materials applications will place materials development at the very forefront of progress for the twenty-first century. The success of future ventures in this field will depend upon the ability of materials engineers to provide materials with precisely engineered properties for improved devices and systems. This is the challenge of Materials Engineering.

There are a variety of job opportunities available for a materials engineer. Career prospects can be found in manufacturing, research, management, sales, law and academia.

The diverse training provided in the training allows graduates to find jobs in the following industries: