Program Overview

Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering

Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is a vital discipline in the 21st century. The Chinese government has listed new materials as a key area for development. The demand for materials science and engineering professionals with expertise, international vision, leadership, and communication skills is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. The Materials Science and Engineering program at Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Global College aims to cultivate well-rounded professionals in this field.

The program's objective is to train students to understand the fundamental knowledge of materials science and engineering, identify and define problems, and possess strong quantitative and qualitative problem-solving skills. Students will also develop a mindset and skills for lifelong learning, understand professional ethics, social responsibility, and multicultural work environments, and possess teamwork, interpersonal communication, and professional communication skills.

Program Details

The Materials Science and Engineering program follows the curriculum of the University of Michigan. It is built on a common scientific and engineering foundation. In the first two semesters, all students receive rigorous training in mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering fundamentals, and computer programming. These courses have been certified by the University of Michigan's College of Engineering as equivalent to their corresponding courses.

After the second semester, students choose to major in Materials Science and Engineering. The program provides students with a solid foundation in core technical skills. Additionally, the school offers a range of technical elective courses that allow students to adjust their curriculum according to their career goals.

Talent Cultivation Objectives

Within 3 to 5 years after graduation, graduates should possess the ability to:

• Promote intellectual development through graduate education or professional development
• Apply their creativity and global vision in engineering or non-engineering fields
• Take on leadership roles in various environments

Student Outcomes

Graduates of the program should be able to:

• Apply engineering, scientific, and mathematical principles to solve complex engineering problems
• Design solutions that meet specific needs
• Communicate effectively
• Demonstrate professional ethics and social responsibility
• Work in teams
• Design and implement experiments, analyze data, and draw conclusions
• Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed

Curriculum System

To earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Materials Science and Engineering, students must complete 136 credits, including:

• Engineering foundation: 39 credits
• Professional core: 41 credits
• Academic writing: 8 credits
• General education courses: 16 credits
• Electives:
  • Advanced mathematics: 3 credits
  • Materials science and engineering electives: 9 credits
  • Professional electives: 12 credits
  • General electives: 8 credits

Chinese students must also complete all Chinese political courses required by the Chinese Ministry of Education. International students must complete 12 credits of Chinese language and culture courses.

Course Requirements

Each category of courses has the following requirements:

Engineering Foundation (39 credits)

• MATH1160J – Calculus (2) or MATH1560J – Advanced Mathematics A1 or MATH1860J – Advanced Mathematics B1
• MATH2150J – Calculus (3) or MATH2550J – Advanced Mathematics A2 or MATH2850J – Advanced Mathematics B2
• MATH2160J – Differential Equations or MATH2560J – Linear Algebra and Differential Equations A or MATH2860J – Linear Algebra and Differential Equations B
• MATH2030J – Discrete Mathematics
• CHEM2090J – University Chemistry or CHEM2100J – University Chemistry
• CHEM2110J – University Chemistry
• PHYS1401J – General Physics (1) & PHYS2401J – General Physics (2) or PHYS1600J – Enhanced Physics (1) & PHYS2600J – Enhanced Physics (2)
• PHYS1410J – General Physics Experiment (1) & PHYS2410J – General Physics Experiment (2)
• ENGR1000J – Engineering Introduction
• ENGR1010J – Computer Introduction

Professional Core (41 credits)

• ME2110J – Solid Mechanics
• MSE2500J – Introduction to Engineering Materials
• MSE2420J – Materials Physics
• MSE3300J – Materials Thermodynamics
• MSE3350J – Materials Engineering Dynamics and Transport
• MSE3500J – Materials Structure
• ME3820J – Materials Mechanical Properties
• MSE3600J – Materials Testing I
• MSE3650J – Materials Testing II
• MSE4500J – Product Design and Manufacturing
• MSE4820J – Materials Processing Principles

Academic Writing (8 credits)

• ENGL1000J – Comprehensive English
• ENGL2000J – English Writing

General Education Courses (16 credits)

This category requires:

• 2 credits ENGR4960J – Professional Ethics and Engineering Standards
• 14 credits of humanities, social sciences, professional development, natural sciences, and arts courses
• At least 3 credits of humanities courses and at least 3 credits of social sciences courses
• Up to 8 credits of language courses can be counted towards this category

Humanities categories include but are not limited to philosophy, English language and literature, Asian languages and cultures, American culture, comparative literature, film studies, etc.

Social sciences categories include but are not limited to international and comparative studies, political science, Asian studies, economics, environmental studies, history, etc.

Professional development categories include but are not limited to engineering ethics, business research, entrepreneurship research, etc.

Natural sciences categories include biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, and earth sciences, etc.

The list of courses that can be counted towards this category is maintained by the Global College's Undergraduate Academic Affairs Office.

Advanced Mathematics (3 credits)

Advanced mathematics credits can be obtained by taking courses such as ECE4010J – Engineering Probability Methods, MATH4540J – Engineering Mathematics B, MATH4710J – Numerical Analysis, or other courses approved by the Materials Science and Engineering program advisor. Credits exceeding 3 in this category can be counted towards professional electives or general electives.

Materials Science and Engineering Electives (9 credits)

Credits in this category can be obtained by taking advanced elective courses in materials science and engineering or related fields. The list of courses is maintained by the Global College's Undergraduate Academic Affairs Office.

• ME4340J – Energy Conversion Materials
• MSE4120J – Polymer Materials
• MSE4930J – Self-Assembly of Materials and Devices
• MSE6201J – Electrical, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of Materials
• MSE6202J – Structure, Physics, and Chemical Characterization of Materials
• MSE6204J – Statistical Physics
• MSE6601J – Introduction to Soft Matter Physics
• MSE6602J – Fundamentals and Applications of Battery Materials

Credits exceeding 9 in this category can be counted towards professional electives or general electives.

Professional Electives (12 credits)

Professional electives can be fulfilled by taking courses in materials science and engineering or other engineering, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics fields.

Credits exceeding 12 in this category can be counted towards general electives.

General Electives (8 credits)

The purpose of general electives is to allow students to explore any field of knowledge they choose, including technical (including engineering) and non-technical fields. Any course can fulfill this requirement, with the following limitations:

• Research-type courses (including undergraduate research plans, "Shanghai Jiao Tong University Undergraduate Innovation Plan" projects, and independent study) can count for up to 4 credits towards graduation.

Students are encouraged to explore cultural or professional fields of interest in their general electives, such as:

• Management, business, or finance courses to prepare for industry work
• Courses preparing for further study in fields like medicine, dentistry, law, or education
• Additional language, literature, or culture courses to prepare for work in the global economy
• Materials science and engineering courses beyond the limited professional elective category to further explore the field
• Engineering courses from other colleges to prepare for interdisciplinary graduate study

Starting from the class of 2022, undergraduate students are required to take 2 credits of arts courses to fulfill graduation requirements. Arts courses include those offered by the Global College or recognized by Shanghai Jiao Tong University as arts appreciation courses; the former can be counted towards the Intellectual Breadth credit module, and the latter can be counted towards the General Elective credit module.