Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and NanoEngineering (BSMSNE) Degree

The program leading to the BS in Materials and NanoEngineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Materials, Metallurgical, Ceramics and Similarly Named Engineering Program Criteria.

Program Learning Outcomes (Student Outcomes) for the BSMSNE Degree

  1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
  3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
  5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Program Educational Objectives for the BSMSNE Degree

The Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and NanoEngineering (BSMSNE) degree prepares graduates to succeed in professional careers by equipping them with the expertise sought by top graduate schools and corporations. Recognizing that graduates may embark on diverse educational and career paths, the Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) that graduates will achieve within a few years of obtaining their Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and NanoEngineering (BSMSNE) degree from Rice University are:

  1. Graduates will demonstrate technical proficiency and professional achievement in their work which may include scientific inquiry as well as problem-solving, process optimization, and/or design in materials engineering and related fields. 
  2. Graduates will be accomplished at communicating and working collaboratively in diverse work environments. 
  3. Graduates seeking post-baccalaureate education will achieve appropriate levels of success in admission to and progression through those programs. Graduates entering professional careers will achieve appropriate career progression and success. 

Requirements for the BSMSNE Degree 

For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BSMSNE degree must complete:  

  • A minimum of 33-36 courses (89-92 credit hours), depending on course selection, to satisfy major requirements.  
  • A minimum of 126-129 credit hours, depending on course selection, to satisfy degree requirements.  
  • A minimum of 17 courses (37 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above. 

Students seeking the BSMSNE must complete a minimum of 89 credit hours in general math and science, core, and specialization elective courses within the total minimum requirement of 126 credit hours.  

The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor, or where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Summary

Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Materials Science and NanoEngineering 89-92
Total Credit Hours Required for the BSMSNE Degree126-129

Degree Requirements

Required Math and Science Prerequisites
MATH 101SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I3
or MATH 105 AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS I
MATH 102SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II3
or MATH 106 AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS II
Select 1 from the following: 14
MECHANICS (WITH LAB)
and MECHANICS DISCUSSION
HONORS MECHANICS (WITH LAB)
Select 1 from the following: 24
ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB)
and ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM DISCUSSION
HONORS ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB)
MATH 211ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND LINEAR ALGEBRA3
MATH 212MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS3
or MATH 232 HONORS MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS
CHEM 121GENERAL CHEMISTRY I3
or CHEM 111 AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY I
CHEM 123GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I1
or CHEM 113 AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB I
CHEM 122GENERAL CHEMISTRY II3
or CHEM 112 AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY II
CHEM 124GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II1
or CHEM 114 AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB II
CMOR 220INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING COMPUTATION3
Select 1 course from the following:3
MATRIX ANALYSIS
MATRIX ANALYSIS FOR DATA SCIENCE
LINEAR ALGEBRA
HONORS LINEAR ALGEBRA
Select 1 from the following:3
WAVES, LIGHT, AND HEAT
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I
and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY DISCUSSION I
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY I
Core Requirements
MECH 202MECHANICS/STATICS 33
MSNE 201INTRODUCTION TO NANOTECHNOLOGY FOR ENGINEERS3
or MSNE 222 MATERIALS IN NATURE AND BIOMIMETIC STRATEGIES
MSNE 211INTRODUCTION TO MATERIALS SCIENCE FOR ENGINEERS3
MSNE 302MATERIALS PROCESSING AND NANOMANUFACTURING3
MSNE 304MATERIALS SCIENCE JUNIOR LAB3
MSNE 311MATERIALS SELECTION AND DESIGN3
MSNE 389ETHICS & SAFETY FOR MATERIALS ENGINEERS1
Select 4 courses from the following;12
THERMODYNAMICS IN MATERIALS SCIENCE
MECH PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SOLIDS
MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION FROM NANO TO MACRO
CERAMICS AND GLASSES
MSNE 407CAPSTONE DESIGN PROJECT I4
MSNE 408CAPSTONE DESIGN PROJECT II3
MSNE 435CRYSTALLOGRAPHY & DIFFRACTION3
MSNE 437CRYSTALLOGRAPHY & DIFFRAC LAB1
MSNE 450
MSNE 451
MATERIALS SCIENCE SEMINAR
and MATERIALS SCIENCE SEMINAR
1
Elective Requirements
Select 1 elective course from the Engineering Cluster (see course list below)3-4
Select 1 elective course from the Math and Science Cluster (see course list below)3-4
Select 1 elective course from the Technical Cluster or select additional Engineering Cluster courses (see course lists below)3-4
Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Major in Materials Science and NanoEngineering 89-92
Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements *3-6
University Graduation Requirements *31
Total Credit Hours126-129

Footnotes and Additional Information

Course Lists to Satisfy Requirements

Elective Requirements

To fulfill the remaining Materials Science and NanoEngineering major requirements for the BSMSNE degree, students must complete a total of 3 additional courses (a minimum of 9-12 credit hours, depending on course selection). 1 course (3-4 credit hours, depending on course selection) must come from the Engineering Cluster, 1 course (3-4 credit hours, depending on course selection) must come from the Math and Science Cluster. The  remaining course (3-4 credit hours, depending on course selection) must come from the Technical Cluster or from additional Engineering Cluster coursework.

In general, courses at the 300-level or above offered by the George R. Brown School of Engineering can satisfy the Engineering Cluster, and courses at the 300-level or above offered by the Wiess School of Natural Sciences can satisfy the Math and Science Cluster. However, students need academic advisors’ approval to apply courses not on this list to fulfill major requirements. The course lists below are pre-approved courses that fulfill Engineering Cluster or Math and Science Cluster requirements. Please note: some courses may not be offered every academic year, some courses may have additional pre-requisite requirements, and courses are subject to change by the lead department offering the course. 

Engineering Cluster (no MSNE courses)
Select at least 1 course from the following:3-4
BIOMATERIALS
PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
MECHANICS OF SOLIDS AND STRUCTURES
PHYSICS GUIDED MACHINE LEARNING & DATA DRIVEN MODELING FEM
FATE AND TRANSPORT OF CONTAMINANTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT
CHEMICAL KINETICS AND REACTOR DESIGN
TRANSPORT PHENOMENA I
FUNDAMENTALS OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING I
and FUNDAMENTALS OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING I LABORATORY
ELECTRONIC MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS
INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL ELECTRONICS I
QUANTUM MECHANICS FOR ENGINEERS
OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
ENGINEERING ECONOMICS
ENGINEERING MECHANICS
COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN
FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS
HEAT TRANSFER
Total Credit Hours3-4
Math and Science Cluster (no MSNE or Engineering courses)
Select at least 1 course from the following:3-4
INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY I
BIOCHEMISTRY I
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF THE NEURON
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
INTRODUCTION TO OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND OPTIMIZATION
THEORETICAL NEUROSCIENCE: FROM CELLS TO LEARNING SYSTEMS
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS
ANALYSIS
COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I
and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY DISCUSSION I
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY I
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY II
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
EARTH AND PLANETARY SURFACE ENVIRONMENTS
ELEMENTS OF ANALYSIS
HONORS LINEAR ALGEBRA
LINEAR ALGEBRA
WAVES, LIGHT, AND HEAT
MODERN PHYSICS
INTERMEDIATE MECHANICS
INTERMEDIATE ELECTRODYNAMICS
INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGICAL PHYSICS
ELEMENTARY APPLIED STATISTICS 1
INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS FOR BIOSCIENCES
Total Credit Hours3-4
Technical Cluster (MSNE or Engineering courses)2
Select 1 course from the following (or select additional coursework from the Engineering Cluster):3
3D PRINTING AND ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING: THEORY AND APPLICATIONS
ELECTRONIC, OPTICAL AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF POLYMERS
COMPUTATIONAL MATERIALS MODELING
MICROSTRUCTURE AND NANOSTRUCTURE EVOLUTION
QUANTUM MATERIALS ENGINEERING
PROPERTIES, SYNTHESIS AND DESIGN OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS
COMPUATIONAL NANOSCIENCE FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
MATERIALS IN NATURE AND BIO-MIMETIC STRATEGIES
COLLOIDAL AND INTERFACIAL PHENOMENA
SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS OF CORROSION SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
MICROSCOPY METHODS IN MATERIALS SCIENCE
MICRO AND NANO HEAT TRANSPORT METHODOLOGIES AND DESIGN
INTRODUCTION TO POLYMER PHYSICS AND ENGINEERING
PROPERTIES OF POLYMERS
NANOMATERIALS AND NANOMECHANICS
Total Credit Hours3
 Footnotes and Additional Information

Policies for the BSMSNE Degree

Program Restrictions and Exclusions

Students pursuing the BSMSNE degree should be aware of the following program restriction:

  • As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, under Declaring Majors, Minors and Certificates, students may not obtain both a BA and a BS in the same major. Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and NanoEngineering (BSMSNE) Degree may not additionally pursue the BA Degree with a Major in Materials Science and NanoEngineering.

Transfer Credit 

For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s transfer credit advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities. 

Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines

Students pursuing the BSMSNE degree should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guidelines:

  • Requests for transfer credit will be considered by the program director (and/or the program’s official transfer credit advisor) on an individual case-by-case basis.

Additional Information

For additional information, please see the Materials Science and NanoEngineering website: https://msne.rice.edu/

Opportunities for the BSMSNE Degree

Academic Honors

The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.

Fifth-Year Master's Degree Option for Rice Undergraduate Students 

In certain situations and with some terminal master's degree programs, Rice students have an option to pursue a master’s degree by adding an additional fifth year to their four years of undergraduate studies.

Advanced Rice undergraduate students in good academic standing typically apply to the master’s degree program during their junior or senior year. Upon acceptance, depending on course load, financial aid status, and other variables, they may then start taking some required courses of the master's degree program. A plan of study will need to be approved by the student's undergraduate major advisor and the master’s degree program director.

As part of this option and opportunity, Rice undergraduate students:

  • must complete the requirements for a bachelor's degree and the master's degree independently of each other (i.e. no course may be counted toward the fulfillment of both degrees).
  • should be aware there could be financial aid implications if the conversion of undergraduate coursework to that of graduate level reduces their earned undergraduate credit for any semester below that of full-time status (12 credit hours).
  • more information on this Undergraduate - Graduate Concurrent Enrollment opportunity, including specific information on the registration process can be found here.

Rice undergraduate students completing studies in science and engineering may have the option to pursue the Master of Materials Science and NanoEngineering (MMSNE) degree. For additional information, students should contact their undergraduate major advisor and the MMSNE program director.

Research Opportunities

Many MSNE majors participate in undergraduate research; some even start during their freshman year. To get involved, speak to a MSNE undergraduate advisor or directly to a MSNE faculty member. 

Additional Information

For additional information, please see the Materials Science and NanoEngineering website: https://msne.rice.edu/