The Washington State University Pullman Catalog

Courses with the MSE Subject

The online catalog includes the most recent changes to courses and degree requirements that have been approved by the Faculty Senate, including changes that are not yet effective.

Courses

The online catalog includes the most recent changes to courses and degree requirements that have been approved by the Faculty Senate, including changes that are not yet effective. Courses showing two entries of the same number indicate that the course information is changing. The most recently approved version is shown first, followed by the older version, in gray, with its last-effective term preceding the course title. Courses shown in gray with only one entry of the course number are being discontinued. Course offerings by term can be accessed by clicking on the term links when viewing a specific campus catalog.


Materials Science And Engineering (MSE)

Fall 2024 Spring 2025 Summer 2025 


201 Materials Engineering Fundamentals 3 Course Prerequisite: CHEM 105 with a C or better or concurrent enrollment. Introduction to the fundamental concepts of materials engineering. Typically offered Fall, Spring, and Summer.

202 Materials Science Fundamentals 3 Course Prerequisite: CHEM 106 with a C or better or concurrent enrollment; MSE 201 with a C or better. Introduction to the fundamental concepts of materials science. Typically offered Spring.

241 Engineering Computations 3 Course Prerequisite: MATH 273 with a C or better or concurrent enrollment; 4 credits of PHYSICS 201 with a C or better or concurrent enrollment, or PHYSICS 201 and 211 both with a C or better, or both with concurrent enrollment. Introduction to the computational methods used for solving numerical problems in engineering. (Crosslisted course offered as ME 241, MSE 241.) Typically offered Fall and Spring.

302 Electronic Materials 3 Course Prerequisite: CHEM 105 with a C or better; 4 credits of PHYSICS 202 with a C or better, or PHYSICS 202 and 212 both with a C or better or concurrent enrollment, or PHYSICS 206 with a C or better or concurrent enrollment. Structure of materials, electronic structure of solids; thermal, electrical, dielectric, and magnetic properties of materials; semiconductors processing. Typically offered Fall and Spring.

316 Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Materials 3 Course Prerequisite: MSE 202 with a C or better. Laws of thermodynamics, solution thermodynamics, free energy composition diagrams, mechanisms and kinetics of diffusion; solidification behavior, interfaces and phase boundaries, phase transformations in solids, oxidation, and corrosion. Typically offered Fall.

318 Materials Design 3 Course Prerequisite: ECONS 102; MSE 201 with a C or better; MSE 241 with a C or better; STAT 370 with a C or better. Materials selection and processing design routes to develop new materials for engineering applications. Typically offered Spring.

320 [M] Materials Structure - Properties Lab 3 (1-6) Course Prerequisite: MSE 201 with a C or better; MSE 202 with a C or better or concurrent enrollment. Principles and techniques of optical metallography and other laboratory methods used in modern materials science and engineering. Typically offered Fall.

321 Materials Characterization 3 Course Prerequisite: MSE 201 with a C or better. Properties of x-rays, scattering and diffraction; crystal structures; x-ray diffraction methods, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Typically offered Spring.

323 [M] Materials Characterization Lab 2 (1-3) Course Prerequisite: MSE 321 with a C or better or concurrent enrollment. Laboratory exercises on materials characterization: x-ray, TEM, SEM. Typically offered Spring.

331 Metallic Materials 3 Course Prerequisite: MSE 201 with a C or better. Major alloy systems and manufacturing processes; materials selection. Typically offered Spring.

332 Polymeric Materials 3 Course Prerequisite: MSE 201 with a C or better. Structural characterization, syntheses, and reactions of polymeric materials; relationships between structure and properties, viscoelasticity, deformation, and physical behavior of polymers. Typically offered Fall. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

333 Ceramic Materials 3 Course Prerequisite: MSE 201 with a C or better. Processing, characteristics, microstructure, and properties of ceramic materials. Typically offered Spring.

404 Engineering Composites 3 Course Prerequisite: MSE 201 with a C or better. Basic concept in design and specifications of engineering composites. Typically offered Spring.

406 Biomaterials 3 Course Prerequisite: MSE 201 with a C or better. Overview of the different types of materials used in biomedical applications such as implants and medical devices. Credit not granted for both MSE 406 and MSE 506. Offered at 400 and 500 level. Typically offered Fall.

