Minors

Two students looking at a computer.

A minor allows an undergraduate student to specialize in a secondary discipline. A student may minor in any subject, provided the title of the minor differs from the title of the student’s major or major concentration.

A student interested in adding this minor should first express their interest to the minor advisor and then use the curriculum change portlet in MyMichiganTech to request the minor. See the Registrar’s Office website for more information.

Minors offered by our department are listed below.

Coil of wire on top of a machine.

Electronic Materials

Planning for a career in electronic materials or device fabrication? This minor (MSEM) prepares nonmajors to work in the electronics industry and especially complements a degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or physics. You will learn the fundamentals of material structures, materials characterization, and electronic materials processing and design. Coursework emphasizes nonmetals and their responses to diverse forces.


Sample on a microscope.

Structural Materials

Are you majoring in mechanical, biomedical, civil, or chemical engineering? Enhance your degree with a minor in structural materials (MSSM), and get ready to hit the ground running in industry. A solid foundation in materials is an indispensable skill for professionals in these disciplines, who are often responsible for materials selection in mechanical design, failure analysis, or working with materials processing in a manufacturing context. Coursework exposes students to the fundamentals of structural materials and materials selection, emphasizing relationships among material microstructure, processing, and mechanical performance in engineering components. Learn methods for improving materials.


Microscope slide plate and lenses.

Nanoscale Science and Engineering (Interdisciplinary)

Take part in the nanoscale revolution. Nanotechnology is a rapidly developing field that seeks to understand, control, and exploit the novel physical properties displayed by matter at the nanoscale, or at dimensions between approximately one and 100 nanometers (for example, a DNA strand is 2.5 nanometers in diameter). Nanotechnology applications—such as drug-delivery and water-filtration techniques, nanofilms, and carbon nanotubes—are highly interdisciplinary and include virtually all fields of engineering and the natural sciences. This minor (IMNT) will give you the necessary multidisciplinary background in physics, chemistry, biology, instrumentation, and application-specific areas.