Many employers now favor hiring more highly trained engineers at the entry level of the profession. Many in the academic community feel that a combined bachelor/master’s program will soon become the accepted standard training for engineers. The MSEG 4+1 BSE/MMSE program is an integrated program that facilitates the completion of a master’s degree with two semesters of study beyond that required for the bachelor’s degree. Up to six hours of required course work can be double counted within the combined program. Thus, with proper planning and scheduling, a semester of study may be eliminated and students should be able to complete the B.S. and M.S. degrees with five years of study. Upon completion of the program students have all the job possibilities available with their traditional engineering or science degree as well as the additional possibilities created with a M.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering.

According to the 4+1 BSE/MMSE guidelines, courses that are required to be taken as part of the core undergraduate program are not typically allowed to be double counted. However this can vary by department. Typically, graduate level technical course can be double counted. In all cases, students are advised to discuss their course selection with both the undergraduate and graduate advisors early and often.

We expect that most of the MSEG 4+1 BSE/MMSE students will come from undergraduate programs in the College of Engineering, and most likely these will be primarily from Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. However we also anticipate and hope that students from Electrical and Computer Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and  Biomedical Engineering will find this a valuable option. We are also expecting that there will be students who choose to pursue the MSEG 4+1 BSE/MMSE degree after a degree from Arts & Sciences. This degree would likely make an excellent complement to undergraduate students from Physics, Chemistry, and perhaps Biological Sciences.

To officially enter the MSEG 4+1 BSE/MMSE program a student must:

• Have obtained senior standing (85+ hours) by the time of entry
• Have a GPA of 3.2 or above
• Be enrolled in one of the following undergraduate programs: In the College of Engineering: Biomedical Engineering, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Civil Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering. In the College of Arts and Sciences: Chemistry, Physics, or Biological Sciences.

Apply Online

• The statement of purpose
• Transcripts (only needed for courses taken at other universities)
• Two recommendation letters should be submitted directly to the MSEG Department (mseg-gradinfo@udel.edu)
• General Record Exam (GRE) scores are not required by MSEG.

GRE scores are not required for admission to any MSEG graduate programs.

Yes, the MSEG 4+1 BSE/MMSE program academic selections are oriented toward a well-rounded preparation for professional life in engineering or continuing their academic career in graduate school.  Admission to the Ph.D. program is not guaranteed and those interested should ask the MSEG Graduate Academic Advisor mseg-gradinfo@udel.edu for what they need to do.

Six credits can be double counted towards the bachelors degree and the M.S. degree. These will usually be courses taken as undergraduate technical electives that are also appropriate for fulfilling the requirements of the MSEG MS degree. Courses that are specifically required for the undergraduate degree are not appropriate for double counting. Students are permitted to transfer additional graduate level (600-800) courses taken during their undergraduate degree that did not count towards their bachelor degree. Please contact the MSEG Academic Advisor mseg-gradinfo@udel.edu regarding this.

30 credits hours of lecture work are typically required for an MSEG MS degree. However the MSEG 4+1 degree program allows for 6 credits of double counting, so only 24 additional credits are necessary beyond the BS degree. The specific degree requirements are kept current on our website. There are two separate curricula tracks: Soft Materials, and Hard Materials.

Degree Requirements for 4+1 M.S. Degree

Nine (9) credits must be the three required core courses
Required Core Courses (9 credits):

• MSEG608 – Structure and Properties of Materials I (3 credits)
• MSEG803 – Equilibria in Materials Systems (3 credits)
• MSEG804 – Kinetics in Materials Systems (3 credits)

Six (6) credits must be chosen from the approved list of five (5) non-core courses:
Required Non-Core Courses (6-15 credits):
With your advisor, choose a minimum of two (2) from the following five (5) courses. If you chose to take more than two, they can count as electives.

• MSEG640 – Applied Quantum Mechanics I (3 credits)
• MSEG841 – Solid State Materials I (3 credits)
• MSEG832 – Principles of Polymer Synthesis (3 credits)
• MSEG835 – Polymer Physics (3 credits)
• MSEG817 – Composite Materials (3 credits)

Fifteen (15) credits of technical electives must be chosen from the list of five (5) non-core courses above or other courses approved by the student’s advisor.
Technical Elective Courses (15 credits):

• Elective courses will be chosen after discussion with student’s academic advisor. Students can choose 600-800 level technical courses from any of the departments within the College of Engineering, Physics or Chemistry.
• Additional courses from the list above can be used to fulfill this requirement.

All graduate students are expected to do the following:

• Students must earn a grade of B- or higher in all courses counting towards the degree requirement.
• Students must take four 800 level courses to earn their degree.
• Attend departmental seminars.