Discover How and Why Materials Matter:

Course serves as the heart of the MTSE first year experience. Topics include rationale for materials choices, composition and design of everyday items and how materials science and engineering drives innovation. Basic analysis and experimental design. A team-based hands-on project teaches the student to think critically and creatively by applying a range of analysis techniques borrowed from many engineering and science disciplines.

Introduction to Materials Science Research:

Individualized laboratory instruction. Students may begin training on laboratory research techniques.

Honors College Mentored Research:

Research experience conducted by a freshman or sophomore honors student under supervision of a materials faculty member.

Fundamentals of Materials Science and Engineering:

Introduces the fundamentals of materials science and engineering, including atomic interactions, introduction of crystalline and non-crystalline structures, the concept of materials defects, the evolution of microstructure/structure, the influence of composition and processing on microstructure, and how composition and structure impact the properties of a wide variety of engineering materials.

Fundamentals of Materials Science and Engineering II:

Continuation of the MTSE 3000 course which covers in detail: metal alloy processing and classification; ceramic structure, properties, and processing; polymer processing and applications;  composite material principles, classification, preparation and properties; corrosion degradation mechanisms, electrochemical reactions, and protection methods; electrical properties of metals, semiconductors, and dielectrics; thermal properties of metals and non-metals; magnetic material fundamentals, properties and applications; optical material fundamentals, properties and applications.

Bonding and Structure:

Amorphous and crystalline structures in metals, ceramics and polymers, point defects in crystals, structure determination by X-ray diffraction.

Microstructure and Characterization:

Introduction to dislocations, grain boundaries, surfaces and multiphase microstructures. Optical and electron microscopic characterization of microstructures.

Thermodynamics and Phase Diagrams:

First three laws of thermodynamics; phase equilibria, reaction equilibria and solution theory, principle and applications of phase diagrams.

Transport Phenomena in Materials:

Principles of transport phenomena in materials processes including momentum, heat and mass transport.

Mechanical Properties of Materials:

Macroscopic mechanical response of ceramics, metals, polymers and composite materials, with an introduction to the underlying microstructural processes during deformation and fracture.

Phase Transformation in Materials:

Principles of structural transformations in materials. Thermodynamics and kinetics of nucleation, growth, precipitation, and martensitic reactions.

Electrical, Optical and Magnetic Properties of Materials:

Bonding and the electronic structure and properties of metallic, ceramic, semiconducting and polymeric materials

Materials Processing:

This course emphasis is on the basic principles and strategies for processing of metallic, ceramic, electronic, and polymer materials. Processing topics will include refining of materials as well as methods to impart specific properties and shapes to a material.

Materials Science and Engineering Lab 1:

Laboratory designed to introduce students to some of the most common materials testing and characterization methods. Topics will include optical metallography, tensile testing, hardness testing, impact testing, heat treating, melting and casting.

Materials Science and Engineering Lab 2:

Polymer and processing, computational materials, nanocomposite materials, glasses.

Physical Metallurgy Principles:

Physical metallurgy principles with a focus on understanding structure-property relationships in metals and alloys. Topics include structure, dislocations, mechanical behavior, grain boundaries, annealing, recrystallization, grain growth, diffusion, phase diagrams, transformations, strengthening mechanisms, fatigue, creep and fracture. Emphasis on the basic structure-property-processing relationships in metals and how they differ from other material classes.

Materials in Medicine:

The science and engineering of materials having medical applications. Provide students with an understanding of the challenges that materials (metals, polymers and ceramics) face/create during short- and long-term contact with physiological environment. To develop the student’s understanding of the relationships controlling acceptance or failure of a given material in the body. Expose students to strategies/approaches used in synthesis, fabrication, and design of current and future biomaterials

Ceramic Science and Engineering:

This course emphasis is on structure-property relationships: chemical bonding, crystal structures, crystal chemistry, electrical properties, thermal behavior, defect chemistry. These principles will be applied to material processing (powder preparation, sol-gel synthesis, densification, toughening mechanisms) and to specific ceramic material systems (engineering ceramics, glasses, dielectrics, superconductors, aerogels).

Computational Materials Science:

Introduction to the basic principles used to simulate, model and visualize the structure and properties of materials. Topics include various methods used at different length and time scales ranging from atomistic to the macroscopic.

Polymer Science and Engineering:

Chemical structures, polymerization, molar masses, chain conformations. Rubber elasticity, polymer solutions, glass state and aging. Mechanical properties, fracture mechanics and viscoelasticity. Dielectric properties. Polymer liquid crystals. Semi-crystalline polymers, polymer melts, rheology and processing. Thermal analysis, microscopy, diffractometry and spectroscopy of polymers. Computer simulations of polymer-based materials.

Materials Selection and Performance:

Integration of structure, properties, processing and performance principles to formulate and implement solutions to materials engineering problems.

Electronic Materials:

Intensive study of electronic, optical and magnetic properties of materials with an emphasis on the fundamental physics and chemistry associated with these materials systems.

Senior Design Project 1:

Provides students with experience in research and development. Students pick a faculty mentor for this class and attend bi-weekly meetings with the other students to discuss progress, strategies, outcomes, etc. Designed primarily for the students to do a literature survey on the selected topic and a research plan to be initiated either late in the semester or in the follow-on course in the subsequent semester.

Senior Capstone Project:

Follow-on course from MTSE 4090, Senior Research Project I.  Students continue to work with the same faculty mentor for this class and will continue to attend bi-weekly meetings with the other students to discuss progress, strategies, outcomes, etc. Designed primarily for the students to perform the proposed research plan established in MTSE 4090.

Internship in Materials Science:

Supervised industrial internship requiring a minimum of 150 hours of work experience.

Special Topics in Materials Science and Engineering:

Lectures, laboratory or other experiences covering specially selected topics in materials science and engineering.

Materials Science Research:

Introduction to research; may consist of an experimental, theoretical, or review topic.

Cooperative Education in Materials Science and Engineering:

Supervised work in a job directly related to the student’s major, professional field of study or career objectives. Hours obtained while participating in a cooperative education program and presentation upon return to UNT. The student will spend sufficient time during the cooperative education experience to document their progress on a daily or weekly basis. 

Honors College Capstone Thesis:

Major research project prepared by the student under the supervision of a faculty member and presented in standard thesis format. An oral defense is required of each student for successful completion of the thesis.