uc davis materials science engineering minor

Materials Science Minor

Establish a Background in Materials Science

About the Minor

The materials science minor at UC Davis prepares undergraduate students for careers that require a background in materials science. There is a constant need for professionals with more knowledge, experience and understanding of the behavior of the various materials that make up products such as cars, consumer electronics, sensors, medical devices, biological implants and infrastructure.

Topics covered include materials thermodynamics and kinetics, materials structural analysis and structure-property relationships for electronic, optical, magnetic and mechanical behavior. Materials science minors learn key principles such as the fundamentals of thermodynamics and kinetics and their effects on phase composition and structure, as well as the complex relationships between composition, structure, processing and behavior/performance.

The minor accommodates students of diverse academic backgrounds, such as those majoring in other engineering disciplines, physical sciences, biological sciences and mathematics.

Contact an undergraduate advisor to learn more about the materials science minor at UC Davis.

Declaring the Minor 

When to Submit

The Change of Program Petition must be submitted before filing to graduate and can be done before completing upper division courses towards the minor.

Overlap Rules

For College of Engineering majors, the Materials Science Minor (EMTS) does not have an overlap limit for courses between major and minor.

Minor Requirements

  1. Minimum overall GPA of 2.0 for coursework completed in the minor.
  2. No grade lower than a C- for any courses counted toward the minor.
  3. All courses must be taken for a letter grade.

Course Requirements (20 units)

Required Courses (12 units)
  • EMS 160: Thermodynamics of Materials
    • Units: 4
    • Quarter Offered: Fall
    • Prerequisites: C- or better in each of the following: ENG 45 or ENG 45Y, PHY 9B, MAT 22B, CHE 2C (recommended)
  • EMS 162: Structure and Characterization of Materials
    • Units: 4
    • Quarter Offered: Winter
    • Prerequisites: C- or better in each of the following: ENG 45 (or ENG 45Y), MAT 22A, PHY 9B
  • EMS 164: Kinetics of Materials
    • Units: 4
    • Quarter Offered: Winter
    • Prerequisites: C- or better in ENG 45 or ENG 45Y; EMS 160; ECH 60 or ENG 6 or ECS 32A or ECS 32AV
Choose One Course (4 units)
  • EMS 172: Smart Materials
    • Units: 4
    • Quarter Offered: Spring
    • Prerequisites: CHE 110A or PHY 9D; ECH 60 or ENG 6 or ECS 32A or ECS 32AV
  • EMS 174: Mechanical Behavior of Materials
    • Units: 4
    • Quarter Offered: Spring
    • Prerequisites: C- or better in ENG 45 or ENG 45Y; EMS 162 recommended
Additional Upper-Division EMS Coursework (4 units)

Choose an additional 4 units of upper-division letter-graded Materials Science & Engineering (EMS) coursework.