Materials Science and Engineering, BSE
At the center of all human advancements, materials have shaped what is possible. Today, Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) serves as the hub of every major scientific and technological breakthrough, from transportation to energy, from medical implants to AI and quantum computing. Materials Science and Engineering is where chemistry and physics come together to invent the materials of the future.
The MSE program offers the complexity of scientific rigor, the breadth of an interdisciplinary program, and direct access to world-class research tools. MSE students at Penn are equipped with the ability to think critically and advance to diverse careers, becoming start-up founders, management consultants, scientists and engineers, investors, policy makers, patent attorneys, and more.
Our students learn to create the materials that influence the future, all within a dynamic and close-knit department influenced by Benjamin Franklin’s belief that knowledge should serve humanity and a keen interest in applied scientific inquiry. Undergraduates can tailor their education to explore anything, from AI to inventing new products to launching their own venture, to conducting novel research to making art in our makers spaces.
For more information: https://www.seas.upenn.edu/prospective-students/undergrad/majors/materials-science-and-engineering/
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2026 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.
Curriculum
Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | ||
| MSE 1010 | Introduction to Materials Science & Engineering | 1 |
| MSE 2010 | Materials Lab I | 0.5 |
| MSE 2020 | Materials Lab II | 0.5 |
| MSE 2150 | Introduction to Functional Materials: From Macro to Nanoscale | 1 |
| MSE 2200 | Fundamentals of Materials Science and Engineering | 1 |
| MSE 2600 | Energetics of Macro and Nano-scale Materials | 1 |
| MSE 3010 | Materials Lab III | 0.5 |
| MSE 3300 | Self-Assembly of Soft Materials | 1 |
| MSE 3600 | Structure at the Nanoscale | 1 |
| MSE 3930 | Materials Selection | 1 |
| MSE 4050 | Mechanical Properties of Macro/Nanoscale Materials | 1 |
| MSE 4400 | Phase Transformations | 1 |
| MSE 4600 | Computational Materials Science | 1 |
| MSE 4950 | Senior Design | 1 |
| MSE 4960 | Senior Design | 1 |
| Math and Natural Science | ||
| MATH 1400 | Calculus, Part I | 1 |
| MATH 1410 | Calculus, Part II | 1 |
| ESE/ENM 2030 | Linear Algebra with Applications to Engineering and AI | 1 |
| or ENM 2400 | Differential Equations and Linear Algebra | |
| ENM 2510 | Analytical Methods for Engineering | 1 |
| SEAS Math (EUMA) | 1 | |
| PHYS 0140 | Principles of Physics I (without laboratory) | 1 |
| or MEAM 1100 | Introduction to Mechanics | |
| PHYS 0141 | Principles of Physics II (without laboratory) | 1 |
| CHEM 1012 | General Chemistry I | 1 |
| CHEM 1101 | General Chemistry Laboratory I | .5 |
| CHEM 1022 | General Chemistry II | 1 |
| MSE 2210 | Quantum Physics of Materials | 1 |
| Technical Electives | ||
| ENGR 1050 | Introduction to Scientific Computing | 1 |
| MSE Elective (MSE 0000-4999) | 2 | |
| SEAS Math (EUMA), SEAS Natural Science (EUNS) or SEAS Engineering (EUNG) | 2 | |
| General Electives 1 | ||
| EAS 2030 | Engineering Ethics | 1 |
| Select 4 Social Science or Humanities courses | 4 | |
| Select 2 Social Science or Humanities or Technology in Business & Society courses | 2 | |
| Free Elective 2 | ||
| Select 1 course unit of free electives | 1 | |
| Total Course Units | 37 | |
- 1
-
Must include a Writing Seminar from the list below:
WRIT 0020 (H), WRIT 0021 (SS), WRIT 0100 (H),WRIT 0110 (H), WRIT 0120 (H), WRIT 0130 (H), WRIT 0140 (H), WRIT 0150 (H), WRIT 0160 (SS), WRIT 0170 (SS), WRIT 0220 (TBS), WRIT 0230 (H), WRIT 0250 (H), WRIT 0260 (H), WRIT 0270 (H), WRIT 0280 (SS),WRIT 0300 (H), WRIT 0310 (TBS), WRIT 0320 (-), WRIT 0330 (H), WRIT 0340 (SS), WRIT 0370 (SS), WRIT 0380 (SS), WRIT 0390 (H), WRIT 0400 (TBS), WRIT 0410 (H), WRIT 0480 (SS), WRIT 0490 (H), WRIT 0500 (SS), WRIT 0550 (SS), WRIT 0570 (H), WRIT 0580 (H), WRIT 0590 (SS),WRIT 0650 (TBS), WRIT 0670 (H), WRIT 0680 (H), WRIT 0730 (H), WRIT 0740 (TBS) - 2
