About the Materials Science Program
The Materials Science Program at Oregon State University is an interdisciplinary program that spans the Colleges of Engineering, Science and Forestry with faculty from Mechanical, Civil, Nuclear and Chemical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Wood Science and more.
We offer M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at the graduate level as well as Minors at both the graduate and undergraduate level. We also offer a unique international exchange program with Germany where students can earn a 5-year dual B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science.
Currently, there are 40 graduate students in Materials Science mentored by a subset of our 31 core faculty members. Additionally, we have over 50 affiliate and external faculty performing research in the area of Materials Science. Research funding comes from a wide range of sources, including the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the Department of Energy and industry partners.
Graduate Education
The discipline of materials science is inherently interdisciplinary, involving fundamental aspects of chemistry, physics, biology, geoscience, mathematics and engineering. This allows students to earn M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Materials Science in many different research areas, including all classes of materials, and in a wide range of applications. The coursework requirements are extremely flexible to allow students to tailor their program of study to directly support their research activities.
For students majoring in other disciplines, a graduate minor is also available to students by taking 15-18 credits of classes in the M.S. or Ph.D. program. Additionally, Mechanical Engineering M.S. and Ph.D. students can pursue the Materials-Mechanics option which is a transcript visible focus on materials science.
FAQs related to the Materials Science program graduate admissions can be found here: https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/materials-science/materials-science-program-graduate-admissions-faqs
Undergraduate Education
For undergraduates, we have a B.S. degree via the Atlantis Program. Here, Oregon State and Saarlandes University (Saarbrucken, Germany), have created a unique bachelors degree program focused on creating a new kind of engineer with a global perspective that will enable them to operate in the complex multinational workplace in the future. Students who complete the program will receive two bachelors degrees in a five-year program: a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from OSU and a B.S. in Materials Science from Saarlandes University.
We also offer a Minor in Materials Science for undergraduate students. The Minor is flexible and works well with a number of different majors in Engineering and Science. The current approved course list can be found here. Some students combine their Materials Science Minor with the Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) to earn graduate credits in their Junior and Senior year.
Metamorphosing Metals
Somayeh Pasebani, assistant professor of advanced manufacturing, leads cutting-edge research in additive manufacturing.
Next-Generation Materials
Next-generation materials research focuses primarily on structural materials, biomaterials, electronic ceramics, energy materials, sensors, and bulk and thin film materials processing.
Core Concern
Samuel Briggs, assistant professor of nuclear engineering, and Julie Tucker, associate professor of materials science, are developing materials that survive harsh conditions of nuclear reactors.
More Information
Julie Tucker
Materials Science Program Director
julie.tucker@oregonstate.edu
Stephanie Grigar
Graduate Program Coordinator
stephanie.grigar@oregonstate.edu
Lynn Paul
Head Advisor, MIME Graduate Programs
lynn.paul@oregonstate.edu
John Barber
Head Advisor, MIME Undergraduate Programs
john.barber@oregonstate.edu
