Program Overview

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Program

The Metallurgical and Materials Engineering program at the Colorado School of Mines plays a crucial role in all manufacturing processes that convert raw materials into useful products adapted to human needs. The primary goal of the program is to provide undergraduates with a fundamental knowledge base associated with materials-processing, their properties, and their selection and application.

Program Description

The program emphasizes the structure, properties, processing, and performance of materials. It is founded on fundamentals in chemistry, mathematics, and physics, which contribute to building the knowledge base and developing the skills for the processing of materials. The engineering principles in this discipline include crystal structure and structural analysis, thermodynamics of materials, reaction kinetics, transport phenomena, phase equilibria, phase transformations, microstructural evolution, mechanical behavior, and properties of materials.

Program Educational Objectives

The program educational objectives are broad statements that describe what graduates are expected to attain within a few years of graduation. The objectives of the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering program at Mines are to prepare graduates who:

• Obtain a range of positions in industry or positions in government facilities or pursue graduate education in engineering, science, or other fields.
• Demonstrate advancement in their chosen careers.
• Engage in appropriate professional societies and continuing education activities.

Curriculum

The Metallurgical and Materials Engineering curriculum is organized to educate students in the fundamentals of materials and their applications, with the option of pursuing a track in one of four focus areas. The curriculum includes courses in:

• Crystal Structures and Structural Analysis
• Thermodynamics of Materials
• Transport Phenomena and Kinetics
• Phase Equilibria
• Properties of Materials
• Materials Processing
• Design and Application of Materials
• Statistical Process Control and Design of Experiments

Degree Requirements

The Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering degree requires a minimum of 137.5 semester hours. The curriculum includes a combination of required and elective courses, as well as a senior thesis or design project.

Courses

The program offers a wide range of courses, including:

• MTGN198: Special Topics in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
• MTGN199: Independent Study
• MTGN202: Engineered Materials
• MTGN211: Structure of Materials
• MTGN251: Metallurgical and Materials Thermodynamics
• MTGN272: MME Field Session
• MTGN281: Introduction to Phase Equilibria in Materials Systems
• MTGN298: Special Topics in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
• MTGN299: Independent Study
• MTGN300: Foundry Metallurgy
• MTGN311: Structure of Materials
• MTGN314: Properties and Processing of Ceramics
• MTGN315: Electrical Properties and Applications of Materials
• MTGN333: Introduction to Bladesmithing
• MTGN334: Chemical Processing of Materials
• MTGN340: Cooperative Education
• MTGN348: Microstructural Development
• MTGN350: Statistical Process Control and Design of Experiments
• MTGN351: Metallurgical and Materials Thermodynamics
• MTGN352: Metallurgical and Materials Kinetics
• MTGN381: Introduction to Phase Equilibria in Materials Systems
• MTGN398: Special Topics in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
• MTGN399: Independent Study
• MTGN403: Senior Thesis
• MTGN407: Steel Bar Manufacturing
• MTGN412: Ceramic Engineering
• MTGN414: Advanced Processing and Sintering of Ceramics
• MTGN415: Electrical Properties and Applications of Materials
• MTGN419: Non-Crystalline Materials
• MTGN429: Metallurgical Environment
• MTGN430: Physical Chemistry of Iron and Steelmaking
• MTGN431: Hydro- and Electro-Metallurgy
• MTGN432: Pyrometallurgy
• MTGN442: Engineering Alloys
• MTGN445: Mechanical Properties of Materials
• MTGN450: Statistical Process Control and Design of Experiments
• MTGN451: Corrosion Engineering
• MTGN456: Electron Microscopy
• MTGN461: Transport Phenomena and Reactor Design for Metallurgical and Materials Engineers
• MTGN462: Solid Waste Minimization and Recycling
• MTGN463: Polymer Engineering
• MTGN464: Forging and Forming
• MTGN465: Mechanical Properties of Ceramics
• MTGN466: Materials Design: Synthesis, Characterization and Selection
• MTGN467: Materials Design: Synthesis, Characterization and Selection
• MTGN468: Materials Design: Synthesis, Characterization and Selection
• MTGN469: Fuel Cell Science and Technology
• MTGN472: Biomaterials I
• MTGN473: Computational Materials
• MTGN475: Metallurgy of Welding
• MTGN497: Summer Programs
• MTGN498: Special Topics in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
• MTGN499: Independent Study

Minor in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

A minor program in metallurgical and materials engineering consists of a minimum of 18 credit hours of a logical sequence of courses. Students majoring in metallurgical and materials engineering are not eligible to earn a minor in the department.

Explosive Processing of Materials Minor

The Explosive Processing of Materials minor program is designed to prepare students for new and developing applications in materials joining, forming, and synthesis that involve the use of explosives. The program focuses on the microstructural and property development in materials as a function of deformation rate.

Five-Year Combined Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Baccalaureate and Master of Engineering

The Departments of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and Physics collaborate to offer a five-year program designed to meet the needs of the electronics and similar high-tech industries. Students who satisfy the requirements of the program obtain an undergraduate degree in either Engineering Physics or in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering in four years and a Master of Engineering degree in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the end of the fifth year.