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Materials Science Minor

The departments of Chemistry, Physics, and Engineering Sciences offer the minor in Materials Science, which can be combined with majors in any of the three areas.

For additional information about majors, courses, and degree requirements:

Guide to Programs & Courses

For advice about the minor, contact Jenna D. Wheeler, Undergraduate Programs Administrator.

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Prerequisite Courses

Please note that many engineering sciences courses require prerequisites in addition to those noted.

Unless otherwise prohibited, prerequisites may be taken under the non-recording option. Any course being used to satisfy major or minor requirements beyond the prerequisites, may not be taken under the non-recording option.

Courses used in the major cannot be used to satisfy requirements of the minor. Satisfactory completion of the minor requires a grade point average of 2.0 in the courses suitable for satisfying the minor.

COURSE TYPE NUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSES COURSES

Chemistry*

1 or 2 courses

Students will be placed in one or more of the following courses:

CHEM 5: General Chemistry and CHEM 6: General Chemistry
CHEM 10: First-Year Honors Chemistry
CHEM 11: General Chemistry

Physics

2 courses

PHYS 13: Introductory Physics I
PHYS 14: Introductory Physics II

* Students with no prior experience with chemistry will be placed in CHEM 5. CHEM 10 is not scheduled to be offered during the 2022–2023 academic year. Starting in the Fall of 2022, students with prior experience with chemistry (as demonstrated through AP or IB exams, A-level credit, or placement exam) will be placed in CHEM 11. Students who complete CHEM 11 will also automatically receive credit for CHEM 5 toward the BE degree requirements.

Required Courses

COURSE TYPE NUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSES COURSES

Core

1 course

ENGS 24: Science of Materials

Methods*

1 course

Choose one course, from the following:

PHYS 76: Methods of Experimental Physics
ENGS 133: Methods of Materials Characterization

Electives*

2 courses

Choose two courses, each from a different group:

Group A
ENGS 131: Science of Solid State Materials
PHYS 73: Introductory Condensed Matter Physics

Group B
CHEM 108: Chemistry of Macromolecules: Physical Properties and Characterization
CHEM 109: Chemistry of Macromolecules: Synthesis and Characterization

Group C
ENGS 73: Materials Processing and Selection
ENGS 132: Thermodynamics and Kinetics in Condensed Phases
PHYS 43: Statistical Physics

* If ENGS 133 is taken as part of the requirement for the courses under Methods, you must choose at least one elective from outside the Engineering Sciences Department.