Accreditation and Objectives | Materials Science and Engineering

ABET Accreditation

ABET is the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. ABET is a federation of 35 professional and technical societies representing these fields. Among the most respected accreditation organizations in the United States, ABET has provided leadership and quality assurance in higher education for over 80 years.

ABET accredits over 3,709 programs at 752 colleges and universities in 30 countries. Over 2,200 dedicated volunteers participate annually in ABET evaluation activities.

ABET is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

The Material Science and Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET,https://www.abet.org.

Materials Science and Engineering Program Objectives

The Materials Science and Engineering Department’s undergraduate Program Educational Objectives (PEOs), as collectively established, modified, and updated by its faculty and other constituencies, state that within a few years after graduation from Michigan Tech, alumni of the program will have:

leveraged their education and MSE degree to begin a professionally-satisfying career compatible with their interests and goals.
demonstrated an ability to perform their duties that meet or exceed the expectations of their employers, peers, employees, and/or customers.
pursued personal, intellectual, and professional development and opportunities in their chosen profession and career.

Student Educational Outcomes

an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
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
an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
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
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
an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Criteria Specific to MSE Programs

1. The ability to use advanced science (such as chemistry, biology, and physics), computational techniques and engineering principles to materials systems implied by the program modifier, e.g., ceramics, metals, polymers, biomaterials, composite materials.

Comment

The Materials Science and Engineering program at Michigan Tech delivers instruction relevant to metal, ceramic, polymer, and semiconductor material forms in its core curriculum. Instruction in other material subdisciplines, e.g., composites, nanomaterials, biomaterials, magnetic and optical materials is supported through the instruction of common fundamentals and principles. In some instances, student-selectable electives and/or minors are available (e.g., minors in polymers or nanotechnology; electives in composites, ceramics, advanced physical metallurgy, light and photonic materials, etc.)

2. The ability to integrate the understanding of the scientific and engineering principles underlying the four major elements of the field: structure, properties, processing, and performance related to material systems appropriate to the field.

Comment

The manifestation of the processing-structure-properties-performance paradigm is a constant theme throughout the curriculum, and is emphasized as a distinguishing characteristic of MSE relative to other peer disciplines.

3. The ability to apply and integrate knowledge from each of the above four elements of the field using experimental, computational, and statistical methods to solve materials problems including selection and design consistent with the program educational objectives.

Comment

Experimental, computational, and statistical skills are threaded throughout the curriculum utilizing fundamental courses in the sciences (e.g., university chemistry and physics), engineering (e.g., fundamentals of engineering, engineering mechanics), and MSE core courses. In the latter, MSE-relevant examples and applications are provided as a means to practice the application of fundamental concepts to the ability to select and design traditional and new materials for a wide range of engineering applications.