Materials Science & Engineering

Where Materials Science
Meets Engineering Innovation.

Every breakthrough starts with a material.

At WPI, Materials Science & Engineering (MTE) is about how materials are made, used, and recycled, and about inventing the ones the world needs next.

You’ll work alongside world-renowned faculty on cutting-edge research that drives medicine, energy, transportation, and manufacturing, with a special strength in metal processing.

From the nano to the macro scale, you’ll master how materials are built, how they perform, and how to make them better.

Chemistry, physics, biology, math, and engineering, all in one field. That’s why MTE graduates are in such high demand.

Research and Impact

Materials in the Real World

Metal Processing

Research in casting, powder metallurgy, and heat treatment through WPI’s Metal Processing Institute.

Materials Reliability

Work on preventing material failures and improving product performance and service life.

Materials Characterization

Access to SEM, TEM, and X-ray diffraction through WPI’s Materials Characterization Laboratory.

Education

Find Your Path

Graduate Students

Advance your knowledge of materials science and engineering through specialized coursework, collaborative learning, and research opportunities.

Prospective Students Current Students

Advance with the BS/MS Dual Degree Program

Fast-track your education and career with the BS/MS program by earning a dual degree―an accelerated academic pathway to both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. Saving both time and money while building advanced knowledge and skills could help you stand out in today’s competitive job market. Discover more about the BS/MS program and your options to earn a BS/MS dual degree at the links below.

FAQs about the BS/MS program BS/MS program academic catalog information

Career Outlook

As the market demands new materials and improved products, engineers with a materials science and engineering background may work in diverse fields—from agriculture to transportation.

Career Development Center Profile

Degrees & Programs

Choose Your Degree

Area of Study Filter by:	Minor	Master	PhD
Materials Engineering	minor
Materials Science & Engineering		master	phd
This degree is also offered Online.
This degree is eligible for a dual bachelor + master option. Learn More

Our Faculty

Meet all our Faculty

Jianyu Liang

Professor, Mechanical & Materials Engineering

Professor Liang’s research explores the physics of interfaces between the nanometer and micron scales. Her team responds to the challenging interdisciplinary nature of their research endeavor through successful collaboration with colleagues with expertise in metrology, physics, [...]

Adam Powell

Professor, Mechanical & Materials Engineering

Adam C. Powell, IV is a Professor in the Mechanical & Materials Engineering department who joined the WPI faculty in August 2018. His field is materials processing, and research focuses on greenhouse gas emissions reduction, elimination, and drawdown. Current projects aim to [...]

Brajendra Mishra

Kenneth G. Merriam Distinguished Professor & Director, MPI, Mechanical & Materials Engineering

Brajendra Mishra’s research focuses on sustainable stewardship of earth’s resources by developing technologies to advance commercially viable metals/materials processing. He is involved in the design and development of industry-oriented methods for energy and materials sustaina [...]

Danielle Cote

Associate Professor, Mechanical & Materials Engineering

After graduating from UNH with a chemical engineering degree in 2005, Danielle Cote worked as a researcher at Saint-Gobain in the Northboro Research and Development Center in polymer science and data automation. Cote continued working while she pursued a master’s degree at WPI [...]

What’s Happening in MTE

Battery Upcycling Research Advances Energy Materials

WPI researchers developed a way to turn used battery materials into high-performance components, with resulting batteries lasting nearly twice as long as those made with commercial materials.

Read the Full Story

Expanding Industry Partnerships in Heat Treating

WPI’s Center for Heat Treating Excellence is expanding its collaboration with MPMA, giving students opportunities to engage in industry standards development and connecting research with manufacturing needs.