Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and NanoEngineering (BSMSNE) Degree
The program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Materials and NanoEngineering (BSMSNE) is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Materials, Metallurgical, Ceramics and Similarly Named Engineering Program Criteria.
Program Learning Outcomes (Student Outcomes) for the BSMSNE Degree
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
- An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
- An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
- An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
- An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
- An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
Program Educational Objectives for the BSMSNE Degree
The Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and NanoEngineering (BSMSNE) degree prepares graduates to succeed in professional careers by equipping them with the expertise sought by top graduate schools and corporations. Recognizing that graduates may embark on diverse educational and career paths, the Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) that graduates will achieve within a few years of obtaining their Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and NanoEngineering (BSMSNE) degree from Rice University are:
- Graduates will demonstrate technical proficiency and professional achievement in their work which may include scientific inquiry as well as problem-solving, process optimization, and/or design in materials engineering and related fields.
- Graduates will be accomplished at communicating and working collaboratively in diverse work environments.
- Graduates seeking post-baccalaureate education will achieve appropriate levels of success in admission to and progression through those programs. Graduates entering professional careers will achieve appropriate career progression and success.
Requirements for the BSMSNE Degree
For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BSMSNE degree must complete:
- A minimum of 32-35 courses (88-91 credit hours), depending on course selection, to satisfy major requirements.
- A minimum of 125-128 credit hours, depending on course selection, to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 16 courses (36 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
Students seeking the BSMSNE must complete a minimum of 88 credit hours in general math and science, core, and specialization elective courses within the total minimum requirement of 125 credit hours.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Materials Science and NanoEngineering | 88-91 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the BSMSNE Degree | 125-128 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Math and Science Prerequisites | ||
| MATH 101 | SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I | 3 |
| or MATH 105 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS I | |
| MATH 102 | SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II | 3 |
| or MATH 106 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS II | |
| Select 1 from the following: 1 | 4 | |
| MECHANICS (WITH LAB) and MECHANICS DISCUSSION | ||
| HONORS MECHANICS (WITH LAB) | ||
| Select 1 from the following: 2 | 4 | |
| ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB) and ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM DISCUSSION | ||
| HONORS ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB) | ||
| MATH 211 | ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND LINEAR ALGEBRA | 3 |
| MATH 212 | MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS | 3 |
| or MATH 232 | HONORS MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS | |
| CHEM 121 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY I | 3 |
| or CHEM 111 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY I | |
| CHEM 123 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I | 1 |
| or CHEM 113 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB I | |
| CHEM 122 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY II | 3 |
| or CHEM 112 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY II | |
| CHEM 124 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II | 1 |
| or CHEM 114 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB II | |
| CMOR 220 | INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING COMPUTATION | 3 |
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| MATRIX ANALYSIS | ||
or CMOR 303 | MATRIX ANALYSIS FOR DATA SCIENCE | |
or MATH 355 | LINEAR ALGEBRA | |
or MATH 354 | HONORS LINEAR ALGEBRA | |
| Select 1 from the following: | 3 | |
| WAVES, LIGHT, AND HEAT | ||
| ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY DISCUSSION I | ||
| PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY I | ||
| Core Requirements | ||
| MECH 202 | MECHANICS/STATICS 3 | 3 |
| MSNE 201 | INTRODUCTION TO NANOTECHNOLOGY FOR ENGINEERS | 3 |
| or MSNE 222 | MATERIALS IN NATURE AND BIOMIMETIC STRATEGIES | |
| MSNE 211 | INTRODUCTION TO MATERIALS SCIENCE FOR ENGINEERS | 3 |
| MSNE 302 | MATERIALS PROCESSING AND NANOMANUFACTURING | 3 |
| MSNE 304 | MATERIALS SCIENCE JUNIOR LAB | 3 |
| MSNE 311 | MATERIALS SELECTION AND DESIGN | 3 |
| MSNE 389 | ETHICS & SAFETY FOR MATERIALS ENGINEERS | 1 |
| Select 4 courses from the following; | 12 | |
