Materials and Nanoscience

Hands-on, practical education relating the structure of matter and its properties.
In this Section

The Materials and Nanoscience Concentration (B.S. in Applied Science) is the study of relationships between the structure of matter and its properties. The field is highly interdisciplinary, merging concepts from physics, chemistry and engineering, and applying these to medicine, communications and manufacturing.

Scientists in the field of Materials and Nanoscience

  • Obtain high-quality optical, electron and scanning probe images
  • Assist in the design and manufacture of circuitry for use in small-scale electronics
  • Analyze gaseous, liquid and solid samples for chemical composition

Original Research Experiences

You will take part in a range of mentored, research experiences that will help you become an independent thinker and valuable, sought-after employee. Networking opportunities with other students, faculty and scientific professionals are through the Materials Research Society student chapter.

The Materials and Nanoscience concentration will prepare you to participate in research both on-campus with cutting edge instrumentation and off-campus at high-quality research institutions and government laboratories such as NASA and NIST. You will also present your research at local, regional, and national conferences such as the National Conference of Undergraduate Research and the Materials Research Society annual meetings.

Current Materials and Nanoscience student research topics include:

  • Custom-colored 3D printing resins and injection-moldable plastics
  • Fluorescent glass fabrication and analysis

Get your hands on high-tech instrumentation

You will learn to use and work with equipment and instrumentation not accessible to undergraduates elsewhere.

Instrumentation and Facilities

While collaborating with other institutions you will have access to supplementary techniques, in addition to networking with professionals in the field. These facilities and instruments are incorporated into the laboratories of several courses.

  • Class 100/1000 Clean Room
  • Scanning Electron Microscope
  • Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
  • Raman Microscope
  • Scanning Tunneling Microscopes (STM)
  • Ellipsometer 
  • Industrial glass reactor
  • Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC)
  • Goniometer
  • Disc Centrifuge
  • Particle sizer (Dynamic Light Scatterer)

After Graduation Employment or Continuing Education

The coursework, hands-on laboratories, instrumentation training, and research experiences will prepare you to work and be productive in a variety of fields including:

  • Materials Scientist/Engineer
  • Process Engineer
  • Failure Analyst
  • Quality Assurance Scientist

Or you may decide to attend a professional or graduate school after completing your bachelor’s degree to study:

  • Materials Science, Nanoscience or Nanotechnology
  • Biomedical, Civil, Environmental, Nano or Materials Engineering