Nov 23, 2025  
Rensselaer Catalog 2025-2026 
    
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Rensselaer Catalog 2025-2026

Materials Engineering B.S.

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The sample curriculum shown below, which results in the B.S. degree in Materials Engineering, requires a minimum of 127 credit hours and completion of the required elective courses that follow.

First Year

Fall (17 credits)

Spring (16 credits)

Second Year

Fall (17 credits)

Spring (16-17 credits)

Third Year

Please note: The third year of the program varies depending upon which semester the student chooses to take away following The Arch Summer Semester classes. Please note the following differences in curriculum:

  • If students are going to be away during the Fall semester of their junior year, they should take the listed courses for each term and any courses under the Fall Away Track for year three of their program.
     
  • If students are going to be away during the Spring semester of their junior year, they should take the listed courses for each term and any courses under the Spring Away Track for year three of their program.

Arch / Fall (15-16 credits)

*For more information on the ARCH process, please click here: The Arch 

Students who are officially exempt from the Arch will take these courses in the fall semester.  ENGR 1300  replaces MTLE 2500 .  

 

Spring* (17 credits)

*If following the B.S. in Materials Engineering curriculum, students must select the spring term as their “on-campus” semester.

 

Fall or Spring

Fourth Year

Fall (16 credits)


 

Spring (13 credits)

 

 

Electives

Restricted Electives (3 or 4 credits each)

Materials Electives (3 credits each)

(See footnote 1 below)

Note:  The courses in the Materials Electives list may be substituted with any MTLE 4000- or 6000-level course.  In order to take a 6000-level course, students may be required to obtain formal approval from the Office of Graduate Education, as specified in the course catalog.

Footnotes

  1. May be replaced by ENGR 1300  or another engineering exploration course.
  2. This course can be taken in either semester.
  3. May be replaced by ENGR 1400 .
  4. Students who are officially exempt from the Arch will take these courses in the fall semester. ENGR 1300  replaces MTLE 2500 .  
  5. For a list of courses that satisfy the Professional Development – Technical Issues & Solution requirement refer to the link “Professional Development Courses” on the Registrar’s “Academic Planning” web page; It should be completed before the capstone design course.
  6. Free Electives must total at least 12 credits.
  7. Any 3- or 4- credit MTLE course at the 4000- or 6000- level may be used to fulfill Materials Elective requirement. In order to take a 6000- level course, students may be required to obtain formal approval from the Office of Graduate Education, as specified in the course catalog.
  8. ADMN 1030  is a zero-credit course that may be taken in the second-year fall or spring term (or possibly first year for ACCEL students); satisfactory completion is a graduation requirement.  Another graduation requirement is satisfactory completion of an ILEA 4400 , usually in fall of the third year.
  9. ​​​​​​​ Any 4-credit course in the School of Science with a prefix of ASTR, BCBP, BIOL, CHEM, ERTH, MATH or PHYS

 

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