| THERMODYNAMICS IN MATERIALS SCIENCE | ||
| MECH PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS | ||
| PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SOLIDS | ||
| MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION FROM NANO TO MACRO | ||
| CERAMICS AND GLASSES | ||
| MSNE 407 | CAPSTONE DESIGN PROJECT I | 4 |
| MSNE 408 | CAPSTONE DESIGN PROJECT II | 3 |
| MSNE 435 | CRYSTALLOGRAPHY & DIFFRACTION | 3 |
| MSNE 450 & MSNE 451 | MATERIALS SCIENCE SEMINAR and MATERIALS SCIENCE SEMINAR | 1 |
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 1 elective course from the Engineering Cluster (see course list below) | 3-4 | |
| Select 1 elective course from the Math and Science Cluster (see course list below) | 3-4 | |
| Select 1 elective course from the Technical Cluster or select additional Engineering Cluster courses (see course lists below) | 3-4 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Major in Materials Science and NanoEngineering | 88-91 | |
| Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements * | 3-6 | |
| University Graduation Requirements * | 31 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 125-128 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| * | Note: University Graduation Requirements include 31 credit hours, comprised of Distribution Requirements (Groups I, II, and III), FWIS, and LPAP coursework. In some instances, courses satisfying FWIS or distribution requirements may additionally meet other requirements, such as the Analyzing Diversity (AD) requirement, or some of the student’s declared major, minor, or certificate requirements. Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements include general electives, coursework completed as upper-level, residency (hours taken at Rice), and/or any other additional academic program requirements. |
| 1 | The Materials Science and NanoEngineering department has determined that credit awarded for PHYS 141 CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS I is not eligible for meeting the requirements of the Materials Science and NanoEngineering major. |
| 2 | The Materials Science and NanoEngineering department has determined that credit awarded for PHYS 142 CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS II is not eligible for meeting the requirements of the Materials Science and NanoEngineering major. |
| 3 | MECH 202 is a required Engineering prerequisite to other Core Requirements and must be taken first. |
Course Lists to Satisfy Requirements
Elective Requirements
To fulfill the remaining Materials Science and NanoEngineering major requirements for the BSMSNE degree, students must complete a total of 3 additional courses (a minimum of 9-12 credit hours, depending on course selection). 1 course (3-4 credit hours, depending on course selection) must come from the Engineering Cluster, 1 course (3-4 credit hours, depending on course selection) must come from the Math and Science Cluster. The remaining course (3-4 credit hours, depending on course selection) must come from the Technical Cluster or from additional Engineering Cluster coursework.
In general, courses at the 300-level or above offered by the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing can satisfy the Engineering Cluster, and courses at the 300-level or above offered by the Wiess School of Natural Sciences can satisfy the Math and Science Cluster. However, students need academic advisors’ approval to apply courses not on this list to fulfill major requirements. The course lists below are pre-approved courses that fulfill Engineering Cluster or Math and Science Cluster requirements. Please note: some courses may not be offered every academic year, some courses may have additional pre-requisite requirements, and courses are subject to change by the lead department offering the course.
Engineering Cluster (no MSNE courses)
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select at least 1 course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| BIOMATERIALS | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING | ||
| MECHANICS OF SOLIDS AND STRUCTURES | ||
| PHYSICS GUIDED MACHINE LEARNING & DATA DRIVEN MODELING FEM | ||
| FATE AND TRANSPORT OF CONTAMINANTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT | ||
| CHEMICAL KINETICS AND REACTOR DESIGN | ||
| TRANSPORT PHENOMENA I | ||
| FUNDAMENTALS OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING I and FUNDAMENTALS OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING I LABORATORY | ||
| ELECTRONIC MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL ELECTRONICS I | ||
| QUANTUM MECHANICS FOR ENGINEERS | ||
| OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES | ||
| SUSTAINABLE DESIGN | ||
| ENGINEERING ECONOMICS | ||
| ENGINEERING MECHANICS | ||
| COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN | ||
| FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS | ||
| HEAT TRANSFER | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 3-4 | |
Math and Science Cluster (no MSNE or Engineering courses)
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select at least 1 course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY I | ||
| BIOCHEMISTRY I | ||
| CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF THE NEURON | ||
| ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY DISCUSSION I | ||
| PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY I | ||
| PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY II | ||
| ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY | ||
| INORGANIC CHEMISTRY | ||
| DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND OPTIMIZATION | ||
| THEORETICAL NEUROSCIENCE: FROM CELLS TO LEARNING SYSTEMS | ||
| NUMERICAL ANALYSIS | ||
| DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS | ||
| ANALYSIS | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE | ||
| ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT | ||
| EARTH AND PLANETARY SURFACE ENVIRONMENTS | ||
| ELEMENTS OF ANALYSIS | ||
| HONORS LINEAR ALGEBRA | ||
| LINEAR ALGEBRA | ||
| WAVES, LIGHT, AND HEAT | ||
| MODERN PHYSICS | ||
| INTERMEDIATE MECHANICS | ||
| INTERMEDIATE ELECTRODYNAMICS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGICAL PHYSICS | ||
| ELEMENTARY APPLIED STATISTICS 1 | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS FOR BIOSCIENCES | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 3-4 | |
Technical Cluster (MSNE or Engineering courses)2
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select 1 course from the following (or select additional coursework from the Engineering Cluster): | 3 | |
| 3D PRINTING AND ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING: THEORY AND APPLICATIONS | ||
| ORGANIC AND POLYMER SEMICONDUCTORS FOR ELECTRONICS AND PHOTONICS | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL MATERIALS MODELING | ||
| MICROSTRUCTURE AND NANOSTRUCTURE EVOLUTION | ||
| QUANTUM MATERIALS ENGINEERING | ||
| PROPERTIES, SYNTHESIS AND DESIGN OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS | ||
| COMPUATIONAL NANOSCIENCE FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE | ||
| MATERIALS IN NATURE AND BIO-MIMETIC STRATEGIES | ||
| COLLOIDAL AND INTERFACIAL PHENOMENA | ||
| SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS OF CORROSION SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING | ||
| MICROSCOPY METHODS IN MATERIALS SCIENCE | ||
| MICRO AND NANO HEAT TRANSPORT METHODOLOGIES AND DESIGN | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO POLYMER PHYSICS AND ENGINEERING | ||
| PROPERTIES OF POLYMERS | ||
| NANOMATERIALS AND NANOMECHANICS | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 3 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | The MSNE department has determined that credit awarded for STAT 180 AP/OTH CREDIT IN STATISTICS is not eligible for meeting the requirements of the MSNE major. |
| 2 | The Technical Cluster requirement can also be met with a course listed within the Engineering Cluster above. |
Policies for the BSMSNE Degree
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the BSMSNE degree should be aware of the following program restriction:
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, under Declaring Majors, Minors and Certificates, students may not obtain both a BA and a BS in the same major. Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and NanoEngineering (BSMSNE) Degree may not additionally pursue the BA Degree with a Major in Materials Science and NanoEngineering.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Materials Science and NanoEngineering website: https://msne.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the BSMSNE Degree
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Fifth-Year Master's Degree Option for Rice Undergraduate Students
In certain situations and with some terminal master's degree programs, Rice students have an option to pursue a master’s degree by adding an additional fifth year to their four years of undergraduate studies.
Advanced Rice undergraduate students in good academic standing typically apply to the master’s degree program during their junior or senior year. Upon acceptance, depending on course load, financial aid status, and other variables, they may then start taking some required courses of the master's degree program. A plan of study will need to be approved by the student's undergraduate major advisor and the master’s degree program director.
As part of this option and opportunity, Rice undergraduate students:
- must complete the requirements for a bachelor's degree and the master's degree independently of each other (i.e. no course may be counted toward the fulfillment of both degrees).
- should be aware there could be financial aid implications if the conversion of undergraduate coursework to that of graduate level reduces their earned undergraduate credit for any semester below that of full-time status (12 credit hours).
- more information on this Undergraduate - Graduate Concurrent Enrollment opportunity, including specific information on the registration process can be found here.
Rice undergraduate students completing studies in science and engineering may have the option to pursue the Master of Materials Science and NanoEngineering (MMSNE) degree. For additional information, students should contact their undergraduate major advisor and the MMSNE program director.
Research Opportunities
Many MSNE majors participate in undergraduate research; some even start during their freshman year. To get involved, speak to a MSNE undergraduate advisor or directly to a MSNE faculty member.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Materials Science and NanoEngineering website: https://msne.rice.edu/.