Program Overview

Materials Science Program

The Materials Science program offers a comprehensive range of courses that explore the properties, processing, and applications of various materials.

Course Descriptions

• MATS 321: Introduction to Materials Science (4 Credits)
  • Crystal structure, microstructure, and physical properties of metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, and amorphous materials.
  • Elementary mechanical behavior and phase equilibria.
  • Prerequisite: CH 202 with C or better or CH 222 with C or better or CH 232 with C or better or CH 232H with C or better or CH 224H with C or better.
• MATS 321H: Introduction to Materials Science (4 Credits)
  • Crystal structure, microstructure, and physical properties of metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, and amorphous materials.
  • Elementary mechanical behavior and phase equilibria.
  • Attributes: HNRS Honors Course Designator.
  • Prerequisite: CH 202 with C or better or CH 222 with C or better or CH 232 with C or better or CH 232H with C or better or CH 224H with C or better.
• MATS 322: Mechanical Properties of Materials (3 Credits)
  • Mechanical behavior of materials, relating laboratory test results to material structure, and elements of mechanical analysis.
  • Prerequisite: (ENGR 213 with C or better or ENGR 213H with C or better) and (ENGR 321 [C] or ENGR 321H [C] or MATS 321 [C]).
• MATS 413: Thermodynamics and Phase Equilibria of Materials (4 Credits)
  • Explores the statistical interpretation of entropy, heat capacity, enthalpy of condensed phases, solution thermodynamics, liquid-solid and solid-solid phase equilibria.
  • Considers the principles of thermodynamics governing phase stability with a focus on liquid-solid and solid-solid equilibria, and phase stability in two-component systems.
  • Examines the relationship of Gibbs free energy to phase stability.
  • Prerequisite: (MATS 321 with C or better or MATS 321H with C or better) and (ME 311 [C] or ME 311H [C] or NSE 311 [C] or NSE 311H [C] or CHE 311 [C]).
• MATS 441: Physical Metallurgy (3 Credits)
  • Introduction to properties of metals and alloys including solidification, diffusion, solid solutions, intermediate phases, annealing, heat treatment and phase transformation with a focus on ferrous and non-ferrous metal systems.
  • Identifies relationships between material composition, structure, and properties resulting from synthesis, processing or service.
  • Explores the knowledge of ferrous and non-ferrous alloy systems and their significant metallurgical properties and applications.
  • Prerequisite: MATS 321 with C or better.
• MATS 445: Welding Metallurgy (4 Credits)
  • Theory-based course focused on the metallurgy of welds.
  • Topics covered include welding/joining processes, heat input, diffusion, solidification, phase transformation, materials compatibility and welding defects.
  • This is NOT a practical welding class.
  • Prerequisite: MATS 321 with C or better or ENGR 321 with C or better or ENGR 321H with C or better.
• MATS 478: Thin Film Materials Characterization and Properties (4 Credits)
  • Processing of thin films and characterization of the microstructure; diffusion and solid state reactions; mechanical, magnetic and electronic properties of thin films.
  • Prerequisite: (ME 311 with C or better or ME 311H with C or better or NSE 311 with C or better or NSE 311H with C or better) and (ENGR 321 [C] or ENGR 321H [C] or MATS 321 [C] or MATS 321H [C]) and (ENGR 322 [C] or MATS 322 [C]).
• MATS 499: Special Topics (1-16 Credits)
  • This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
• MATS 545: Welding Metallurgy (4 Credits)
  • Theory-based course focused on the metallurgy of welds.
  • Topics covered include welding/joining processes, heat input, diffusion, solidification, phase transformation, materials compatibility and welding defects.
  • This is NOT a practical welding class.
  • Recommended: MATS 321 or MATS 570.
• MATS 555: Experimental Techniques in Material Science (4 Credits)
  • Materials processing, characterization, computational and data analysis techniques in materials science.
  • Focus on processing-structure-property relationships.
  • Prerequisite: MATS 570 with C or better.
  • This course is repeatable for 8 credits.
  • Recommended: MATS 321.
• MATS 570: Structure-Property Relations in Materials (4 Credits)
  • Fundamentals of the interactions between the structure and properties of materials.
  • Atomic bonding and atom interactions.
  • Geometric and algebraic representations of symmetry.
  • Introduction to phase equilibria.
  • Phenomenological background of elasticity and plasticity in materials.
  • Anisotropic materials and tensor representations.
