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Materials Science and Engineering, BS

As a materials engineer, you’ll be on the cutting edge of innovations that make every other aspect of our lives possible. As a materials science and engineering major, you’ll learn how to process materials for manufactured products; develop and design nontraditional as well as traditional materials for an increasingly broad range of industries; and study and develop high-performance materials for use in the future.

Design your academic journey

The major

Your primary field of study, which defines your core technical curriculum and the degree you earn.
All program details

Sample Degree/Major Plan

Fall semester (18 credits)
  • MATH 221 – Calculus And Analytic Geometry 1 5
  • CHEM 109 – Advanced General Chemistry 5
  • M S & E 260 – Materials Experience 2
  • Engr Comm 1 3
  • Liberal Studies Elective 3
Spring semester (15 credits)
  • MATH 222 – Calculus And Analytic Geometry 2 4
  • PHYSICS 201 OR 207 OR 247 5
  • Science Elective 3
  • Liberal Studies Elective 3
Fall semester (16 credits)
  • MATH 234 – Calculus–functions Of Several Variables 4
  • Computer Science Elective 3
  • M S & E 330 – Thermodynamics Of Materials 4
  • M S & E 351 – Materials Science-structure And Property Relations In Solids 3
  • M S & E 360 – Structures & Phases Lab 2
Spring semester (16 credits)
  • MATH 319 OR 320 3
  • PHYSICS 202 OR 208 OR 248 5
  • M S & E 352 – Materials Science-transformation Of Solids 3
  • M S & E 361 – Kinetics & Thermodynamics Lab 2
  • Liberal Studies Elective 3
Fall semester (16 credits)
  • CHEM 341 OR 343 3
  • M S & E 332 – Macroprocessing Of Materials 3
  • M S & E 362 – Synthesis & Characterization Lab 3
  • M S & E 451 – Introduction To Ceramic Materials 3
  • Liberal Studies Elective 3
  • Free Elective 1
Spring semester (16 credits)
  • M S & E 331 – Transport Phenomena In Materials 3
  • M S & E 333 – Microprocessing Of Materials 3
  • STAT 324 OR I SY E 210 3
  • Tech Emphasis Elective 3
  • Liberal Studies Elective 4
Fall semester (16 credits)
  • M S & E 456 – Electronic, Optical, And Magnetic Properties Of Materials 3
  • M S & E 470 – Capstone Project I 1
  • M S & E/​CHEM 421 – Polymeric Materials 3
  • Tech Emphasis Elective 3
  • Materials Emphasis Elective 3
  • INTEREGR 397 – Engineering Communication 3
Spring semester (15 credits)
  • M S & E 471 – Capstone Project II 3
  • M S & E 441 – Deformation Of Solids 3
  • M S & E 460 – Introduction To Computational Materials Science And Engineering 3
  • Materials Emphasis Elective 3
  • Free Elective 3
An accelerated engineering master’s program is a great choice if you’d like to earn your master’s degree by adding as little as a single year of study at UW-Madison.
View all accelerated programs

Investing in your future

Value and costs

Based on an average of 12-18 credits per semester for the 2025-26 academic year from bursars office tuition rates workbook.
Tuition is one part of the overall cost of attendance at UW-Madison.  For more information on the cost of attendance, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid.
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Wisconsin resident

$7,840

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Minnesota reciprocity

$10,726

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Non-resident

$24,597

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Non-resident international

$25,097

Scholarships

Our scholarships aren’t just about financial support; they’re about investing in your potential and helping you focus on what matters most: your education and your future as a leader in engineering.
Engineering scholarships
4.4M
scholarships awarded
1,200
undergrad recipients
1,550
scholarships awarded, made possible by the generous support of donors

Outcomes

Here’s what life after graduation could look like for you.
$75,000
FIRST-YEAR MEDIAN SALARY

Key employers

  • Cardinal Glass Industries
  • Cleveland-Cliffs
  • H.B. Fuller
  • MetalTek International
  • TSMC

Common job titles

  • Metallurical Engineer
  • Materials Engineer
  • Process Integration Engineer
  • Product Development Engineer
  • Research and Design Engineer

Your path to admission

Freshman

Starting college for the first time?

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Transfer student

Coming from another college or university?

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Cross-campus student

Already at UW–Madison?

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Reentry student

Took time off?

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Your built-in network

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As an undergrad, you can help pioneer new knowledge or technologies on your own or as a researcher in a professor’s lab. It’s a great opportunity to apply what you’re learning in class, explore a field or topic that interests you, and gain insight into what it’s like to be a graduate student.

Undergraduate research
undergraduate showing research technique in structures lab.

Explore, get involved, try new things and soak up everything our campus and the surrounding environs have to offer.

Student life

The College of Engineering offers services specifically for engineering students, in addition to the services offered campus-wide.

Student services
Four students pose and smile with Dr. Ebony McGee in the IEDE Student Center
undergraduate showing research technique in structures lab.
Our eight renowned academic departments form the heart and personality of our college.
Materials Science & Engineering

Life as a Badger engineer

See what it’s actually like to live, learn and grow here through the stories of the people who know us best.
“During my cooperative education experience at Kimberly-Clark in Neenah, Wisconsin, I got to work with professionals in engineering, business, patent law, product development, etc., to make products used globally. The seven-month experience gave me a glimpse into the professional engineering world and inspired me to pursue work in product development after graduation.”
Jemimah Mawande MS&E alumna
Jemimah Mawande

Why should you choose UW-Madison for engineering? Find out what it’s like to major in materials science engineering.

Teagan Strecker at her internship with GE Healthcare

From the plant floor to a career path: Teagan Strecker’s summer at GE Healthcare

Teagan Strecker didn't expect a materials science degree to lead her onto a manufacturing floor at 6 a.m., walking the…

Read the Full Story
8
undergraduate ranking among public universities in materials engineering
Seagate Technology disc drive image

How an AI-assisted materials science simulation platform at UW-Madison can help Seagate pack more data into disc drives

A W crest banner flutters in the wind on Bascom Hill at the University of Wisconsin-Madison during autumn on Oct. 18, 2019

Engineering Moonshots brings campus leaders together around six ambitious challenges

UW Crest with engineering background

NSF grant will help Evans study how disordered materials become crystals

ABET accreditation

The B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Materials (1), Metallurgical (2), Ceramics (3), and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Program Educational Objectives for the Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

We recognize that our graduates will choose to use the knowledge and skills that they have acquired during their undergraduate years to pursue a wide variety of career and life goals, and we encourage this diversity of paths. Whatever path our graduates may choose, we expect them to be meeting the following objectives at least three to five years after graduation:

  1. Skills and Tools. Graduates will be applying the tools and skills acquired during their undergraduate experience either in post-graduate educational programs or as employees in materials-related industries.
  2. Early Career Growth. Graduates will have experienced professional growth in their chosen post-baccalaureate pursuits, for example, through acquisition of advanced degrees or advancement in employment rank.
  3. Professional Citizenship. Graduates will have demonstrated awareness of contemporary issues in technology and society and ethical responsibility.
  4. Life-Long Learning: Graduates will have demonstrated a continuing commitment to learning.

Learning Outcomes

  1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
  3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
  5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
  6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Degrees:

  • Conferred, 2024-2025
    Bachelor of Science, Materials Science Engineering: 19
  • Enrolled, Fall 2025
    Bachelor of Science, Materials Science Engineering: 85

Still exploring?

We have 13 engineering undergrad majors—so you can find the field that’s the best fit for you (even if you decide to switch later).

Compare majors

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Questions?

Email questions to our College of Engineering team at FutureEngineers@engr.wisc.edu and someone will get back to you soon.