Introduction

A Collaborative Program of the Faculty of Arts & Science and the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Materials science is the study of the structure, properties and applications of all types of materials including metals, ceramics, glasses and polymers. Currently many exciting scientific developments are in the materials field. Notable advances have been made recently in studies of amorphous metals, the quasicrystalline state, liquid crystals, semiconductors, nanostructured materials, high critical temperature superconductors, biomaterials, high strength polymers, materials processing techniques such as ion implantation and laser melting, and in new categories of engineered materials such as advanced industrial ceramics or composite materials.

Materials science is interdisciplinary, drawing on the basic sciences of chemistry and physics and on more applied subjects such as metallurgy, ceramics and polymer science. Its tools and techniques include electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, surface analysis using Auger emission spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, etc.

Applied Science: Materials, MSE101H1, is designed to appeal to a wide variety of student interests. Other materials science courses are available to students having the prescribed prerequisites and the approval of the Undergraduate Student Counsellor. The specialist program in Materials Science is coordinated jointly by the Departments of Chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering. For further information on the program, consult the coordinators listed in the Materials Science Program section below.

Materials Science Programs

Materials Science (Science program)

Consult Professor Eugenia Kumacheva, Department of Chemistry and Professor Glenn Hibbard, Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science.

Enrolment in this program requires completion of four courses; no minimum GPA required.
This program draws both on the basic sciences of chemistry and physics, and on the more applied areas such as metallurgy or ceramics. Courses dealing with these latter fields are offered through the Department of Materials Science in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. This would be an appropriate program for students with career interests in solid state, polymer or composite materials industries, or for graduate work in either chemistry or materials science, with an appropriate choice of options. Students may follow the Materials Chemistry stream by taking research course CHM499Y1 or the Materials Science and Engineering stream by taking research course MSE498Y1.

Specialist program:

(14 full courses or their equivalent, including at least one 400-series course)

First Year:
BIO150Y1/(BIO120H1, BIO130H1), CHM151Y1/(CHM138H1, CHM139H1); MAT135Y1/MAT137Y1; PHY138Y1/140Y1/(PHY131H1, PHY132H1)/(PHY151H1, PHY152H1)

Second Year:
MSE101H1
(CHM220H1, CHM221H1)/CHM225Y1, CHM238Y1, CHM247H1/CHM249H1
MSE219H1, MSE235H1

Third and Fourth Years:
CHM325H1, CHM327H1, CHM338H1, CHM343H1/CHM348H1, CHM426H1, CHM434H1
At least two of the following: MSE316H1, MSE318H1, (MSE342H1, MSE343H1), MSE351H1
At least two of the following: MSE430H1, MSE440H1, MSE459H1, MSE461H1, MSE550H1

Materials Chemistry Stream:CHM499Y1: Introduction to Chemistry Research.

Materials Science and Engineering Stream:MSE498Y1: Design & Research Project