  • Influence of structure on thermal, electrical, and optical properties of materials.
  • Equivalent to: ME 570.
• MATS 571: Electronic Properties of Materials (4 Credits)
  • Development of a quantitative description of the electronic structure of solids starting with the quantum mechanical model of the atom, atomic bonding, and band theory of solids.
  • Quantitative description of the electronic properties of metals, semiconductors, and insulators.
  • Equivalent to: ME 571.
  • Recommended: CH 545 or ME 570.
• MATS 578: Thin Film Materials Characterization and Properties (4 Credits)
  • Processing of thin films and characterization of the microstructure; diffusion and solid state reactions; mechanical, magnetic and electronic properties of thin films.
• MATS 581: Thermodynamics of Solids (4 Credits)
  • Thermodynamics of solutions and phase equilibrium.
  • Phase diagrams and invariant reactions.
  • Order and disorder in solutions.
  • Applications to advanced materials development.
  • Lec/lab.
  • Equivalent to: ME 581.
• MATS 582: Rate Processes in Materials (3 Credits)
  • Diffusion in solids, including vacancy and interstitial and short-circuit diffusion.
  • Phase transformations including classic nucleation and growth theory.
  • Applications to materials development.
  • Prerequisite: MATS 581 with C or better or ME 581 with C or better.
  • Equivalent to: ME 582.
• MATS 584: Advanced Fracture of Materials (4 Credits)
  • Fracture mechanics will be used as a basis for predicting failure of materials, understanding failure mechanisms, and identifying causes of failure.
  • Course will include discussion of recent journal articles, experimental demonstrations, and analysis of real fracture data.
  • Equivalent to: ME 584.
  • Recommended: ENGR 322.
• MATS 587: Dislocations, Deformation, and Creep (4 Credits)
  • The effects of point, line, and planar defects on plastic deformation and creep behavior in solids will be discussed with emphasis on the role of dislocations and vacancies.
  • Equivalent to: ME 587.
  • Recommended: ENGR 322.
• MATS 588: Computational Methods in Materials Science (4 Credits)
  • A broad introduction to important materials science simulation methods.
  • These include molecular dynamics, density functional theory, and Monte Carlo methods.
  • Learning is through a mixture of lecture and hands-on lab projects in which students use computational methods to explore and reinforce fundamental concepts in materials science.
  • Lec/lab.
  • Equivalent to: ME 588.
  • Recommended: Experience with Matlab or Mathematica or an equivalent numerical and programming environment.
• MATS 599: Special Topics (1-16 Credits)
  • This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
• MATS 625: Materials and Surface Characterization (3 Credits)
  • Covers scientific principles of surface and structural characterization techniques.
  • Explores methods to study both macro- and nano-scale properties.
  • Emphasizes surface and interfacial analysis of metals, semiconductors, and dielectric materials.
  • Applies basic knowledge of chemistry, physics, and engineering to understand scientific fundamentals and operating principles of spectroscopy and microscopy-based techniques.
  • Covers a range of experimental methods for determining surface structure, elemental composition, and chemical states.
  • Topics including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, low energy electron diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy, low energy ion scattering, and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy.
  • CROSSLISTED as CH 625/CHE 625/MATS 625/PH 625.
  • Equivalent to: CH 625, CHE 625, PH 625.
• MATS 659: Principles of Transmission Electron Microscopy (4 Credits)
  • This lecture-only course covers basic principles of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) including instrument components, electron optics, electron diffraction, and the origins and interpretation of image contrast.
  • Spectroscopic techniques are covered, but diffraction and imaging techniques are emphasized.
  • Coverage of experimental techniques will focus on those useful for addressing problems in materials science.
  • Recommended: MATS 570 and (CH 616 or MATS 555).
• MATS 671: Electronic Properties of Oxides (3 Credits)
  • Emphasizes band theory of solids applied to metal oxide materials.
  • Reviews metallic oxides, non-stoichiometric semiconductors and associated defect chemistry, electrostatics, linear dielectrics, non-linear dielectrics, electromechanical phenomena including piezoelectricity, and the optical properties of oxides.
  • Equivalent to: ME 671.
  • Recommended: MATS 571 or PH 575.