Program overview
Materials Science and Engineering, simply put, is the study of 'what things are made of and how to make them better.' From the screen of your phone to the blades of aircraft engines and the batteries of new energy vehicles — everything relies on materials. Core courses include Fundamentals of Materials Science (how atoms are arranged), Mechanics of Materials (how much tension materials can withstand), Physical Chemistry of Materials (how materials change under high temperature and pressure), as well as specific directions like metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. There are plenty of lab sessions where you'll synthesize materials and test properties firsthand, such as using scanning electron microscopes to observe microstructures. This major suits students who enjoy hands-on work, don't mind physics and chemistry, and are curious. Chinese universities have unique strengths in this field — for example, Tsinghua and Shanghai Jiao Tong are world leaders in nanomaterials, Beihang has deep expertise in aerospace materials, and many labs collaborate directly with Huawei and BYD, giving you access to cutting-edge topics.