A woman wearing safety glasses and blue lab coat with her hand on a tube looking at a beaker in a laboratory. A woman wearing safety glasses and blue lab coat with her hand on a tube looking at a beaker in a laboratory. A person holding an erlenmeyer flask that contains liquid and is covered with tinfoil.

Chemistry: Materials Chemistry
Major

Materials chemistry overview

Study substances, both natural and man-made, and make them better with materials chemistry. This branch of science examines: 

  • Synthesis: How are materials made?
  • Structure: How are materials put together?
  • Characterization: How do materials behave?
  • Application: What are these materials good for?

As a materials chemistry student, you'll engage in hands-on research and work one-on-one with your professors on a capstone project. We're the only public university in Michigan to have a required capstone research experience for chemistry majors. Your research could even lead to publication in a peer-reviewed journal or conference presentations. You'll graduate with a leg up in the job market and in graduate school applications. 

AT A GLANCE

Degree Type
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Format
On Campus
Credit Hours
64 - 68 Credit Hours

Why study materials chemistry?

Like all chemistry majors, you'll begin your studies with core courses in science and math. Then, you'll specialize with a materials chemistry concentration for more advanced topics. 

You'll study chemical properties of different materials and use that knowledge to improve existing materials or create brand new ones. You'll also learn about the development of pharmaceuticals and the future of biomimetics.

Throughout your studies, you'll have opportunities to engage in hands-on research. You'll complete a capstone project, where you'll work directly with a faculty mentor to conduct research, write a thesis and present your findings. 

Whether you're looking to pursue an advanced degree, or a career after graduation, you'll have the knowledge and the skills to succeed.

Highlights of our materials chemistry program

As a student in the chemistry: materials chemistry program, you will:

  • Work on groundbreaking research: Past projects between faculty and students have included methods to capture and process mercury from coal-fired power plants and the development of a chemical compound which filters cancer-causing perchlorates from water.  
  • Join a group of fellow science lovers: Our student chapter of the American Chemical Society has been recognized for excellence eight years in a row.
  • Learn in state-of-the-art campus labs: Study the latest techniques in our four-story, 60,000-square-foot Dow Science Complex. It supports NMR spectrometry, radioactive materials research, mass spectrometry and spectroscopy.
  • Prepare for national exams: You'll be ready to take the Chemistry Diagnostic Undergraduate Chemistry Knowledge (DUCK) exam and the Biochemistry certification exam from the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)

Careers with a materials chemistry degree

Your chemistry degree with a concentration in materials chemistry will prepare you for in-demand laboratory jobs or graduate school. 

Career Projected Salary
Manufacturing Chemist $54,929
Research & Development Chemist $87,180
Polymer Chemist $63,728
Chemist $80,670
Materials Scientist $87,180
Chemical Technician $56,750
Golden liquid is poured from one beaker to another.
Two students wearing lab coats and goggles using lab equipment.

Research alongside experts and mentors

Work side-by-side with faculty on emerging topics for a capstone project. Past students have even had their research published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national conferences.

View current faculty research

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