Materials Engineering
Introduction
Metals and materials are found in every aspect of society today. Materials have always been central to the advancement of civilization so it is not surprising that entire eras are named after them (bronze age, iron age). The importance of developing new, advanced materials is truly a global issue with societal demands for things such as more fuel efficient vehicles and faster computer processors reaching all time highs. Materials Engineers are the driving force behind such developments, having an unsurpassed understanding of the respective structure, properties and processing of materials. Consequently, graduates are employed in practically all industries. Principles amongst these are primary metal production, automotive, aerospace, government research establishments and consulting firms.
The program has been designed to give students extensive coverage of this highly unique field which in itself is very broad. The principal branches of Materials Engineering in which students receive instruction include (i) Extractive Processing of Materials, (ii) Structure of Materials, and (iii) Mechanical Properties and Testing of Materials; usually the graduating engineer chooses to specialize in one of these three. Students learn about all of the major courses of materials including metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites -graduates are true “Materials Experts.” In doing so, the respective curricula are designed to provide in-depth knowledge of engineering and more importantly, extensive coverage of discipline-specific areas.
Students are able to obtain a Bachelor of Materials Engineering with Co-Op distinction in two years following the completion of a Diploma in Engineering. There are two Co-op programs offered in Materials Engineering. One is a Bachelor of Engineering, the other a combined BEng/MASc Degree. The undergraduate curriculum is the same for both programs.
The BEng/MASc was developed in light of the program's strong commitment to research and to permit the identification of students interested in graduate studies before they completed their undergraduate courses. In this regard, all faculty members are actively involved in international research and development initiatives. Consequently, students may also choose to pursue Master's and Doctoral degrees in Materials engineering at Dalhousie in many technically challenging fields of global importance. Included are ceramic and metal matrix composites, automotive alloys, aerospace materials, electronic materials, corrosion, wear, and near-net-shape materials processing technologies.
Curriculum and course descriptions
Refer to sections IIE and IIIE, Materials Engineering Program, in the Mechanical Engineering section.
Co-operative program and schedule
Refer to Technical Co-op Program, in the Engineering section.