B.S. Materials Science & Engineering

Degree Prep

The B.S. Materials Science and Engineering degree requires a solid background in math and basic science and enjoy hands-on laboratory work. Placement exams are given at the beginning of each semester in the areas of chemistry and mathematics. Students who have not taken an advanced placement exam in these areas while in high school are encouraged to take the exams prior to the start of classes.

Degree Roadmap

B.S. Materials Science and Engineering 4-Year Plan (PDF)

During your first two years you will build a strong foundation in chemistry, math, and physics courses. Students are encouraged to develop individual interests through the selection of technical electives.

Upper division courses will teach you how to apply the principles of chemistry to engineering design, and prepare you to design your own solutions to many of the world's chemical and biological challenges. Students complete their study through our nationally recognized Senior Capstone Design Program culminating each spring with the Engineering Design EXPO.

View current Materials Science and Engineering courses
Catalogs are released each year with up-to-date course listings. Students reference the catalog released during their first year of enrollment. For catalog related questions, email registrar@uidaho.edu or call 208-885-6731.

Degree Requirements

Required course work includes Materials Science and Engineering (B.S.M.S.E.) requirements and the university requirements (see regulation J-3).

Questions?

First-Year undergraduates — please email first-year Materials Science & Engineering student advisor Roopal Jani or call 208-885-0250.

Faculty Advisor Transition Process — in spring semester of the freshman year, undergraduates transition to a faculty advisor specific to their degree area. This process is facilitated between the Micron Student Center and individual departments.

Transfer Students — if you have 13 or less transfer credits please email Student Services or call 208-885-6470. If you have 13 or more credits please email mse@uidaho.edu or call 208-885-7572.

If you have any questions about who your advisor is, please email Student Services or call 208-885-6470.

Scholarships

• All first-time students are automatically considered for all institutional aid and scholarships when filling out the admissions application. There are no separate scholarship applications required to be considered for institutional aid.
• All continuing students are automatically considered for all college scholarships. There are no separate scholarship applications required to be considered for college scholarships.
• U of I Awards more than $25 million in scholarships each year, more than any other institution in Idaho.
• 73% of U of I students receive scholarships, higher than any other public institution in Idaho. – National Center for Education Statistics 2016-17
• Engineering students received more than $800,000 in scholarships in 2018/19 – U of I Financial Aid Data

Browse all need- and merit-based scholarships or contact our Student Services team to get all your scholarship questions answered.

Paid Employment Related to Your Major

• Cooperative Education Program (Co-op) – Get paid up to $20,000 for a six-month session working with Micron, HP, BorgWarner, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in-between your junior and senior years.
• Fenway Group Partnership – Get paid to work with Starbucks, CenturyLink, Southwest, Verizon and Kraft. This 2-year program guarantees employment for all participants after graduation, and students can work while attending class.

Internships & Summer Programs

• NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium (ISGC) - Mentor-directed, career-related internship programs that contribute to NASA’s mission. Sessions are held in fall, spring and summer and are open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students.
• Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) – Receive a $4,000 student fellowship and $1,000 stipend to work on faculty-mentored projects full-time in any field of study.
• DAAD Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE Germany) Programs – RISE Germany offers undergraduate students the opportunity to complete a summer research internship at top German universities and research institutions.
• Durcan Scholar Program – gain undergraduate knowledge of your discipline and develop research skills by working on faculty-mentored projects for the entire year.
• Idaho National Laboratory Undergraduate Internships – Earn a nationally competitive wage during a 10- to 16-week internship at the nation’s leading center for nuclear energy research and development. For students pursuing STEM fields.

Financial Aid

For financial aid deadlines and eligibility requirements, visit the University of Idaho Financial Aid Office.

Hands-On Learning

ALL U of I College of Engineering students, especially undergraduates, participate in hands-on activities through:

• Idaho’s only Grand Challenge Scholars Program - Preparing undergraduates to solve the biggest challenges facing society in the 21st century.
• Nationally-ranked Senior Capstone Design Program - Emphasizing the design process and the creation of a thoughtfully engineered, tested and validated outcome or prototype. Interdisciplinary teams showcase their work at our annual Engineering Design EXPO.

Clubs & Organizations

Our college offers 20+ clubs and organizations tied to international and national engineering organizations, including national competition teams.

Learn about clubs related to your major:

• American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
• Humanitarian Engineering Corps (HEC)
• Material Advantage (MatAdv)
• National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
• Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
• Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
• Tau Beta Pi - Engineering Honor Society (TBP)