Materials Science Electives

The following courses have been pre-approved as IMSE Materials Science electives and are being offered for the Spring 2026 semester (list updated 11/10/25): 

Complete list of pre-approved IMSE PhD electives (pdf) (updated 11/10/25)

Chem 5511 Synthetic Polymer Chemistry
This course describes various methods for the synthesis and characterization of polymers. Copolymers, control of architecture, polymer reactivity, polymer properties, structure/property relationships, and applications of polymers will be discussed. Current topics of interest from the recent literature will also be covered.

Chem 5570 Synthetic Polymer Chemistry Laboratory
This course is an upper-level undergraduate laboratory course that complements CHEM 4511 Synthetic Polymer Chemistry. This twice-a-week lab provides hands-on training in the design, synthesis, and characterization of polymers and polymeric materials through four standard experiments (each one week) and one independent project (over five to six weeks). The independent project involves using an article from the literature as the basis for developing a short proposal. At the end of the course, students give oral presentations of their proposals, which are reviewed by their classmates. Graduate students interested in this course should enroll in the graduate level course, Chem 5570.

EECE 5140 Environmental Nanochemistry
This course involves the study of nanochemistry at various environmental interfaces, focusing on colloid, nanoparticle, and surface reactions. The course would also (1) examine the thermodynamics and kinetics of nanoscale reactions at solid-water interfaces in the presence of inorganic or organic compounds and microorganisms; (2) investigate how nanoscale interfacial reactions affect the fate and transport of contaminants; (3) introduce multidisciplinary techniques for obtaining fundamental information about the structure and reactivity of nanoparticles and thin films, and the speciation or chemical form of environmental pollutants at the molecular scale; (4) explore connections between environmental nanochemistry and environmental kinetic analysis at larger scales. This course will help students attain a better understanding of the relationship between nanoscience/technology and the environment-specifically how nanoscience could potentially lead to better water treatments, more effective contaminated-site remediation, or new energy alternatives. Students enrolling in this course should have a knowledge of general chemistry.

EECE 5200 Electrochemical Engineering
This course will teach the fundamentals of electrochemistry and the application of the same for analyzing various electrochemical energy sources/devices. The theoretical frameworks of current-potential distributions, electrode kinetics, porous electrode and concentrated solution theory will be presented in the context of modeling, simulation and analysis of electrochemical systems. Applications to batteries, fuel cells, capacitors, copper deposition will be explored.

EECE 5210 Chemical Kinetics and Catalysis
This course reflects the fast, contemporary progress being made in decoding kinetic complexity of chemical reactions, in particular heterogeneous catalytic reactions. New approaches to understanding relationships between observed kinetic behaviour and reaction mechanism will be explained. Present theoretical and methodological knowledge will be illustrated by many examples taken from heterogeneous catalysis (complete and partial oxidation), combustion and enzyme processes.

MEMS 5427 Fundamentals of Fuel Cells
This course is intended for the graduate and senior undergraduate Mechanical Engineering/ Materials Science/Chemical Engineering students interested in obtaining a fundamental background in fuel cell systems. Several types of fuel cells will be discussed, and the fundamental thermodynamics, kinetics of electrochemistry processes, and charge and mass transfer of fuel cells will be introduced. The primary focus will be placed on low temperature fuel cells based on polymer based electrolytes. The design, operation, performance, and reliability/durability of fuel cell systems will be discussed in detail. Specific interests to mechanical engineers, including water management and thermal management, will be a main focus of this course. Furthermore, the state of art research and development of fuel cell technologies may be presented through reading assignments from current literature.

MEMS 5605 Mechanical Behavior of Composites
Analysis and mechanics of composite materials. Topics include micromechanics, laminated plate theory, hydrothermal behavior, creep, strength, failure modes, fracture toughness, fatigue, structural response, mechanics of processing, nondestructive evaluation, and test methods.

MEMS 5606 Soft Nanomaterials
Soft nanomaterials, which range from self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) to complex 3D polymer structures, are gaining increased attention owing to their broad range applications. The course intends to introduce the fundamental aspects of nanotechnology pertained to soft matter. Various aspects related to the design, fabrication, characterization and application of soft nanomaterials will be discussed. Topics that will be covered include but not limited to SAMs, polymer brushes, Layer-by-Layer assembly, responsive polymers structures (films, capsules), polymer nanocomposites, biomolecules as nanomaterials and soft lithography.

MEMS 5611 Principles and Methods of Micro and Nanofabrication
A hands-on introduction to the fundamentals of micro- and nano-fabrication processes with emphasis on cleanroom practices. The physical principles of oxidation, optical lithography, thin film deposition, etching and metrology methods will be discussed, demonstrated and practiced. Students will be trained in cleanroom concepts and safety protocols. Sequential micro-fabrication processes involved in the manufacture of microelectronic and photonic devices will be shown. Training in imaging and characterization of micro- and nano-structures will be provided. Prerequisite: graduate or senior standing or permission of the instructor

MEMS 5612 Atomistic Modeling of Materials
This course will provide a hands-on experience using atomic scale computational methods to model, understand and predict the properties of real materials. It will cover modeling using classical force-fields, quantum-mechanical electronic structure methods such as density functional theory, molecular dynamics simulations, and Monte Carlo methods. The basic background of these methods along with examples of their use for calculating properties of real materials will be covered in the lectures. Atomistic materials modeling codes will be used to calculate various material properties.

MEMS 5613 Biomaterials Processing
Biomaterials with 3D structures are important for tissue regeneration. The goal of this class is to introduce various types of biomaterials and fabrication approaches to create 3D structures. The relationship between material properties, processing methods, and design will be the primary focus. The topics include degradable biomaterials for scaffold fabrication, processing of tissue engineering scaffolds, processing of tissue engineering hydrogels, processing of drug delivery systems, and scaffold surface modification.

MEMS 5614 Polymeric Materials Synthesis and Modification
Polymer is a class of widely used material. Polymer performance is highly dependent on its chemical properties. The goal of this class is to introduce methods for synthesis and modification of polymers with different chemical properties. The topics include free radical polymerization, reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization, atom transfer radical polymerization, step growth polymerization, cationic polymerization, anionic polymerization, ring-opening polymerization, and bulk and surface modification of polymers.

MEMS 5615 Metallurgy and Design of Alloys
The design of materials used in critical structures such as in airplanes entails optimizing and balancing multiple properties (e.g., strength, fracture toughness, corrosion resistance) to satisfy often conflicting requirements (e.g., better fuel efficiency, lower cost, operation in extreme conditions). Properties of metallic materials are determined by their microstructure, which in turn is determined by their compositions and processing paths. An understanding of the multivariate relationships among compositions, processing parameters, microstructures, and properties is therefore essential to designing alloys and predicting their behavior in service. This course will discuss these relationships, with emphasis on the hierarchy of microstructural features, how they are achieved by processing, and how they interact to provide desirable property combinations -- essentially the physical metallurgy of alloys. The discussion will be based on examples from alloys used in airframes, engines, and automobiles and on their design for state-of-the-art processes such as additive manufacturing.

MEMS 5616 Defects in Materials
Defects in materials play a critical role in controlling the properties of solids, which makes them interesting and necessary to study. The objective of this course is to provide a broad overview of defects in crystalline solids, their effect on properties, and methods of characterizing them. Course topics include crystal structures, defect classification, defect interactions, the role of defects in controlling properties of materials, and characterization techniques.

MEMS 5620 Kinetics of Materials
This course offers an in-depth exploration of phase formation and transformation in solids and liquids. Key topics include equilibrium and non-equilibrium thermodynamics, equilibrium and metastable phase diagrams, nucleation and growth, diffusion and interface-limited processes, shear-type transformations, and order/disorder transformations. Additionally, the course will examine essential deposition tools, such as physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD), applying fundamental kinetic principles to materials growth. Discussions will encompass a range of materials, from conventional to emerging.

Physics 5072 Solid State Physics (IMSE Core Option)
Crystal structures, binding energies, thermal properties, dielectrics, magnetism, free electron theory of metals, band theory, semiconductors, defects in solids.

Physics 5490 Solid State Physics I
Quantum theory of phonons in solids, thermodynamical properties, band theory of solids, free-electron and tight-binding approaches to electronic structure.