406 (Effective through Summer 2024) Biomaterials 3 Course Prerequisite: MSE 201 with a C or better. Overview of the different types of materials used in biomedical applications such as implants and medical devices. Credit not granted for both MSE 406 and MSE 506. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 506 and MATSE 506.) Offered at 400 and 500 level. Typically offered Fall.

413 Mechanical Behavior of Materials 3 Course Prerequisite: CE 215 and MSE 201, both with a C or better; OR MSE 202 with a C or better. Elasticity, elastic stress distributions; plastic deformation of single and polycrystals; introduction to dislocation theory and its applications; creep, fracture, fatigue. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 413, ME 413.) Typically offered Fall.

425 [M] Senior Thesis I 3 (0-9) Course Prerequisite: MSE 320 with a C or better; MSE 323 with a C or better; admitted to MSE; senior standing, OR MSE 318 with a C or better; MSE 323 with a C or better; two from MSE 331, 332, or 333 with a C or better; admitted to MSE; senior standing. Research in materials science and engineering. Typically offered Fall, Spring, and Summer.

483 Topics in Materials Engineering V 1 (0-4) to 4 (0-16) May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 7 credits. Contemporary topics in materials engineering.

488 Professional Practice Coop/Internship I V 1-2 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 6 credits. Course Prerequisite: By department permission. Practicum for students admitted to the VCEA Professional Practice and Experiential Learning Program; integration of coursework with on-the-job professional experience. (Crosslisted course offered as ENGR 488, BIO ENG 488, CHE 488, CE 488, CPT S 488, E E 488, ME 488, MSE 488, SDC 488.) Typically offered Fall, Spring, and Summer. S, F grading.

488 (Effective through Spring 2024) Professional Practice Coop/Internship I V 1-2 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 6 credits. Course Prerequisite: By department permission. Practicum for students admitted to the VCEA Professional Practice and Experiential Learning Program; integration of coursework with on-the-job professional experience. (Crosslisted course offered as ENGR 488, BIO ENG 488, CHE 488, CE 488, CPT S 488, E E 488, ME 488, MSE 488, SDC 488). Typically offered Fall, Spring, and Summer. S, F grading.

499 Special Problems V 1-4 May be repeated for credit. Course Prerequisite: By department permission. Independent study conducted under the jurisdiction of an approving faculty member; may include independent research studies in technical or specialized problems; selection and analysis of specified readings; development of a creative project; or field experiences. Typically offered Fall, Spring, and Summer. S, F grading.

503 Advanced Topics in Materials Engineering V 1-3 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 6 credits. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

504 Electrochemical Energy Systems 3 Principles of electrochemical systems and applications in energy storage/conversion devices. Recommended preparation: Basic knowledge of chemistry, physics, and materials. Typically offered Even Years - Fall.

505 Advanced Materials Science 3 Broad baseline in materials science including relationships between structure and properties. Typically offered Fall. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

505 (Effective through Summer 2024) Advanced Materials Science 3 Broad baseline in materials science including relationships between structure and properties. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 505, MATSE 505). Typically offered Fall. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

506 Biomaterials 3 Overview of the different types of materials used in biomedical applications such as implants and medical devices. Credit not granted for both MSE 406 and MSE 506. Offered at 400 and 500 level. Typically offered Fall.

506 (Effective through Summer 2024) Biomaterials 3 Overview of the different types of materials used in biomedical applications such as implants and medical devices. Credit not granted for both MSE 406 and MSE 506. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 506 and MATSE 506.) Offered at 400 and 500 level. Typically offered Fall.

507 Additive Manufacturing 3 Additive manufacturing processes and their applications in ceramic, metallic, polymeric, and composite materials. Recommended preparation: Basic knowledge in materials science and manufacturing. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 507, ME 507.) Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students. Typically offered Odd Years - Spring. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

508 Polymer Nanocomposites and Functionalities 3 Structures, properties, fabrication and applications of nano-scale material and their polymer nanocomposites; functionalities including flame retardant, electrically, thermal and damping properties. Typically offered Spring. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

509 MEMS Engineering 3 (2-3) Introduction to the design, fabrication and application of microelectromechanical systems. (Crosslisted course offered as ME 509, MSE 509.) Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

