Materials Engineering BSE
When you enroll in the Materials Engineering major at UWM, you’ll join a relatively new academic field that is changing the world in innumerable ways. Modern materials scientists develop and test composite and simple materials that, for example, extract pollutants from water, hold the ability to self-heal, last longer, or are manufactured in a way that reduces the amount of by-products sent to landfills.
In our tight-knit classrooms, labs and through internships and co-ops, you’ll blend knowledge in chemistry, physics and engineering as you investigate the relationship between the structure of materials at the atomic or molecular level and their macroscopic properties.
You’ll graduate ready to apply your knowledge to in fields such as aerospace, architecture, biomedicine, computers and electronics, construction, metal manufacturing, transportation and recreation.
Program Type
Major, Minor
Program Format
On Campus
Career Outlook
In 2023, the median annual wage for materials engineers was $104,100.*
The Milwaukee region has one of the highest employment levels nationwide for materials engineering.* Milwaukee also has one of the largest concentrations of foundries in the United States; our Foundry Education Program is a source of well-trained engineers for this industry.
*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
What to Expect
Increased speed to graduation
Our new and redesigned curriculum makes it easier and faster for you to complete your degree. You’ll also find greater flexibility in the electives available to customize your experience.
What makes our program stand out
Materials engineering is based on mathematics, physics and chemistry. You will learn about the nature of substances that might be used for a particular purpose and the chemical and physical processes that are involved in their production. Materials engineers become experts at understanding and using the relations between processing, structure, properties and the performance of materials.
You can tailor your electives to focus on specific areas such as:
- Advanced materials characterization
- Biomaterials
- Materials for energy application
- Materials processing
- Metal casting
- Specific courses in ceramics, polymers, composites, and electronic materials
Interested in a Career in the Metal Casting Profession? Scholarships Available!
Our Foundry Education Foundational (FEF) Program helps ensure great talent enters the profession and offers students—starting as soon as their freshmen year—annual, renewable scholarships and industry connections. More than 50% of students in this program receive scholarships ranging from $500-$2,000 each year. Over 200 of our students have been awarded these scholarships since UWM was named a FEF school in 1996.
Graduates have consistently and readily found jobs with foundries – including Badger Alloys, Grede, Kohler Industrial Castings, Signicast, Spuncast, Stainless Foundry, Waupaca Foundry—and companies — including Boeing, GE Aviation, General Motors, Intel, Lockheed Martin, Oshkosh and Tesla.
FEF really is a one-of-a-kind organization. I can say from being a member in many professional societies that none are as proactive in getting students meaningful experience, industry connections, scholarships and ultimately great jobs as FEF
Additional scholarship resources for careers in the metal casting industry:
Honors
You will be eligible for these honors in the major during your studies and upon completing your degree.
Students at UWM have many opportunities to earn honors recognition.
UWM’s College of Engineering & Applied Science program provides many opportunities to pair classroom learning with hands-on experiences outside the classroom. The college’s location in Wisconsin’s largest city, with a broad network of industry partnerships, gives you easy access to well-paid internships and co-ops, as well as other important opportunities to enhance your resume.
Did you know?
- 97 percent of our graduates launch their careers or continue their education upon graduation.
- $78,000 average starting salary
- SOURCE: UWM First Destination Survey for the College of Engineering & Applied Science, 2021-2023
We’re Here to Help
Our dedicated Center for Student Experience & Talent (SET) works with our students to prepare them for a career after graduation.
What You’ll Do
Because everything we use is made of some material or combination of materials, materials science engineers are central to the development and design of new products. Your work might focus on:
- Developing new materials for applications in energy, healthcare, automotive, aerospace, and others
- Failure analysis
- Fundamental research including computational materials and laboratory-based work
- Primary production processes and subsequent manufacturing such as metal casting, polymer processing, advanced coatings
- Quality control
- Business development and intellectual property
Student Stories
My internship at Harley-Davidson’s Product Development Center has been amazing. Never before would I have believed that before even beginning my sophomore year of college I would have landed my first real engineering job.
Advising
- Academic Advisor, Undergraduate Advising
- Students with last names M-R
- wisnowsk@uwm.edu
- 414-251-5368
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences 386
- Academic Advisor, Undergraduate Advising
- Students with last names A-E
- brandonc@uwm.edu
- 414-251-9253
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences E386
- Senior Advisor, Undergraduate Advising
- Students with last names beginning F-L
- Prospective Transfer Student Liaison
- currentt@uwm.edu
- 414-229-2203
- Engineering & Mathematical Sciences E385B
- Senior Advisor, Undergraduate Advising
- Students with last names beginning S-Z
- Prospective Student Liaison
- klumpp@uwm.edu
- 414-229-5193
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences E385C
Tutoring
- Retention Coordinator, Tutoring
- Student Support Center Coordinator
- Freshmen Orientation Instructor
- Ander675@uwm.edu
- 414-229-3882
- Engineering & Mathematical Sciences 386B
Faculty
- Professor, Materials Science & Engineering
- Department Chair, Materials Science & Engineering
- nidal@uwm.edu
- 414-229-2668
- Engineering & Mathematical Sciences E351
- Associate Professor, Materials Science & Engineering Department
- Director, Advanced Analysis Facility
- church@uwm.edu
- 414-229-2825
- Engineering & Mathematical Sciences 910C
- Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
- nkouklin@uwm.edu
- 414-229-4679
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences 1287
- Lawrence E. Sivak '71 Faculty Fellowship
- Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
- ma26@uwm.edu
- 414-251-8777
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences E371H
- Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering
- musinski@uwm.edu
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences EMS 910D
- Richard and Joanne Grigg Professor
- Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
- Affiliate Professor, School of Freshwater Sciences
- niu@uwm.edu
- 414-251-6072
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences NWQB 4511
- Distinguished Professor, Materials Science and Engineering Department
- Distinguished Professor, Biomedical Engineering
- Distinguished Professor, Mechanical Engineering
- Director, Center for Advanced Manufacture of Materials
- prohatgi@uwm.edu
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences 574
Street Address
College of Engineering & Applied Science
3200 North Cramer Street
Milwaukee, WI 53211
Mailing Address
College of Engineering & Applied Science
P.O. Box 784
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0784