Materials Science and Technology

New Major Starting Fall 2025

Materials science drives technological innovation across nearly every industryfrom smartphone touchscreens and processors to life-saving medical implants, batteries, solar cells, and even running shoes. The University of Oregon's materials science and technology major is an industry-aligned, research-based program that prepares students to work at the leading edge of this innovation wave. Our program is the first in the state to offer an undergraduate degree in materials science.

What You Can Do with a Degree in Materials Science

The materials science and technology major prepares students for high-demand careers across a broad range of industries. Our graduates can find employment in:

  • Semiconductor manufacturing
  • Advanced electronics and nanomanufacturing
  • Aerospace and defense development
  • Energy industry
  • Automotive manufacturing
  • Sustainable materials development
  • Biotechnology and pharmaceutical development
  • Sports equipment manufacturing

Materials science majors will be highly competitive for UO’s world-leading industry-focused applied science Masters’ programs—KCGIP, Electrochemistry, AMAC, Quantum Technologies—which prepare scientists for high-tech jobs through coursework, hands-on research training, and industrial internships. An MSTC undergraduate major also prepares you for graduate study in basic science, applied science, and engineering programs across the nation and globally. 

35
MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH FACULTY
100
PHD STUDENTS
$18M
IN RESEARCH FUNDING

Our Degree Programs

Materials science and technology majors gain a strong foundation in chemistry and physics while participating in cutting-edge research that prepares them to work at the forefront of technological development. Our flexible interdisciplinary major allows students to choose whether to focus their courses on chemistry or physics.

All students interested in the MSTC program must first apply to the University of Oregon via the standard university admissions process. Once at UO, students must complete lower division requirements before applying for admission into the MSTC major. 

MSTC experts demoing on the board

Learn from Experts in the Field

Materials science and technology is an interdisciplinary major that brings together award-winning faculty from the departments of Physics and Chemistry and Biochemistry. Our faculty members are affiliated with the Materials Science Institute, a group of UO researchers who have been instrumental in advancing materials science research in Oregon.

MSTC student working on experiencement

Get Real-world Experience

All materials science and technology majors take a research immersion course, which propels them into lab work guided by a faculty researcher. We also work with industry partners to help place students in internships that can lead to full-time jobs.

Scholarships and Funding

Students can seek funding through the College of Arts and Sciences, which awards various scholarships to both incoming students and those who are already attending the UO.

Undergraduate Scholarships

Academic Support

Academic advisors in Tykeson Hall help students understand their major or minor requirements, plan their course of study, explore study abroad opportunities, and more.

Undergraduate Advising

Natural Sciences News

MATHEMATICS - The University of Oregon will be home to the Functional Analysis in the Pacific Northwest conference, Nov. 8-11. The four-day event aims to bring together a diverse field of mathematicians from around the world and foster an environment for collaboration and exchange of ideas, as well as celebrate influential functional analysis expert William B. Johnson.
PSYCHOLOGY - A new study led by researchers at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences in collaboration with Google Research found little evidence linking smartphone use with mental well-being in adults. Researchers analyzed more than 250,000 days of smartphone usage from more than 10,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and up.
PHYSICS - Far from home, Eric Torrence, a physics professor at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences, will spend the next year and a half being the ATLAS Run Coordinator at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). After being elected to the position fall 2024, Torrence ensures the largest particle accelerator in the world continuously produces usable data from May 2025 to July 2026.

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Chemistry and Physics Events

The BIG10 Academia Postdoc Hiring Fair
Oct21
The BIG10 Academia Postdoc Hiring Fair Oct 21
How to: Interviewing (Workshop)
Oct21
How to: Interviewing (Workshop) Oct 21 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Your Future in Food & Beverage (Panel + Networking Night)
Oct21
Your Future in Food & Beverage (Panel + Networking Night) Oct 21 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
The BIG10 Academia Faculty Hiring Fair
Oct22
The BIG10 Academia Faculty Hiring Fair Oct 22
Job Shadow Day Info Session: Explore Careers in Nonprofit Work
Oct22
Job Shadow Day Info Session: Explore Careers in Nonprofit Work Oct 22 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Wine Chat: “Anime Academy: How Fans Have Changed Universities”
Oct22
Wine Chat: “Anime Academy: How Fans Have Changed Universities” Oct 22 Capitello Wines
The BIG10 Grad Student and Postdoc Industry Recruitment Event
Oct23
The BIG10 Grad Student and Postdoc Industry Recruitment Event Oct 23
Encoding and Decoding Story, Place, and Self: Towards Situated Environmental Journalism in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Oct23
Encoding and Decoding Story, Place, and Self: Towards Situated Environmental Journalism in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Oct 23
Fall Career & Internship Expo
Oct23
Fall Career & Internship Expo Oct 23 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Building Conflict-Resilient Academic Communities: Responses to October 7 in the University of Haifa Law School
Oct23
Building Conflict-Resilient Academic Communities: Responses to October 7 in the University of Haifa Law School Oct 23 John E. Jaqua Academic Center for Student Athletes

All events »