Bachelor of Science, Materials Science and Engineering

students at graduation
Interested in a degree in MSE?

Highlights

  • Our department offers a close-knit community. Our faculty and staff’s doors are always open to offer individualized guidance.
  • The maximum class size is around 50 students.
  • We support the natural formation of mentorships. Faculty and staff work to get to know students, and help them navigate and reach their goals.
  • Most undergraduate students will do research during their time at Carnegie Mellon, either for credit or for pay.
  • Students create their own academic experience. 92% of students are pursuing some type of additional major ranging from creative writing to biomedical engineering.
  • The average starting salary of our undergraduates is $82,000.
  • More than 50% of our undergraduates pursue further higher education upon completing their degree.
New admission policy: Students now apply directly to an engineering major

Students applying to the College of Engineering can choose their major at two times: when applying to a major directly or when applying undecided and making a selection in the spring of their first year.

Students who apply directly to a major are admitted directly to that major. Students admitted as undecided within the College of Engineering are allowed to choose among the primary majors during the spring semester of their first year.

Requests to change majors will be considered after the first year but are not guaranteed to be approved and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Program educational objectives

Graduates with a B.S. degree from the Materials Science and Engineering program will, within a few years after graduation:

  1. attain success in a professional position and/or a top graduate school that builds upon their MSE background
  2. exhibit professionalism and leadership in contemporary, interdisciplinary engineering practice based on materials, while accounting for the impact of their profession on an evolving, global society
  3. contribute to innovative designs of technological systems using principles of materials science and engineering
  4. make effective contributions as an individual, team member, and/or a leader to effect global, economic, environmental, and/or societal impact

Student outcomes

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering has accepted the following definitions for the educational outcomes of the department. These outcomes will allow our students to be successful in any career choice and achieve the long-term objectives of our department. Each student will have:

  1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
  3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
  5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
  6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Student Enrollment and Graduation Data

View enrollment data for the undergraduate Materials Science & Engineering program.

Accreditation Statement

The Materials Science and Engineering Program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Materials(1), Metallurgical(2), Ceramics(3) and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Related news

Apr 07

Pickleball paddles of the future Opens in new window

Materials science and engineering students investigated whether pickleball paddles produced by 3D printing could be as good as, or better, than those produced using existing techniques.

Mar 26

Curious Minds, Confident Mentors Drive Success in STEM

MSE assistant professor Amanda Krause and undergraduate student Katherine Wu are among the many talented women making significant strides in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields at CMU.

Mar 24

MSE student wins Washington Prize

Katie Eisenman has been selected as the first place winner of the 2025 George Washington Prize, an award given annually in recognition of academic excellence, commitment to service, and leadership.

Jan 03

Unleashing advancements in animal care Opens in new window

Kara Mathias, who is interested in connecting her research to caring for animals, was awarded the Dr. Mete Akin Endowed Fund for Advancement of Pre-Med Education earlier this year.

Oct 01

Putting on the refinishing touches

After a rewarding experience as an intern at Covestro in 2023, senior Phylicia Ma returned to the company in 2024 as an Automotive Coatings Intern.

Sep 10

Thirsty for opportunity

This summer, senior Isabelle Millan was a Product Excellence Scientist Intern for the Unilever Health & Wellbeing Collective, where she worked on one of their Liquid IV products.

Jun 05

Siddiqui receives Udall Scholarship Opens in new window

Aleena Siddiqui has received the Udall Scholar award, which recognizes future leaders in environmental, Tribal public policy, and health care fields.

Jun 03

NASA mentor guides student’s career trajectory Opens in new window

Campus research experience, NASA internship, and advice from a mentor propel material science and engineering student, Lauren Fitzwater, to pursue a minor in additive manufacturing.