513 Theory of Plasticity and its Physical Foundations 3 Phenomenological plasticity and viscoplasticity of polycrystalline metals and alloys, polymers and granular media; deformation mechanisms; dislocation mechanics and interactions; dislocation motion; slip and climb; crystal plasticity; size effects and gradient models. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 513, ME 513.) Typically offered Spring. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

513 (Effective through Summer 2024) Theory of Plasticity and its Physical Foundations 3 Phenomenological plasticity and viscoplasticity of polycrystalline metals and alloys, polymers and granular media; deformation mechanisms; dislocation mechanics and interactions; dislocation motion; slip and climb; crystal plasticity; size effects and gradient models. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 513, ME 513, MATSE 513). Typically offered Spring. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

514 Thermodynamics of Solids 3 Thermodynamic properties of solid solutions; models for substitutional and interstitial solutions; configurational and non-configurational contributions; calculation of phase diagrams. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 514, ME 514.) Typically offered Fall. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

515 Electronic Properties of Materials 3 Electron energy bands in solids, electrical conduction in metals and semiconductors, applications to semi-conduction devices based on silicon and III-V compounds. Typically offered Fall. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

516 Phase Transformations 3 Thermodynamics, nucleation, interface motion, mechanisms and kinetics of chemical reactions between solid metals and their environment. Typically offered Fall. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

516 (Effective through Summer 2024) Phase Transformations 3 Thermodynamics, nucleation, interface motion, mechanisms and kinetics of chemical reactions between solid metals and their environment. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 516, MATSE 516). Typically offered Fall. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

517 Thin Films 3 Materials science aspect of thin films, including growth, characterization, and properties for electrical, mechanical, corrosion, and optical behavior. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 517, ME 517.) Typically offered Spring. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

520 Multiscale Modeling in Thermomechanics of Materials 3 Multiscale problems in thermomechanics of materials; practical and computational aspects of homogenization, granular materials, dislocation plasticity and atomistic methods. (Crosslisted course offered as ME 520, MSE 520.) Typically offered Spring. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

521 Statistics of Microstructures 3 Stereology, orientation and spatial distributions, percolation, measurement techniques and application to modeling of microstructures. Recommended preparation: MATH 540. Typically offered Spring. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

521 (Effective through Summer 2024) Statistics of Microstructures 3 Stereology, orientation and spatial distributions, percolation, measurement techniques and application to modeling of microstructures. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 521, MATSE 521). Recommended preparation: MATH 540. Typically offered Spring. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

523 Advanced Ceramics and Applications 3 Fundamentals of ceramic processing science for thin films and bulk ceramics. Typically offered Spring. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

523 (Effective through Summer 2024) Ceramics Processing 3 Fundamentals of ceramic processing science for thin films and bulk ceramics. Typically offered Spring. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

524 Glass Science and Technology 3 Glass composition design, processing, and properties; engineering and technology related to glasses and glass-ceramics; case studies in applied glass science and characterization. Recommended preparation: Basic knowledge in materials science and manufacturing.

524 (Effective through Summer 2024) Glass Science and Technology 3 Glass composition design, processing, and properties; engineering and technology related to glasses and glass-ceramics; case studies in applied glass science and characterization. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 524, MATSE 524.) Recommended preparation: Basic knowledge in materials science and manufacturing.

530 Elasticity 3 Theory of kinematics of solid deformable bodies; conservation laws applied to an elastic continuum; generalized linear stress-strain behavior with applications. (Crosslisted course offered as ME 530, MSE 530.) Typically offered Fall. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

531 Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 3 Overview of nanoscience and nanotechnology and their biomedical, energy, and environmental applications; structures, properties, synthesis of nanoscale materials and fabrication of nanostructured devices. Recommended preparation: Basic knowledge of materials, engineering, chemistry. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 531, ME 531.) Typically offered Odd Years - Spring.

531 (Effective through Summer 2024) Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 3 Overview of nanoscience and nanotechnology and their biomedical, energy, and environmental applications; structures, properties, synthesis of nanoscale materials and fabrication of nanostructured devices. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 531, MATSE 531, ME 531.) Recommended preparation: Basic knowledge of materials, engineering, chemistry. Typically offered Odd Years - Spring.

