Graduates of the Materials Science and Engineering program will (1) establish a productive Materials Science and Engineering career in industry, government or academia, (2) apply critical reasoning and the requisite analytical/quantitative skills in seeking solutions to materials science and engineering problems, (3) promote innovation in materials discovery, development and design through effective leadership, skilled communications, and multidisciplinary teamwork, (4) exhibit a commitment to engineering ethics, environmental stewardship, continued learning, and professional development.
(Program educational objectives are those aspects of engineering that help shape the curriculum, achievement of these objectives is a shared responsibility between the student and UCI.)
Since the beginning of history, materials have played a crucial role in the growth, prosperity, security, and quality of human life. In fact, materials have been so intimately related to the emergence of human culture and civilization that anthropologists and historians have identified early cultures by the name of the significant materials dominating those cultures. These include the stone, bronze, and iron ages of the past. At the present time, the scope of materials science and engineering has become very diverse, it is no longer confined to topics related to metals and alloys but includes those relevant to ceramics, composites, polymers, biomaterials, nanostructures, intelligent materials, and electronic devices. In addition, present activities in materials science and engineering cover not only areas whose utility can be identified today, but also areas whose utility may be unforeseen. The services of materials scientists and engineers are required in a variety of engineering operations dealing, for example, with emerging energy systems, design of semiconductors and optoelectronic and nano devices, development of new technologies based on composites and high-temperature super-conductivity, biomedical products, performance (e.g., quality, reliability, safety, energy efficiency) in automobile and aircraft components, improvement in nondestructive testing techniques, corrosion behavior in refineries, radiation damage in nuclear power plants, and fabrication of advanced materials.
