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Jun 17, 2026
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2026-2027 University Catalog
Materials Engineering, BSMSE
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About the Program
The BS program in Materials Science and Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Materials, Metallurgical, Ceramics and Similarly Named Engineering Programs. Materials have enabled improvement in the products humans use since the beginning of recorded history. For example, without the development of high purity silicon most of today’s electronic devices would not exist. New low density, high stiffness composite materials have replaced metals and wood in tennis racquets. The performance of these materials stems from their properties which depend on their microscopic structure, also known as microstructure. Microstructure in turn depends upon materials processing, the fabrication of materials into functional shapes. Materials Engineering is the study of the interrelationships between processing, structure, properties and performance of materials. Materials engineers study the structure and composition of materials on scales ranging from the electronic and atomic through the microscopic to the macroscopic. They develop new materials, improve traditional materials and are key people in the manufacturing process to produce materials reliably and economically. They seek to understand phenomena and to measure materials properties of all kinds, and they predict and evaluate the performance of real materials as structural or functional elements in engineering systems. Employment opportunities span all types of industry, such as aerospace, automotive, chemical, electronic, energy and primary material-producing companies. Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Major Change (CODO) Requirements Degree Requirements
125 Credits RequiredMaterials Engineering Major Requirements (63 credits)
Materials Engineering Major Courses (43 credits)
A GPA of 2.0 is required in MSE 20000 and 30000 level courses and MSE 42000. MSE Technical and Support Area Selectives (20 credits)
Other Departmental/Program Course Requirements (62-70 credits)
Other Departmental Requirements (38-45 credits)
Engineering General Education Requirements (24 credits)
For a list of courses that satisfy this requirement, see Supplemental Information General Education I - Credit Hours: 3.00 (UCC:HUM) General Education II - Credit Hours: 3.00 (UCC:BSS) General Education III - Credit Hours: 3.00 General Education IV - Credit Hours: 3.00 General Education V - Credit Hours: 3.00 General Education VI - Credit Hours: 3.00 Written Communication (UCC: WC) - Credit Hours: 3.00-4.00 Oral Communication (UCC: OC) - Credit Hours: 3.00
Additional General Education Requirements
At least 6 credits must be in non-introductory courses (30000-level or above OR from courses with a required pre-requisite in the same department) At least 12 credits must be taken from the College of Liberal Arts, the Daniels School of Business, and/or the Honors College provided such courses are not focused primarily on engineering, technology, the natural sciences, or mathematics. A course is not eligible for use towards the 24 credits of Engineering General Education requirement if that course is used to satisfy a different engineering degree requirement.
Pass/No Pass Policy
- Courses with a Pass/No Pass grade (P/NP) may be used for General Education courses only. Courses taken to satisfy UCC requirements must still be taken for a grade, even if also used as a General Education course.
Transfer Credit Policy
* If you are an admitted transfer student, please review the above Transfer Credit website and then work with your academic advisor to determine exactly how your previous courses might apply. Course Requirements and Notes
- MSE 39000 must be taken once and successful passed with a grade of S(Satisfactory) before taking MSE 39100.
University Requirements
University Core Requirements
For a complete listing of University Core Course Selectives, visit the University Senate Website. - AI Working Competency (UCC: AI)
- Human Cultures: Behavioral/Social Science (UCC: BSS)
- Human Cultures: Humanities (UCC: HUM)
- Information Literacy (UCC: IL)
- Oral Communication (UCC: OC)
- Quantitative Reasoning (UCC: QR)
- Science #1 (UCC: SCI)
- Science #2 (UCC: SCI)
- Science, Technology, and Society (UCC: STS)
- Written Communication (UCC: WC)
Civics Literacy Proficiency Requirement
To obtain the Civics Literacy credential, all Baccalaureate degree seeking students will complete the Civics Literacy Podcast pathway - Complete 12 podcasts created by the Purdue Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement that use C-SPAN material and pass the required quizzes per episode. After the pathway has been successfully completed, students will take the Civics Literacy knowledge test. Civics Literacy does not impact a student’s GPA or bear any financial costs. More details about each pathway and how to complete the requirement can be found on the Civics Literacy Student Dashboard in myPurdue. Upper Level Requirement
- Resident study at Purdue University for at least two semesters and the enrollment in and completion of at least 32 semester hours of coursework required and approved for the completion of the degree. These courses are expected to be at least junior-level (30000+) courses.
- Students should be able to fulfill most, if not all, of these credits within their major requirements; there should be a clear pathway for students to complete any credits not completed within their major.
Sample Plan of Study
The following sample plan of study is a suggested arrangement of courses. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student. Spring 4th Year
- MSE 44000 - Materials Processing And Design II Credit Hours: 3.00
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General Education V - Credit Hours: 3.00
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General Education VI - Credit Hours: 3.00
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Technical Selective V or Support Area Selective I - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Technical Selective VI or Support Area Selective II - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Technical Selective VII or Support Area Selective III - Credit Hours: 2.00
Pre-Requisite Information
For pre-requisite information, log in to mypurdue.purdue.edu and click here. World Language Courses
World Language proficiency requirements vary by program. The following list is inclusive of all world languages PWL offers for credit; for acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor. (ASL-American Sign Language; ARAB-Arabic; CHNS-Chinese; FR-French; GER-German; GREK-Greek(Ancient); HEBR-Hebrew(Biblical); HEBR-Hebrew(Modern); ITAL-Italian; JPNS-Japanese; KOR-Korean; LATN-Latin; PTGS-Portuguese; RUSS-Russian; SPAN-Spanish) Critical Course
The ♦ course is considered critical. In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major. Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful. These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program.” Disclaimer
The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student. The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion. Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. |
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