Penn Engineering undergraduates may not use courses on this list toward their degree:
- ASTR 0001
- CHEM 1011
- CIS (CSE)
- EAS 5030 (SEAS UG students may register for EAS 4030 for TBS credit)
- EAS 5050 (SEAS UG students may register for EAS 3010 for TBS credit)
- Education (inter-session courses)
- MATH 1300, MATH 1700
- MCIT courses
- Military Science
- Naval Science (except NSCI 1020, NSCI 2010 , NSCI 2020, NSCI 3010, NSCI 4010, NSCI 4020)
- Organizational Dynamics (DYNM) courses
- PHYS 1100, below PHYS 0140 (except PHYS 0050, PHYS 0051)
- Statistics below 4300 (Note: effective Fall 2021 STAT 4050 and STAT 4220 can only be used as free electives)
- Perelman School of Medicine (MED courses)
- Wharton Global Youth Pre-Baccalaureate courses
- The Green Program (TGP) study abroad
Concentrations
Students may select one of six concentrations:
Artificial Intelligence
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select 2 from the following: | 2 | |
| Machine Learning and Its Applications in Materials Science | ||
| AI for Science and Engineering: From Data to Discovery | ||
| Applied Machine Learning | ||
| Select 2 from the following: | 2 | |
| Applied Data Science - Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Data Analysis for the Natural Sciences II: Machine Learning | ||
| Quantum Computer and Information Science | ||
| Big Data Analytics | ||
| Atomic Modeling in Materials Science | ||
| Statistical Mechanics | ||
| Deep Learning: A Hands-on Introduction | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Biomaterials and Biomimetics
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| MSE 4300 | Introduction to Polymers | 1 |
| MSE/BE 5850 | Materials for Bioelectronics | 1 |
| Select 2 of the following: | 2 | |
| Structure and Function of Biological Materials | ||
| Undergraduate Research and/or Independent Study (may substitute for one required course with permission) | ||
| Physical Chemistry of Polymers and Amphiphiles | ||
| Drug Delivery Systems: Targeted Therapeutics and Translational Nanomedicine | ||
| Biomaterials | ||
| Bioengineering III: Biomaterials (upper label version) | ||
| Physical Models of Biological Systems | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Electronic & Optical Devices and Sensors
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| MSE 5360 | Electronic Properties of Materials | 1 |
| MSE 4650/5650 | Fabrication and Characterization of Micro and Nanostructured Materials | 1 |
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 2 | |
| Undergraduate Research and/or Independent Study | ||
| Nanoscale Science and Engineering | ||
| Optical Information Processing for Materials Characterization | ||
| Materials for Bioelectronics | ||
| Optical Materials | ||
| Electrical Circuits and Systems | ||
| Electronic, Photonic, and Electromechanical Devices | ||
| Electromagnetic and Optics | ||
| The Physics of Solid State Energy Devices | ||
| Quantum Engineering | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Energy and Sustainability
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| MSE 4550 | Electrochemical Engineering of Materials | 1 |
| MSE 5450 | Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability | 1 |
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 2 | |
| Undergraduate Research and/or Independent Study | ||
| Materials in Catalysis and Electrocatalysis | ||
| Solid-State Materials Chemistry | ||
| Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage | ||
| Climate Policy and Technology | ||
| Energy and Its Impacts: Technology, Environment, Economics, Sustainability | ||
| Renewable Energy and Its Impacts: Technology, Environment, Economics, Sustainability. | ||
| Energy Systems and Policy | ||
| Energy Engineering in Power Plants and Transportation Systems | ||
| Direct Energy Conversion: from Macro to Nano | ||
| Electrochemistry for Energy, Nanofabrication and Sensing | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Product Design
