Faculty Director

Saleem Kassam, PhD

Russell J. Composto, Ph.D.
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering; Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; and Bioengineering
Chair, Graduate Group in Materials Science and Engineering

Dr. Composto's areas of research include polymer surfaces and interfaces, cell/organic interfaces, polymer based nanocomposites, polymer coating and adhesion, wetting and phase separation in polymer blends, and SAM/peptide tethered surfaces.

He is the director of The Composto Polymer Research Group which is affiliated with the Laboratory for Nanoscience and Molecular Engineering at Interfaces.

Author/co-author of over 100 publications in refereed journals and conference proceedings, Dr. Composto is a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) and vice-chair elect of the Polymer Division of APS.

Materials Science and Engineering

Master's Program

A pace setter, Penn is one of the first universities to establish a center for materials research in the 1960's. By remaining at the forefront of technology innovations, this center, the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM), has grown to be one of the largest in the nation. Still setting the pace, we are opening up new fields in materials science, preparing tomorrow's leaders, and putting our knowledge to practical use in today's high-tech society.

Materials Science and Engineering includes polymers and ceramics

Program Highlights: Access to research and resources of Penn’s renowned interdisciplinary centers: Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter designated as an NSF Materials Science Research and Engineering Center, Nanoscience and Engineering Center , Nanotechnology Institute, the Penn Regional Nanotechnology Facility, and the Institute for Medicine and Engineering.

The master's program in Materials Science and Engineering prepares students to be leaders, innovators, and visionaries in the materials revolution that is being driven by discoveries that cross the boundaries of physics, chemistry, and biology, such as in the growing field of nanobioscience.

Our program, grounded in the latest research findings, provides a rigorous in-depth education in the fundamentals and applications of technologically-relevant materials. A major advantage of our multidisciplinary program is that you can tailor your education to your own professional and career goals, from ceramics, polymers, and metals to nonstructured and soft materials.

A telling measure of our success, our graduates can be found in leadership positions in industries that range from electronics, manufacturing, and communications to transportation and energy, or pursuing doctoral degrees at Penn and other top-ranked research universities.

Materials Science and Engineering MSE Curriculum

You must complete a minimum of ten graduate courses comprised of five required courses in materials science and five approved elective courses selected from the graduate curricula in engineering,
physical sciences or business. You may substitute a master's thesis for three electives.

Learn more about the program at the Materials Science and Engineering MSE website