Department of Materials Science and Engineering

The Materials Science and Engineering (MS&E) Undergraduate Program at Cornell is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). ABET accreditation certifies that a program has met quality standards set by the profession. The MS&E curriculum is designed to meet the following objectives (expected accomplishments and competencies of graduates two to three years into their careers) and outcomes (skills and knowledge students have at the time of graduation). Through an internal quality improvement program, certified by ABET, the MS&E curriculum is constantly being refined and updated to ensure that these objectives and outcomes are achieved. Students are encouraged to comment on these goals and the roles that individual courses play in fulfilling them.

• Preparation: To prepare students to excel in graduate school or technical careers through a world-class, rigorous and competitive program
• Core Competence: To train students across the spectrum of basic and applied materials science, recognizing and exploiting common descriptions in disparate systems
• Breadth: To train students with sufficient scientific and engineering breadth to design and create novel solutions to materials problems in engineering systems
• Professionalism: To develop in students professional and ethical attitudes, effective communication and teamwork skills, and an ability to place science and engineering issues and solutions within the broader societal context
• Learning Environment: To provide students with an academic environment committed to excellence and innovation that contributes to developing leadership, professionalism, and life-long learning for professional careers

1. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering to materials issues
2. An ability to design and conduct experiments and critically analyze and interpret data
3. An ability to design a process and/or material system to achieve specific requirements
4. An ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams, be conversant in languages of other fields, and provide leadership to such teams
5. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
6. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
7. An ability to communicate effectively
8. The broad education necessary to understand the global and societal impact of science and engineering
9. A recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in lifelong learning
10. A knowledge of contemporary issues in engineering and society
11. An ability to use modern techniques, skills, and engineering tools