Materials engineering is the study of a wide variety of materials, including metals, ceramics, polymers, and more, which gives students a wide range of career options. The applications of materials engineering are endless, not only in the development of new materials, but also in a wide range of industries and forensic science, and are supported by the multidisciplinary approach of our undergraduate program.
As universities rename their majors to be more competitive and appealing to a broader audience, many schools are now using the name “new materials engineering” rather than “materials science.” When talking to non-science majors about the major, it is often necessary to add “new materials engineering” instead of “materials” to get them to understand. In fact, materials engineering and new materials engineering are not on the same line, and it is correct to say that materials engineering encompasses new materials. Materials engineering is a discipline that studies the relationship between the manufacturing process, properties, and structure of industrial materials, and deals with the study and research of materials that are the basis of all final materials.
Materials are broadly categorized into metals, ceramics, and polymers, with ceramics and polymers currently receiving the most attention and research. Unlike other universities, our students do not choose one field and focus on it, but rather study the three fields of metals, ceramics, and polymers together throughout their four years of undergraduate study. This approach to education provides a broader academic foundation and gives students a wider range of career options after undergraduate graduation. This, in turn, gives students more options when deciding on a career path.
Of course, after four years of undergraduate study, there are some areas where we may lag behind other schools in terms of professional development. However, the scope of the discipline of ‘materials’ is so vast and can be approached from so many different perspectives that the potential for students cannot be underestimated. The ability to understand and apply the fundamental concepts and principles of materials engineering in depth will be an important competitive advantage in future research or industry.
What does materials engineering do? The first thing that comes to mind is the aforementioned development of new materials, i.e., better quality and smarter materials. This is also what I vaguely envisioned for my future as a materials engineering student. When I was in high school, I read Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and felt sad that the public would have an unconditional aversion to chemicals after reading the book. I entered university with the ambition to change the mindset of people who still have an aversion to science, especially chemicals, by researching and developing new materials using nanotechnology that can degrade materials in a short time, and solving polluted environments with science.
Materials science plays an important role in engineering, law, and a wide range of industries, not only in the development of new materials, but also because all final products start from basic materials. The basic undergraduate theories of physics and chemistry are applied to real-life experiments to take existing materials to the next level. For example, depending on the rate at which an existing material is heated and cooled, the arrangement of atoms inside the material changes, which changes the physical and chemical properties of the material. This allows us to develop the optimal materials for our products, and we’re even taking it to the next level by making the materials intelligent so that they can react and move in response to external stimuli.
We also conduct research in collaboration with other companies, and our Nanomechanics Reliability Lab is currently working with Samsung Display and LG to evaluate the reliability of materials for scratching or shattering cell phone screens. These studies not only provide in-depth analysis of materials, but also play an important role in identifying vulnerabilities and improvements in products. In addition to this, the scope of materials engineering is expanding to include the field of forensic engineering, where defects in products are analyzed to provide objective and scientific evidence at the scene of a crime.
I entered the program with dreams of a future in developing new materials, but in reality, there were moments when I was overwhelmed by test scores and credits and didn’t find the major interesting. However, the challenges and opportunities it offers still mean a lot to me. This semester, I am taking materials seminars and lectures that allow me to experience various laboratories in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and explore the overall research direction and interesting topics. I plan to use this to refine my career plans.
I believe that the possibilities offered by materials engineering are endless, as there are still so many areas to develop and challenges to face even after completing my undergraduate studies. Through various research and experiences, I hope to grow into a materials engineering student who can contribute to a better future.
