The Materials Science & Engineering minor is designed for students who want to expand their career opportunities and open new doors in the growing, interdisciplinary materials science field at the interface of chemistry, engineering, and physics. Open to all undergraduate students at CU Boulder, this program is specially designed for students in natural sciences or engineering majors.

Completing the MSE minor will provide you with advanced skills in materials science and engineering that can be applied to a broad range of jobs, including advanced computing and electronics, biotechnology and medicine, energy and sustainability, nanotechnology, construction, and manufacturing.

The minor leverages many existing classes related to materials that are already taught across campus. The minor requires 18 credits, with two required courses: MSEN 2000 - Materials and Technology, and a Fundamentals of Materials Science course offered by multiple departments, as well as 12 technical elective credits from an approved list. Many of these technical electives are courses that are also applicable to your undergraduate major.

Required Courses for the minor:

  • MSEN 2000 - Materials in Technology (3 credit hours)
  • All students must also take one of the following four fundamentals-based courses:
    • ASEN 1022 - Materials Science for Aerospace Engineers (3 credit hours)
    • MCEN 2024 - Materials Science (3 credit hours)
    • GEEN 3024 - Materials Science for Engineers (3 credit hours)
    • CHEN 4440 - Chemical Engineering Materials (3 credit hours)

All MSE Minor students must also take:

Additional Requirements:

  • At least 12 of the 18 credit hours must be upper-division (3000 or higher level).
  • At least 3 credit hours beyond the required courses must be taken in engineering courses (9 credits total). 
  • 5000-level courses are allowed where undergraduate students are eligible to enroll.
  • Prior coursework may be transferred from other institutions with approval.
  • A grade point average of 2.000 or better is required in the minor courses. Each individual course that is counted towards these degree requirements must be passed with a D- or better. Note, however, that a C- or better is required in all prerequisite courses to move on to a subsequent course. 

When enrolling in courses for the MSE minor, make sure to work with your undergraduate major advisor to determine how the minor courses will fit in with your major.