Welcome to UCLA Materials Science & Engineering

At UCLA MSE, we are building an open, collaborative, and forward-looking department where great ideas have real-world impact. Over the past year, our community—students, staff, and faculty—has leaned into our goals of transparency, inclusivity, and shared purpose. The result is a stronger culture and the confidence to address the challenges of tomorrow.

Our research spans energy and sustainability; semiconductors and quantum materials; lightweight structural materials; bio- and soft materials; and advanced manufacturing. We use computations to simulate, characterize and predict the structure and properties of materials. In our academic program, we pair rigorous fundamentals with hands-on discovery, encouraging our students to cross boundaries, work in teams, and tackle high-value problems for society and industry. Whether your passion is clean energy, microelectronics, computer modeling or next-generation materials-by-design, you will find mentors, facilities, and partners to help you thrive.

Creating a positive student experience is central to our mission. We are expanding opportunities for undergraduate research, strengthening graduate mentoring, and building industry-aligned capstone projects and internship opportunities. For our PhD community, we are focusing on recruitment, support, and professional development so students can explore the next BIG THING—for example, materials for extreme conditions.

None of this happens without people. We are investing in faculty growth and engagement, modernizing our administrative operations to be efficient and service-oriented, and celebrating the many achievements of our faculty and students. For the latest from UCLA MSE, please look at our newsletters. Most importantly, we aspire to a culture where respect, accountability, and generosity are the norm. I invite you to explore our programs, visit our labs, and meet our community. We’d be delighted to welcome you to UCLA.

Warmly,
Yang Yang
Chair, Department of Materials Science & Engineering

At the heart of materials science is an understanding of the microstructure of solids. “Microstructure” is used broadly in reference to solids viewed at the subatomic (electronic) and atomic levels, and the nature of the defects at these levels. The microstructures of solids at various levels, especially the defects, profoundly influence the mechanical, electronic, chemical, and biological properties of solids. The phenomenological and mechanistic relationships between the microstructure and the macroscopic properties of solids are, in essence, what the materials science is all about. This is best represented by the “materials science triangle”: synthesis-microstructure-properties. 

Materials engineering, on the other hand, is concerned with the design, fabrication, and testing of engineering materials. Such materials must fulfill simultaneously the dimensional properties, quality control, and economic requirements. Several manufacturing steps may be involved: (1) primary fabrication, such as solidification or vapor deposition of homogeneous or composite materials; (2) secondary fabrication, including shaping and microstructural control by operations such as mechanical working, machining, sintering, joining and heat treatment and (3) testing, which measures the degree of reliability of a processed part, destructively or non-destructively. 

Because the science of materials branches into other fields of study, the department offers joint fields of study in collaboration with other departments. A degree specializing in electronic materials is offered which provides a broad-based background in materials science, with the opportunity to specialize in semiconducting materials used in electronic and optoelectronic devices. The program incorporates several courses in electrical engineering in addition to those in the materials science curriculum. 

A joint major field, chemistry/materials science, is offered to students enrolled in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (College of Letters and Science). Several courses in the undergraduate curriculum also play an important role in the manufacturing engineering program. 

The graduate program allows for specialization in one of the following fields: ceramics and ceramic processing, electronic and optical materials, and structural materials. 

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering ­ faculty, students, and alumni ­ fosters a collegial atmosphere to produce:

(i) highly qualified students through an educational program that cultivates excellence;

(ii) novel and highly innovative research that advances basic and applied knowledge in materials, and;

(iii) effective interactions with the external community through educational outreach, industrial collaborations, and service activities.

The mission statement provides a framework for the department members to contribute to the success and well-being of the department and the field of materials science and engineering. Our areas of focus are our students, our research, and our interactions with the external community. The department achievements and activities are based on these components and this report details our efforts to support the mission statement principles.