The Drexel University Materials Science & Engineering Summer Institute gives rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors who are aspiring scientists and engineers the chance to learn how atomic elements arrange themselves to form the materials that are all around us. Furthermore, the Summer Institute will emphasize how variables in processing of materials determine physical, mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. 

Through science and engineering activities, students gain an understanding of how materials impact the fields of energy, biotechnology, electronics, and aerospace. Sustainability and nanotechnology are themes woven through all of the modules. 

For program details and application information, visit the Drexel Materials Summer Institute webpage. 

Undergraduate Program

The Drexel undergraduate program in materials science and engineering has a number of “tracks” that allow students to concentrate their electives in a number of specializations including nanoscale materials and nanotechnology, biomaterials, electronic and photonic materials, soft materials and polymers, advanced materials design and processing, or create their own track. Academics are supplemented with experiential learning through co-op placements in industry, and students may also elect to participate in research. For more information, visit the Drexel Materials Undergraduate Program webpage, or contact Sarit Kunz, Assistant Director of Student Services. 

Graduate Programs

Drexel offers MS and PhD degree options in materials science and engineering that engage students in research at the forefront of materials for energy, nanotechnology, biomaterials, electronic materials, soft materials, nuclear materials science, and advanced materials design and processing. The PhD program is offered on a full-time basis, and the MS program is offered on both a full- and part-time basis. For more information, visit the Drexel Materials Graduate Programs webpage, or contact Sarit Kunz, Assistant Director of Student Services. 

Undergraduate Program

University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) undergraduate program in materials science and engineering (MSE) major offers three concentrations, including Electronic and Optical Devices and Sensors, Energy and Sustainability, and Nanotechnology. In addition, students are welcome to have multiple areas of specialization, including Biomaterials and Biomimetics, Electronic and Optical Materials, Energy Conversion and Storage, Materials Modelling and Simulation, and Product Design, Manufacturing, and Materials. Our graduates will be formally trained in real world skills such as teamwork, self-reflection, upward management, presentation, writing and an understanding of how complex ecosystems work. These will be developed and put to the test in our Senior Design Capstone course whose curriculum explicitly teaches these. For more information, visit the UPenn Materials Undergraduate Program webpage, or contact Prof. Liang Feng, Undergraduate Chair, and/or Ms. Vicky Lee, Undergraduate Program Coordinator. 

Graduate Programs

UPenn offers Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) degree and PhD degree options in materials science and engineering. It engages students in dynamic and hands-on experience at the forefront of materials research in computational materials, electronic, optical and magnetic materials, microscopies and scattering, materials for energy, materials for health science, structural materials, polymers and soft matter. Graduate programs at Penn are organized around Graduate Groups rather than traditional departmental divisions. The MSE Graduate Group is a vibrant, multi-disciplinary group and consists of faculty from several departments in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Perelman School of Medicine, and the School of Arts and Sciences. This structure provides an ideal environment for interdisciplinary research and an education tailored to students’ own interests and meet the complex technological challenges of this millennium. The students will have opportunities to be co-advised by faculty drawn from diverse disciplines. After graduation, many of our students have assumed leadership roles in industry and academia.

For more information, visit the UPenn Materials Master’s Degree Program webpage, or contact Dr. Mahadevan Khantha, Faculty Advisor and Master’s Program Advisor, and the UPenn PhD Degree Program webpage, or contact Prof. I-Wei Chen, the Graduate Group Chair, and/or Ms. Irene Clements, Graduate Program Coordinator.

Co-operative Education: A Career Test Drive 

At Drexel, experiential learning is a foundational part of the education experience. Materials students participate in up to three 6-month internships called co-ops. Co-ops allow students to enhance their academic experience, explore potential careers, network with leaders in their field, and build a stand-out resume for post-graduation. Additionally, most co-op positions are paid, and many students find permanent full-time positions with their co-op employers after they graduate.