Materials Engineering

Overview

Access to exceptional state-of-the-art Materials Engineering laboratories at California State University Northridge enables the development of advanced expertise in materials characterization, with projects addressing nanotechnology, MEMS, sensors, smart materials, microelectronics, optoelectronics, biomaterials and environmentally assisted cracking of advanced materials.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Enhance student knowledge of fundamental materials engineering principles.

• Expand student knowledge of nontraditional materials, such as composites and electronic materials.

• Increase student knowledge of materials failure mechanisms.

• Develop student expertise in laboratory research methods in materials engineering.

• Enable student intellectual growth in discipline-related areas.

• Meet the needs of the regional industrial community for qualified materials engineering expertise.

Careers

More than two-thirds of all engineering professionals invest a significant portion of their careers in managing and administering a wide range of technical engineering and research projects and budgets. As the engineering profession evolves, an increasing need has emerged for entry-level engineering professionals who have both a broad engineering background and the knowledge and ability to interface between the business and technical functions of organizations. Undergraduate engineering majors learn engineering fundamentals, together with the art and science of planning, organizing, allocating resources, and directing and controlling activities in technological environments.

Manufacturing Systems Engineering is a growing discipline area in the engineering profession. Four of the seven technology areas that have been identified for rapid development by the National Science Foundation—advanced manufacturing technologies, advanced materials and processing, biotechnology and healthcare delivery systems—are particularly well-suited for the talents of the manufacturing systems engineer. Employment opportunities abound in the metropolitan Los Angeles area, the leading manufacturing region in the United States.

On the job, manufacturing systems engineers develop new facilities, create computer models and images of products and processes, manage the production process, conduct productivity studies, test products and evaluate materials, troubleshoot on the factory floor and work hand in hand with design engineers. Because their background is broad and the types of work are so varied, these engineers find opportunities in fields besides manufacturing, applying their skills and knowledge in such diverse environments as hospitals, entertainment firms and consulting firms. Many manufacturing systems engineers are noted for starting their own companies or for pursuing engineering management career paths in large companies.

Although most manufacturing systems engineers are employed in private industry, others pursue careers with government agencies or educational institutions. The bachelor’s degree can be used as a stepping stone to graduate work in engineering, law, business or even medicine. Many Manufacturing Systems Engineering graduates return to CSUN to earn their M.S. degree in the Engineering Management, Manufacturing Systems Engineering or Materials Engineering programs.