Materials Science & Engineering Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering

Breakthrough technologies require more than just rearranging or reshaping the parts and materials already available to us. Solving societal problems, both big and small, by revolutionizing what’s possible requires new materials with transformational properties and capabilities. Materials Engineers leverage math, chemistry, and physics as tools to understand, control, and design the materials we use to make things–enabling and implementing solutions to problems in all areas of science, technology and medicine.

About
Academics
Graduate Program
Research Areas
Faculty and Staff

<10:1 Student to faculty ratio

46% of UK MSE majors are women

47% MSE grads

Have research experience at graduation

$71.6K Average starting salary

NACE Summer 2023

79% MSE Grads

Have industry experience at graduation

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MSE Undergraduate Program

A bachelor of science degree in materials science and engineering (MSE) prepares students for impactful, financially rewarding careers in industry, challenging and dynamic futures as innovators or entrepreneurs and advanced graduate study in a range of fields.

MSE Graduate Program

We are a close-knit program whose greatest pride are the students and their individual successes. Become a part of our work hard, play hard environment and achieve anything. We have interdisciplinary research opportunities.

MSE Department News

Creation of a Femoral Spacer Mold Project

Pigman College of Engineering hosts first ever Capstone Design Showcase

Apr 29, 2025

On April 28, the University of Kentucky Pigman College of Engineering hosted its first ever Capstone Design Showcase in the Gatton Student Center. The event showcased 56 Capstone projects from over 200 students from seven engineering disciplines. Featured disciplines were biomedical engineering, biosystems and agricultural engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, engineering technology and materials engineering.

DOE funds UK research on critical materials for commercial fusion energy

Lindsay Travis

Mar 4, 2025

The University of Kentucky has been selected to lead a project with $2.3 million in funding over four years from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to develop next-generation materials critical to commercializing fusion power.

Headshots of the eight faculty selected as Lighthouse Beacon Scholars

8 faculty and 8 graduate students named Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Scholars

Sep 30, 2024

Established in 2024, the Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Endowment supports faculty, research, graduate students, facilities and research infrastructure in the Pigman College of Engineering. In its inaugural year, the endowment has made $160,000 in funds available for distribution, with a priority on faculty and research scholar support.

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Materials Science & Engineering Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering

Explore MSE

Discover Materials Science & Engineering

MSE Undergraduate Program

MSE Graduate Program

MSE Department News

Pigman College of Engineering hosts first ever Capstone Design Showcase

DOE funds UK research on critical materials for commercial fusion energy

8 faculty and 8 graduate students named Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Scholars

David Lu, Ph.D candidate and US Department of Energy Scholar brings internship experience to Paducah, Ky.

Pigman College of Engineering welcomes 10 new faculty members.

SpaceLex, UK’s rocketry and propulsion team, takes 1st place at national competition

Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering