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Program Overview
CSM Mission Statement
“The Colorado School of Mines shall be a specialized baccalaureate and graduate research institution with high admission standards. The Colorado School of Mines shall have a unique mission in energy, mineral, and materials science and engineering and associated engineering and science fields. The school shall be the primary institution of higher education offering energy, mineral and materials science and mineral engineering degrees at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.” (Colorado Revised Statutes 23-41-105).
Program Description
Metallurgical and
materials engineering plays a role in all manufacturing processes which convert
raw materials into useful products adapted to human needs. The primary outcome
of the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering program is to provide undergraduates
with a fundamental knowledge base associated with materials - processing their
properties, and their selection and application. Upon graduation, students
would have acquired and developed the necessary background and skills for
successful careers in the materials-related industries. Furthermore, the benefits
of continued education toward graduate degrees and other avenues, and the
pursuit of knowledge in other disciplines should be well inculcated.
The emphasis
in the Department is on materials processing operations which encompass: the
conversion of mineral and chemical resources into metallic, ceramic or polymeric
materials; the synthesis of new materials; refining and processing to produce
high performance materials for applications from consumer products to aerospace
and electronics; the development of mechanical, chemical and physical properties
of materials related to their processing and structure; and the selection
of materials for specific applications.
The metallurgical
and materials engineering discipline is founded on fundamentals in chemistry,
mathematics, and physics that contribute to building the knowledge-base and
developing the skills for the processing of materials so as to achieve specifications
requested for a particular industrial or advanced product. The engineering
principles in this discipline include: crystal structure and structural analysis,
thermo dynamics of materials, reaction kinetics, transport phenomena, phase
equilibria, phase transformations, microstructural evolution, and properties
of materials.
The core discipline
fundamentals are applied to a number of materials processes including: extraction and refining of materials, alloy development, casting,
mechanical working, joining and forming, ceramic particle process, high temperature
reactions and synthesis of engineered materials. In each stage of processing,
the effects of resultant microstructures and morphologies on materials properties
and performance are emphasized.
The laboratories, located in Nathaniel Hill Hall, are among the best in the nation. The laboratories along with classroom instruction provide for a well integrated education of the undergraduates working towards their baccalaureate degrees. These facilities are well-equipped and dedicated to: particulate and chemical/extraction metallurgical-and-materials processing, foundry science, corrosion and hydro/electro-metallurgical studies, physical and mechanical metallurgy, welding and joining, forming and processing and testing of ceramic materials. Mechanical testing facilities include computerized machines for tensile, compression, torsion, toughness, fatigue, and thermo-mechanical testing.
There are also other highly specialized research laboratories dedicated to: robotics, artificial intelligence, vapor deposition, and plasma and high-temperature reaction systems. Support analytical laboratories for surface analysis, emission spectrometry, X-ray analysis, optical microscopy and image analysis, electron microscopy, including an analytical scanning transmission electron microscopy, and micro-thermal-analysis/mass spectrometry. Metallurgical and Materials Engineering involves all of the processes which transform precursor materials into final engineered products adapted to human needs. The object of the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering program is to impart a fundamental knowledge of materials processing, properties, selection and application in order to provide graduates with the background and skills needed for successful careers in materials related industries, for continued education toward graduate degrees, and for the pursuit of knowledge in other disciplines.
Metallurgical and Materials Engineering (MME) Program Educational Objectives
The Metallurgical and Materials Engineering (MME) program emphasizes the structure, properties, processing and performance of materials and, as such, is designed to support five primary education objectives that will be demonstrated by recent graduates of the program. The MME program is designed and implemented so as to develop graduates who: