Materials engineering entails the specialized study of materials at an atomic and electrochemical level. Materials engineering careers involve the study, development and testing of materials required in a wide range of manufactured products.
Materials engineering careers usually begin with a bachelor’s degree—a Bachelor of Science in either the general materials science and engineering field or in one of the specialty areas such as metallurgy or polymers. Students may choose to deepen their knowledge and increase their job marketability with a graduate degree in the subject, such as a Master of Science, Master of Engineering (ME) or PhD degree. A master’s degree takes one to two years to complete, and a PhD may require one to two years beyond that.
