UM-SJTU JI > Academics > Undergraduate Program > Degrees & Programs > Materials Science and Engineering Program

Academics

Materials Science and Engineering Program

Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is widely recognized as one of the key disciplines for the 21st century. In China, the government has designated new materials as one of the priority areas for rapid development with strong government support. It is expected that the demand for MSE engineers that has the professional knowledge, international outlook, and leadership and communication skills will show a significant growth in the coming years. As the third engineering program of the JI, the MSE program emphasizes on the education of well-rounded MSE engineers. The main purpose of establishing an MSE program at JI is to internationalize the materials science and engineering discipline at SJTU, strengthen SJTU’s MSE program in the areas of functional and non-metallic materials, and promote education and research collaborations between UM and SJTU in the area of materials science and engineering.

The MSE program is designed to prepare students for the careers of the 21st century, whether they continue in engineering or pursue other paths after graduation. The goal of the program is to train students with an understanding of the fundamental knowledge in the MSE discipline; an ability to recognize and define a problem, and strong quantitative and qualitative problem solving skills; a mindset and skills that support lift-long learning; a deep understanding of professional ethics, social responsibilities, and multi-cultural working environment; and skills in team effort, interpersonal and professional communication, time and risk management, as well as critical thinking.

Curriculum of the MSE program closely follows the curriculum of MSE program at UM. It is built on a common science and engineering core. In the first 2 semesters, all students will receive rigorous instruction in math, physics, chemistry, engineering basics and computer programming. These courses have been verified by the UM College of Engineering as equivalent to corresponding UM courses. After the second semester, students choose to enter the MSE program. The program provides students with an excellent foundation in the core technical competencies of the discipline. In addition, an array of technical electives is offered to enable students to tailor their education to best suit their career goals.

Program Educational Objectives

Within 3 to 5 years after graduation from the MSE program, the graduates are expected to:

  • Further their intellectual growth through graduate education or professional development.
  • Apply their creativity and global perspective in their engineering or non-engineering professions.
  • Assume leadership roles in a variety of contexts.
Student Outcomes

Graduates from the MSE program should be able to demonstrate:

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

 

Curriculum

Candidates for the Bachelor of Science in MSE must satisfactorily complete 136 credit hours required by the JI MSE program, including:

  • Engineering Foundation:                                39 credits
  • Program Subjects:                                                 41 credits
  • Academic Writing:                                                 8 credits
  • Intellectual Breadth:                                16 credits
  • Electives:
    • Advanced Mathematics:                                 3 credits
    • MSE Electives:                                                 9 credits
    • Flexible Technical Electives:                 12 credits
    • General Electives:                                 8 credits

Additionally, domestic Chinese students are also required to take all Chinese politics courses required by the Ministry of Education of China. International students are required to take 12 credits of Chinese language and culture courses.

Course requirements for each of the credit categories are listed below:

Engineering Foundation (39 credits)

Program Subject (41 credits)

  • Introduction to Solid Mechanics – ME2110J
  • Principles of Engineering Materials – MSE2500J
  • Physics of Materials – MSE2420J
  • Thermodynamics of Materials – MSE3300J
  • Kinetics and Transport in Material Engineering – MSE3350J
  • Structure of Materials – MSE3500J
  • Mechanical Behavior of Materials – ME3820J
  • Materials Lab I – MSE3600J
  • Materials Lab II – MSE3650J
  • Product Design and Manufacturing – MSE4500J
  • Principles of Materials Processing – MSE4820J

Academic Writing (8 credits)

Intellectual Breadth (16 credits)

This category requires:

  • 2 credits of ENGR4960J Professional Ethics, and
  • 14 credits of courses in humanities, social sciences, professional development, natural sciences, and art.
  • At least 3 credits in humanities and at least 3 credits in social sciences must be completed.
  • Up to 8 credits of language courses can be counted towards this category.

Humanities category includes, but not limited to, Philosophy, English Language and Literature, Asian Languages and Culture, American Culture, Comparative Literature, Film Studies, etc.

Social Sciences category includes, but not limited to, International and Comparative Studies, Political Science, Asian Studies, Economics, Environmental Studies, History, etc.

Professional Development category includes, but not limited to, Engineering Ethics, Business Studies, Entrepreneurship Studies, etc.

Natural Sciences category includes Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, and Earth Sciences.

A complete list of courses is maintained at the JI Undergraduate Education Office.

Advanced Mathematics (3 credits):

The advanced mathematics requirement can be fulfilled by taking ECE4010J, MATH4540J, MATH4710J, or other courses approved by the MSE Program Advisor. Any qualified credits in excess of 3 may be applied to the Flexible Technical Elective or General Elective categories.

MSE Electives (9 credits):

This category can be fulfilled by taking courses from the following list of upper-level technical courses in MSE and related areas. The list of courses is maintained by the JI Undergraduate Education Office.

ME4340J               Materials for Energy Conversion

MSE4120J             Polymeric Materials

MSE4930J             Self-assembly of Materials and Devices

MSE6201J             Electrical, Optical and Magnetic Properties of Materials

MSE6202J             Structural, Physical and Chemical Characterization of Materials

MSE6204J             Statistical Physics

MSE6601J             Introduction to Soft Matter Physics

MSE6602J             Battery Materials: Fundamentals and Applications

Any credits in excess of 9 may be applied to the Flexible Technical Elective category.

Flexible Technical Electives (12 credits):

The flexible technical elective requirement may be fulfilled by taking courses in MSE or in other engineering, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics fields.

Any credits in excess of 12 may be applied to the General Elective category

General Electives (8 credits):

General electives are intended to allow students to explore any dimension of intellectual endeavor that they elect, in both technical (including engineering) and non-technical fields. This requirement can be met by any course subject to the following restrictions:

  • A maximum of 4 credits of research work (such as PRP, IAP, etc.) can be counted towards graduation.

Students should select general elective classes to explore areas of their cultural interest or professional interest, such as:

  • Management, business, or finance classes in preparation for working in industry.
  • Classes to prepare for further study outside engineering such as medicine, dentistry, law or education.
  • Additional language, literature or culture classes to prepare for a career in the global economy.
  • Additional MSE classes to go into more depth than what the limited technical electives allow.
  • Engineering classes in other departments in preparation for graduate school outside MSE.