The following describes the philosophy of MS&E at Cornell, a worldwide leader in undergraduate materials education. Click here for a detailed description of the Cornell MS&E curriculum. 
Like all engineering students, MS&E majors get a solid basis in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. More and more students are also adding biology to that list.
MS&E majors take a class about what kinds of structures are possible in materials. A class in thermodynamics describes the most stable structures of matter, and a course in kinetics describes the steps that materials can take to reach those stable states. Much of the fun and power of MS&E is in finding ways to use kinetics to make materials that are far from equilibrium. Such materials often have surprising and useful properties.
Of course, what people really care about is the properties of materials. We want materials to be stronger, lighter, cheaper, better, etc. MS&E majors take courses in mechanical behavior and chemical behavior of materials to learn what is possible today and to get the skills to generate what might be possible in the future.
Nothing is as effective as hands-on experience! MS&E majors get direct, hands-on experience associate with every MS&E class in the first three years. In the fourth year, MS&E majors either participate in an advanced senior lab program or conduct independent, leading-edge research with a faculty member.
To gain depth, students choose to focus on particular classes of materials: biomaterials, electronic materials, polymers, ceramics, or metals.
To gain high technological level, students select a suite of classes that describe how materials are used in various technologies.
To gain breadth in a well-rounded education, MS&E majors also take a series of course in the liberal arts, as well as other technical and professional preparation courses.
