Materials Science and Engineering
Combustion synthesis of fullerenes and fullerenic nanostructures. Courtesy Vander Sande Lab. Used with permission.
Students, professors, and researchers in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering explore the relationships between structure and properties in all classes of materials including metals, ceramics, electronic materials, and biomaterials.
Read more about Materials Science and Engineering at MIT
Our research leads to the synthesis of improved materials in response to challenges in the areas of energy, the environment, medicine, and manufacturing.
Collaborating with industry, government, and other institutions, our research contributes to a broad range of fields. In a recent U.S. Army-funded study, we used nanotechnological methods to study the structure of scales of the fish Polypterus senegalus, leading to more effective ways of designing human body armor. In the MIT and Dow Materials Engineering Contest (MADMEC), student teams design and prototype devices to harness, store, and exploit alternative energy sources. With support from the Lord Foundation, the purchase of advanced equipment will allow us to build custom experimental equipment, develop and test prototypes, and even make a new part for an unmanned air vehicle.
Our educational programs interweave concepts of materials engineering and materials science throughout the curriculum. Core subjects offered at both undergraduate and graduate levels cover topics necessary for all DMSE students:
- Thermodynamics
- Kinetics
- Materials structure
- Electronic and mechanical properties of materials
- Bio- and polymeric materials
- Materials processing
This core foundation and appropriate electives lead to a variety of opportunities in engineering, science, or a combination of the two.
Department of Materials Science and Engineering links
Visit MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Review the MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering curriculum
Online Resources
Atomic Control Software allows users to create crystal structures, manipulate them in three dimensional space on their desktop, and simulate x-ray diffraction patterns of the crystals.
Global Enterprise for Micro-Mechanics and Molecular Medicine (GEM4) Short Courses
