Graduation Requirements
Materials Science and Engineering Graduation Checklist
For your convenience this checklist is also available as a printable PDF.
- Graduation Checklist for Class of 2024 (pdf)
- Graduation Checklist for Class of 2025 and thereafter(pdf)
MATHEMATICS (4 CRS / 16 CR)
MATH 1910
MATH 1920
MATH 2930
MATH 2940
CHEMISTRY (1 CRS / 4 CR)
CHEM 2090
PHYSICS (2 CRS / 8 CR)
PHYS 1112
PHYS 2213
COMPUTING (1 CRS / 4 CR)
CS 1110/12/13
FRESHMAN WRITING SEMINAR (2 CRS / 6 CR)
LIBERAL STUDIES ELECTIVES (6 CRS / 18 CR, 2 CRS must be 2000+Level)
PHYSICAL EDUCATION (2 SEMESTERS) & Swim Test
ENGR DISTRIBUTION (3 CRS / 9 CR)
ENGRI/D
ENGRD 2610/2620 (a)
ENGRD
FIELD PROGRAM (12 CRS / 37-40 CR)
MSE 2620/2610 (a)
MSE 2060
MSE 3010
MSE 3030
MSE 3040
MSE 3050
MSE 3070
MSE 3110
MSE 3120
MSE 4020
MSE 4030/4050 (b,c,d)
[ MSE 4060 ]
MSE 4070/5070(i)
MATERIALS ELECTIVES (2 CRS / 6 CR) (j)
MATERIALS APPLICATIONS ELECTIVES (3 CRS / 9 CR) (e,k,l)
Advanced Mathematics/Computing/Computational Modeling (1 CRS/ 3CR) (f)
OUTSIDE TECHNICAL ELECTIVES (NON-MSE ENGR/SCI) (1 CRS / 3 CR) (e,f,l)
GRADUATION WITH HONORS (2+ 4000 LEVEL CRS / 7 CR + THESIS)
□ ENTER WITH GPA > 3.50 OR GPA > 3.50 LAST 4 SEMESTERS
□ ELIGIBLE FOR CUM LAUDE DISTINCTION
□ SENIOR THESIS WITH GRADE OF A- OR BETTER
(a) ENGRD 2610 or 2620 is required for affiliation. The other is taken in the Field Program as either MSE 2610 or MSE 2620. If both were taken as ENGRD or MSE courses, you can petition the engineering college to change the course listing.
(b) Electronic Circuits (PHYS 3360 or AEP 3630) may, by petition, substitute for Senior Laboratory MSE 4030.
(c) Senior Thesis (MSE 4050 and 4060 full year) may be taken instead of MSE 4030, and is encouraged for students planning to continue to graduate school.
(d) ENGRC 3111, MSE 3070, MSE 4070/5070 combined with MSE 4030 or MSE 4050/4060 fulfills the upper level technical writing requirement.
(e) At least two of the Materials Applications Electives, and the Outside Technical Elective, must be non-MSE course numbers. An Outside Technical Elective can be any advanced (2000 level or above) technical (engineering or physical science) course that fits into the student's educational objectives.
(f) One elective (any category including Other Courses) must be a course involving advanced mathematics or statistics, computing, or computational/mathematical modeling. Mathematical courses meeting this requirement generally have MATH 2930/2940 (or
equivalent) as a prerequisite. Examples of accepted courses include ENGRD 2110, 2410, 3210, 3220; AEP 4380; CEE 3710; ECE 3100; MSE 5720, 5730; MAE 4170, 4700; ORIE 4760; TAM 3100, 3110.
(g) Liberal electives must cover at least 3 categories (CA, HA, LA, KCM, SBA, FL and CE) with no more than one from CE. Categories may be determined by consulting the list(s) at https://www.engineering.cornell.edu/students/undergraduate-students/curriculum/undergraduate-requirements/liberal-studies
(h) For advanced placement, department exams, or transfer, enter AP, DE or TR as both semester and grade. These must show on your official transcript to be valid.
(i) Students taking MSE 5070 may apply the additional credit toward the materials application elective (by petition), outside technical elective (by petition), advisor approved elective, or as credits toward graduation with honors. Petitions to accept the extra MSE credits as equivalent to a non-MSE course may also be approved.
(j) The two materials electives must be taken from the following courses:
• MSE 4100 "Physical Metallurgy and Applications"
• MSE 4610 "Biomedical Materials and Their Applications"
• MSE 5210 "Properties of Solid Polymers"
• MSE 5310 "Introduction to Ceramics"
• MSE 5320 "Glass: Structure, Properties and Modern Applications"
• MSE 5430 "Thin Film Materials Science"
• MSE 5550 “Introduction to Composite Materials”
No other courses may be substituted for the Materials Electives. Courses with cross-listed headers other than MSE are completely acceptable to be listed on the Graduation Checklist under Materials Electives and Materials Applications Electives; remember to list all headers for each cross-listed course. A Materials Electives can be counted as a Materials Applications Elective without petition.
(k) One semester of research involvement (MSE 2910, 2920, 3910, 3920, 4910 or 4920) may be used as an application elective. Other research involvement courses (MSE 1920, MSE 4900 and non-MSE) may be used as advisor approved electives only.
(l) Project team courses, and unstructured research or special project courses, can only be used as advisor approved electives.
(m) Advisor approved electives include any course that the student and advisor agree serves to further the student’s educational and professional career goals. This normally includes all science and engineering courses (including a second ENGRI course taken in the first year). It also includes further exploration of liberal electives (language, music, history, art, etc.), business electives including entrepreneurship, project teams, and research involvement. Students should talk with their advisor to ensure electives are appropriate and should ideally complete the advisor approved elective form to document the discussion.