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Undergraduate Overview and Admissions

Materials are central role to the performance and reliability of virtually technology and living organism. The central theme of materials science and engineering is that the relationships between the structure, properties, processing, and performance of materials are crucial to their function. Materials scientists seek to understand these fundamental relationships, synthesize new materials, develop improved processes for making materials, and understand the role of materials in the functioning of biological organisms. The wide range of problems addressed makes materials science one of the most highly interdisciplinary and dynamic engineering disciplines.

The Materials Science and Engineering faculty strives to maintain the Johns Hopkins University tradition: To train a small number of students of highest quality, whose impact on the scientific and engineering community is large compared with the size of the Department and the University. This institutional aspiration can only be realized with the success of our students as they pursue career directions after their time at Hopkins. Our  program is therefore designed to provide a solid foundation for future career development for students with diverse career aspirations. Our graduates are well prepared to:

• Pursue careers in materials science and engineering, or in fields that require an understanding of materials, using a broad, fundamental view of materials as well as a solid foundation in science and engineering.
• Engage in materials research and apply research methods in advancing a wide range of established and emerging technologies.
• Pursue graduate studies in materials and in related engineering fields or enter professional fields such as medicine or law.
• Recognize, understand and further the evolving role that materials science and engineering plays in society.
• Communicate effectively in a range of technical and non-technical forums and engage productively in team-based efforts.
• Provide leadership and standards of ethical behavior in their professional roles that serve the scientific community, the engineering profession as well as broader segments of our society.

In recognition that materials science and engineering is a rapidly evolving field, the department offers two challenging specializations in the emerging areas of biomaterials and in nanotechnology. Students desiring to focus on other areas may complete the traditional track, selecting advanced electives tailored to their particular interests.

For information on the undergraduate admissions process and to apply, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Questions specific to the Department of Materials Science and Engineering may be addressed to our Academic Program Coordinator.