534 Mechanics of Composite Materials 3 Analysis of micromechanical and macromechanical behavior of composite materials with emphasis on fiber-reinforced composite; prediction of properties; stiffness and strength theories; laminated beams and plates; dynamic behavior; environmental effects. (Crosslisted course offered as ME 534, MSE 534.) Typically offered Fall. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

537 Fracture Mechanics and Mechanisms 3 Fracture mechanics and mechanisms and the microstructural origins of toughness in metals, polymers and composites. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 537, ME 537.) Typically offered Spring. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

538 Special Topics V 1-3 May be repeated for credit. Selected topics of current interest in advanced materials science.

543 Polymer Materials and Engineering 3 Preparation and structure-property relationship of polymer materials with emphasis on fracture mechanics and toughening. Required preparation must include MSE 402. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 543, CE 593.) Typically offered Spring. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

544 Natural Fibers 3 Structural aspects and properties of natural fibers including anatomy, ultrastructure, and chemistry. (Crosslisted course offered as CE 594, MSE 544.) Typically offered Fall. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

545 Polymer and Composite Processing 3 Polymer and composite processing from fundamental principles to practical applications. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 545, CE 595.) Typically offered Spring. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

546 Engineered Wood Composites 3 Theory and practice of wood composite materials, manufacture and development. (Crosslisted course offered as CE 596, MSE 546.) Typically offered Fall. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

547 Polymers and Surfaces for Adhesion 3 Physical chemistry of polymers and surfaces needed to understand interface morphology, adhesion mechanisms and bond performance. Required preparation must include MSE 402 or 404. (Crosslisted course offered as CE 597, MSE 547.) Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

548 Natural Fiber Polymer Composites 3 Fundamentals, development and application of composite materials produced from polymers reinforced with natural fibers and wood as major components. (Crosslisted course offered as CE 598, MSE 548.) Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

571 Microscopic Analysis of Solid Surfaces 3 Modern spectroscopic methods for microscopic analysis of solid surfaces; emphasizes electron, ion, laser, and x-ray techniques. Typically offered Spring.

592 Transmission Electron Microscopy 3 Development of the principles and applications of electron optics in microscopy. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.

593 Seminar in Materials Science 1 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 6 credits. Presentation and discussion of topics in materials science taken from research in progress or current literature. S, F grading. Typically offered Spring. S, F grading.

593 (Effective through Fall 2024) Seminar in Materials Science 1 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 6 credits. Presentation and discussion of topics in materials science taken from research in progress or current literature. Typically offered Spring.

600 Special Projects or Independent Study V 1-18 May be repeated for credit. Independent study, special projects, and/or internships. Students must have graduate degree-seeking status and should check with their major advisor before enrolling in 600 credit, which cannot be used toward the core graded credits required for a graduate degree. Typically offered Fall, Spring, and Summer. S, F grading.

700 Master's Research, Thesis, and/or Examination V 1-18 May be repeated for credit. Independent research and advanced study for students working on their master's research, thesis and/or final examination. Students must have graduate degree-seeking status and should check with their major advisor/committee chair before enrolling for 700 credit. Typically offered Fall, Spring, and Summer. S, U grading.

701 Master's Independent Capstone Project and /or Examination V 1-6 May be repeated for credit. Capstone project or final examination for professional master's degree under the Graduate School. The credits will include a balloted evaluation of the student's completion of the program's capstone/examination requirements by the program's graduate faculty. Students must have graduate degree-seeking status and obtain approval from their major advisor/committee chair before enrolling for 701 credit. S, U grading.

702 Master's Special Problems, Directed Study, and/or Examination V 1-18 May be repeated for credit. Independent research in special problems, directed study, and/or examination credit for students in a non-thesis master's degree program. Students must have graduate degree-seeking status and should check with their major advisor/committee chair before enrolling for 702 credit. Typically offered Fall, Spring, and Summer. S, U grading.

800 Doctoral Research, Dissertation, and/or Examination V 1-18 May be repeated for credit. Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the Materials Science or the Materials Science and Engineering PhD program. Independent research and advanced study for students working on their doctoral research, dissertation and/or final examination. Students must have graduate degree-seeking status and should check with their major advisor/committee chair before enrolling for 800 credit. Typically offered Fall, Spring, and Summer. S, U grading.

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