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select 2 from the following: | 2 | |
| Needfinding | ||
| Product Design | ||
| Design for Manufacturability | ||
| How to Make Things: Production Prototyping Studio | ||
| Introduction to Design | ||
| Select 2 from the following: | 2 | |
| Undergraduate Research and/or Independent Study | ||
| Structure and Function of Biological Materials | ||
| Designing Connected Objects and Experiences | ||
| Industrial Design I | ||
| Design Thinking | ||
| Art, Design and Digital Culture | ||
| Design 21: Design After the Digital | ||
| Introduction to Design | ||
| Introduction to Mechanical Design | ||
| Design of Mechatronic Systems | ||
| Rehab Engineering and Design | ||
| Medical Device Development | ||
| From Biomedical Science to the Marketplace | ||
| Intellectual Property and Business Law for Engineers | ||
| Introduction to Product and Process Design | ||
| Case Study: Innovation in Health: Foundations of Design Thinking & Equity-centered Design | ||
| Design of Contemporary Products: Design for Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Nanotechnology
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| MSE 5250 | Nanoscale Science and Engineering | 1 |
| MSE 4650/5650 | Fabrication and Characterization of Micro and Nanostructured Materials | 1 |
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 2 | |
| Undergraduate Research and/or Independent Study | ||
| Transmission Electron Microscopy | ||
| Electronic Properties of Materials | ||
| Nanofabrication of Electrical Devices | ||
| Quantum Engineering | ||
| Nanofabrication and Nanocharacterization | ||
| Nanoelectronics | ||
| Introduction to Micro- and Nano-electromechanical Technologies | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| MATH 1400 | Calculus, Part I | 1 |
| CHEM 1012 | General Chemistry I | 1 |
| CHEM 1101 | General Chemistry Laboratory I | .5 |
| PHYS 0140 or MEAM 1100 | Principles of Physics I (without laboratory) or Introduction to Mechanics | 1 |
| MSE 1010 | 1 | |
| Course Units | 4.50 | |
| Spring | ||
| MATH 1410 | Calculus, Part II | 1 |
| CHEM 1022 | General Chemistry II | 1 |
| PHYS 0141 | Principles of Physics II (without laboratory) | 1 |
| ENGR 1050 | Introduction to Scientific Computing | 1 |
| General Elective: WRIT 0001-0991 with SS (EUSS) or H (EUHS) | 1 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ESE/ENM 2030 or ENM 2400 | Linear Algebra with Applications to Engineering and AI or Differential Equations and Linear Algebra | 1 |
| MSE 2010 | Materials Lab I | .5 |
| MSE 2200 | Fundamentals of Materials Science and Engineering | 1 |
| MSE 2210 | Quantum Physics of Materials | 1 |
| EAS 2030 | Engineering Ethics | 1 |
| Course Units | 4.50 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENM 2510 | Analytical Methods for Engineering | 1 |
| MSE 2020 | Materials Lab II | .5 |
| MSE 2150 | Introduction to Functional Materials: From Macro to Nanoscale | 1 |
| MSE 2600 | Energetics of Macro and Nano-scale Materials | 1 |
| General Elective: SS or H | 1 | |
| Course Units | 4.50 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| MSE 3010 | Materials Lab III | .5 |
| MSE 3300 | Self-Assembly of Soft Materials | 1 |
| MSE 3600 | Structure at the Nanoscale | 1 |
| Math Course | 1 | |
| Tech Elective | 1 | |
| Course Units | 4.50 | |
| Spring | ||
| MSE 3930 | Materials Selection | 1 |
| MSE Elective | 1 | |
| Tech Elective | 1 | |
| General Elective: SS or H | 1 | |
| General Elective: SS, H, or TBS | 1 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| MSE 4600 | Computational Materials Science | 1 |
| MSE 4950 | Senior Design | 1 |
| MSE Elective | 1 | |
| General Elective: SS or H | 1 | |
| General Elective: SS, H, or TBS | 1 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| MSE 4050 | Mechanical Properties of Macro/Nanoscale Materials | 1 |
| MSE 4400 | Phase Transformations | 1 |
| MSE 4960 | Senior Design | 1 |
| Free Elective | 1 | |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Total Course Units | 37.00 | |