Internship/Research Information
- EMS 192: Internship in Materials Science and Engineering
- Complete this form to receive units for your internship with a company outside of UC Davis. A Materials Science and Engineering faculty member will need to sponsor your internship and sign off as the “faculty sponsor” on the petition prior to beginning your internship. Return the form, complete with signatures, via email to chms-ugadvising@ucdavis.edu by the 10th day of instruction. Late forms will not be approved. Once it has been reviewed for completeness, you will be issued a CRN, which you will use to register the credit on Schedule Builder.
- International Students Interested in EMS 192
- International students must complete a CPT form with SISS in order to work at an internship site. You must be enrolled in EMS 192 in order for a CHMS advisor to sign off on your CPT. If you are not enrolled in the course, please enroll first and then send the form to our office. CPT forms can be submitted via email for advisor review.
Advisor information to include in your form -- - Advisor Name: CHMS UG Advising
- - Advisor Email: chms-ugadvising@ucdavis.edu
Do not send your iGlobal form to a specific advisor's email as the form can get easily lost in their email. Always send forms to the CHMS UG advising email for the quickest turn around time.
- EMS 199: Research in Materials Science and Engineering
- Use this variable-unit course form to receive units for the research you are doing with a Materials Science and Engineering faculty member. After writing your project proposal, please have your instructor sign the form. Return the form, complete with signatures, via email to chms-ugadvising@ucdavis.edu by the 10th day of instruction. Late forms will not be approved. Once it has been reviewed for completeness, you will be issued a CRN, which you will use to register the credit on Schedule Builder.
Materials Science and Engineering
COE Degree Requirements
2024-present Degree Requirements
2024-present Sample Academic plans - 4 year and 2 year (transfer)
2022-2024 Degree Requirements (expires Spring 2025)
2022-2024 Sample Academic plans - 4 year and 2 year (transfer)
GE worksheet checklist
UCD Catalog
- Materials Science and Engineering Major Description
Materials science and engineering (MSE) focuses on understanding the structure, properties and behavior of materials. Society demands new and improved materials with capabilities far superior to common metals, polymers and ceramics used in products such as high-speed transportation systems, surgical and dental implants, new generations of power plants and solid-state electronic devices in computer and communication technology. Both the development of new materials and the understanding of present-day materials demand a thorough knowledge of basic engineering and scientific principles, including crystal structure, elastic and plastic behavior, thermodynamics, phase equilibria, and reaction rates and physical and chemical behavior of engineering materials.
Materials scientists and engineers study phenomena that are found in many different engineering operations, from fracture behavior in automobiles to fatigue behavior in aircraft frames; from corrosion behavior in petro-chemical refineries to radiation-induced damage in nuclear power plants; and from the fabrication of steel to the design of semiconductors. Materials scientists and engineers are increasingly involved in developing the new materials needed to attain higher efficiencies in existing and proposed energy conversion systems. They will also play a central role in developing new technologies based on composites and high-temperature superconductivity.
The small size of the department allows students to get to know world-class researchers in an intimate setting and form tight-knit relationships with their peers while having all the resources of a large research university. Since materials science and engineering has such broad applications, undergraduate students in the department have the opportunity to study and collaborate with faculty and students in other engineering disciplines as well.
- Eligibility to Declare Materials Science and Engineering Major (current UCD students)
- In order to be eligible to change to the Materials Science and Engineering major, all students must meet the following requirements:
A C- or better and a cumulative GPA of a 2.0 or higher required in the following courses:
- MAT 21A
- MAT 21B
- MAT 21C
- PHY 9A
- CHE 2A
Additional Requirements:
- 2.0 UC GPA in all other completed engineering courses
- 2.0 GPA in all completed MAT, PHY, CHE, and BIS courses required for Materials Science and Engineering major
- No grade lower than a C- in any courses required for Materials Science and Engineering major
- Good academic standing
- Completed at least one quarter (12 units) at UCD
- Completed less than 135 cumulative units (excluding AP/IB/A-Level units)
- Received a letter grade (no P/NP) for all courses that satisfy engineering degree requirements
Transfers: must meet transfer admissions requirements in addition to the requirements listed above.
Important Notes:
Transfer credit counts for eligibility purposes. While only UC grades will count in your UC GPA, the courses from other institutions will satisfy the requirements to declare as long as they are articulated courses via Assist. Prospective transfers students should refer to requirements set by Admissions. - Pass/No Pass Grade Policy
- College of Engineering: The College of Engineering does not allow major courses to be taken as P/NP. Please refer to the EUO Policy webpage for more information.
- Archived Major Checklists and Sample Plans
- 2019-2022 Degree Requirements (expired)
Sample 4-year schedule (for students graduating by Summer 2024 only)
Sample 2-year (transfer) schedule (for students graduating by Summer 2024 only)
Course Offerings
Course offerings will be updated on a quarterly basis. Please to the Class Search Tool for courses that will be offered by the Department throughout the academic year