Study Guide of the Department of Materials

Sixth Edition, September 2002

At the end of their studies, materials engineers are expected to bring a broad know-how about the properties and the processing of materials to an industrial environment. Technical knowledge and skills are as important a prerequisite to fulfil this demanding task as a profound understanding of the physics and chemistry of condensed matter.

Problems associated with materials tend to cross the traditional boundaries between disciplines. A material’s behavior in production and its performance in application depends on the complex interplay between chemical, physical and sometimes even biological influences. Besides, economic considerations often play a paramount role in the selection of materials and processing technologies. Materials are never themselves a final product, but fulfil a particular function within a more or less complex system. Thus, the ability to collaborate fruitfully with experts of different scientific or technical backgrounds is particularly important to the materials engineer. For those reasons, interdisciplinary thinking constitutes one of the most important goals of education in the department of materials.