Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Delaware

Academic Programs

Student in Molecular Beam Epitaxy Lab

We offer an undergraduate major, two minors, a master of science degree and a doctoral degree.

RESEARCH AREAS

Electronic Materials
Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Materials
Self-Assembly of Materials
Thin Film Materials
Materials Characterization
Polymers and Composites
Biological and Biomedical Materials
Photovoltaics
Photonic Materials
Nanomaterials

WHY MAJOR IN MATERIALS SCIENCE IN ENGINEERING?

With a materials science and engineering degree from the University of Delaware, you will be poised for success in industries that impact societal needs in energy, the environment, and biomedicine as well as other consumer needs such as semiconductor and electronics manufacturing.

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Recent News

UD students, alumni and faculty showcase research at biannual chemistry conference

From presenting posters to leading scientific sessions, members of the University of Delaware community actively engaged in the American Chemical Society (ACS) Fall 2025 meeting, which took place August 17–21 in Washington, DC, and online.

UD top-ranked graduate degree programs

U.S. News & World Report names University of Delaware graduate degree programs among the best in the nation

Examining Ethics

UD’s Department of Philosophy is home to courses where “we think systematically about ethical issues in great depth,” according to department chair Joel Pust. While ethics courses are the most heavily enrolled classes in the department, students can also find ethics classes specific to their disciplines in departments ranging from accounting to electrical engineering.

Faculty Spotlight: William N. Shafarman

William N. Shafarman, a University of Delaware scientist with more than 30 years of experience developing solar energy technologies and research partnerships, is a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and director of UD’s Institute of Energy Conversion. Founded in 1972, IEC is believed to be the oldest continuously operating solar research institute in the world. Over the years, in addition to leading projects as the principal investigator on government and industry contracts, he has organized numerous international conferences and symposia on photovoltaic science and engineering, taught tutorials on solar cells for conferences and companies, and served as team leader for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Thin-Film Partnership Program.

Read Prof. Shafarman's Bio

Faculty Spotlight: LaShanda Korley

LaShanda Korley joined UD in 2018 as Distinguished Associate Professor of materials science and engineering and chemical and biomolecular engineering. She is the director of a five-year, $5.5 million NSF-funded project to explore bio-inspired materials and systems, such as nanocomposites inspired by spider silk and soft robotics inspired by the way worms wriggle. Korley also brings expertise in fiber and film manufacturing.

Read Prof. Korley's Bio

Upcoming Events

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Featured Gallery – Art in Materials

Each year, the department hosts an Art in Materials contest for students. These are some of the most recent submissions. Click to enlarge the images and learn more about the science behind each submission.