Freshman Year
Students begin their engineering studies on day one. The Freshman Foundation year provides study and experience in materials science, materials processing, engineering communications, calculus, chemistry, physics, a humanities elective and a seminar.
The computer-based engineering communications course introduces the student to a variety of software, and supports each student in developing report preparation skills and research and communication on the World Wide Web. A Freshman Seminar supports the transition from high school into a collegiate program.
Sophomore Year
In the sophomore year, students continue with calculus and differential equations, physics, materials science, thermodynamics, microscopy, thermal processes,
mechanics of materials, and humanities electives. Program differentiation begins with a required course in powder processing for students in ceramic engineering and glass engineering science. Students planning for Study Abroad in a non-English-speaking country should complete study through at least one college year of the language (language placement exams are given just before the beginning of classes each fall semester). Students planning for the minor in Biomedical Materials, pre-dentistry, or pre-medicine should begin their study of biology in the sophomore year (see below).
New York State College of Ceramics 129 Junior Year
Concentration in the student’s major occurs in the junior year. Core courses for all three programs include courses in the properties of solid materials, thermal analysis techniques, and determining structural arrangements of atoms in materials using x-ray diffraction and chemical spectroscopy. Required courses specific to the degree program are ceramic processing and electrical engineering in ceramic engineering;
glass laboratory, industrial glass, and hot glass behavior in glass engineering science;
and metals, polymers, and composites in materials science and engineering.
Senior Year
The senior year involves two semesters of research thesis that culminates in a formal poster presentation and a manuscript bound in Scholes Library. The capstone course involves working in a student team on a broad-based manufacturing. Oral reports and a team project report are requirements in the capstone course. Carefully selected technical electives and social science and humanity electives are a large component of the senior year.
Degree Requirements
Minimum requirements for the degree (Bachelor of Science) are indicated below:
Math 17
Chemistry 8
Physics 8
Materials and Engineering
and Technical Electives 80
Humanities 20
Unrestricted 4
Total Credit Hours 137 Students attend a seminar each semester that provides a broadening of the educational experience. Each student must complete 137 credit hours and 4 credits of physical education. Humanities and social science courses must contain an historical and/or theoretical component (others may be taken for credit but do not fulfill the requirement). At least one humanities/social science course must be selected from three of the following areas:
1. Literature; Philosophy or Religion; 2. History; 3. Social Sciences; 4. Modern Language and Literature; 5. Art and Art History. A written communications
requirement is satisfied by EGL 102 (Writing II) or a particular SAT or ACT test score (see advising form).
Ceramic Engineering The Field
Ceramics are materials of basic living, of advanced technology, and of extreme environments. You encounter traditional ceramics every day of your life—dinnerware, bathroom fixtures, floor and wall tiles, cement and brick structures. You also
encounter advanced ceramics every day, but often hidden from view—components in electronic devices (computers, CD players, cellular phones), sensors in automobiles, igniters in appliances. Finally, ceramics are often used in manufacturing other materials and products—refractories that contain molten metals, filters for molten materials, insulators for furnaces, cutting tools, abrasives, and wear-resistant components. In a nutshell, ceramics are some of the oldest and some of the newest materials we use. The field is small, but highly diverse, growing, and wide open for bright people with imagination. Many issues that impact energy conservation, recycling, and other environmental concerns can only be solved by the use of ceramics, including some that haven’t been invented yet.
Careers in Ceramic Engineering
Ceramic engineering graduates have many career paths to choose from. Many become process engineers, ensuring that manufacturing operations run smoothly and
developing improvements that enhance production efficiency and save energy. Others work in technical sales, explaining materials and products, and working with
customers to achieve the best match between needs and products. Some are engaged in developing new materials and processes, or in testing materials and components. Of course, some choose to continue their education, achieving a Masters or Ph.D., and then going into research and/or teaching. Many ceramic engineering graduates, regardless of their initial path, achieve management positions (supervisors, plant managers, directors of research, etc.), and many end up owing their own companies.
You can do a lot with a ceramic engineering degree; it’s up to you.
CE Program Objectives
1) To produce students who are prepared to learn, work, and solve problems in Ceramic Engineering practice as either beginning (entry level) engineers in industry or as graduate students in a materials engineering program. 2) To have a course of study that provides the elements that are essential to a practicing Ceramic Engineer, namely:
fabrication processing; materials characterization, properties and performance;
materials selection and design; and, the mathematics and science that provide the theoretical foundation for successful ceramic engineering practice. 3) To emphasize effective communication-orally, in writing, graphically, and electronically-in both formal and informal presentation situations. 4) To provide instruction and practice in the rigors and demands of professional performance emphasizing engineering teamwork. 5) To ensure exposure throughout the curriculum to the ethics and responsibilities of Ceramic Engineering, including guidelines and examples of appropriate responses to ethical dilemmas. 6) To incorporate design and modeling processes as applied to ceramic systems, and provide meaningful opportunities for independent creative work that includes elements of design in the context of ceramic systems. 7) To encourage global awareness of contemporary social and political issues and how these relate to technology.
Ceramic Engineering Curriculum
The minimum requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Ceramic Engineering are:
Mathematics 17
Chemistry 8
Physics 8
Engineering courses, required 62
Engineering courses, elective 18
Humanities 20
Unrestricted electives 4
Total credit hours 137 Lower-Division Curriculum
Freshman Year Semester 1
MAT 119 Calculus I 4
CH 105 General Chemistry I 4
CES 101 Materials Processing 3
CES 110 Materials Science I 3
CES 120 Engineering Communications I 3
Freshman Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 17
New York State College of Ceramics 131 Semester 2
PHY 125 Physics I 4
MAT 120 Calculus II 4
CH 106 General Chemistry II 4
CES 121 Engineering Communications 3
Humanities or Social Science 4
Freshman Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 19
Sophomore Year Semester 3
MAT 121 Calculus III 3
PHY 126 Physics II 4
CES 212 Materials Science II 3
CES 235 Thermodynamics of Materials 3
Humanities/Social Science or CES 205 – Powder Processing 3
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 16
Sophomore Year Semester 4
MAT 322 Differential Equations 3
CES 205 Ceramic Powder Processing 3
CES 220 Mechanics of Materials 3
CES 241 Thermal Processes in Materials 3
CES 252 Microscopy 3
Humanities 3
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 18
Upper-Division Curriculum Semester 5
MAT 312 Applied Statistics 3
CES 307 Thermal & Mechanical Properties 3
CES 336 Electrical Engineering 3
CES 342 Ceramic Processing Principles 3
CES 348/349 Spectroscopy/X-ray Characterization 2
Humanities 4
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 18
Semester 6
CES 302 Introduction to Glass Science 3
CES 305 Properties Laboratory 3
CES 309 Electrical, Optical & Magnetic Properties 3
CES 348 Spectroscopy 2
Technical Elective 3
Humanities 3
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 17
Semester 7
CES 461 Thesis 2
CES 474 Engineering Operations 4
Technical Elective-Engineering 3
Technical Elective 3
Technical Elective 3
Humanities/Unrestricted Elective 2
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 17
Semester 8
CES 462 Thesis II 2
Technical Elective-Engineering 3
Technical Elective 3
Technical Elective 3
Unrestricted elective 4
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 15
Glass Engineering Science The Field
Glasses have been used for thousands of years--in drinking glasses, storage bottles, prized decorative objects, and jewelry. Glasses have these same uses today, but glasses are truly high-technology materials used in optical applications, as sophisticated windows that control light and heat, and in fiber optics that make high-speed, high- capacity voice and data communications possible. Glasses are essential components of many medical devices, such as X-ray tubes, endoscopes, and lasers. Advanced testing is being done on using small glass spheres, injected into the bloodstream, to carry radiation or chemotherapy agents directly to the liver to attack cancer in the liver.
Most glass products are made from abundant raw materials, such as sand and soda, and glasses are recyclable. In fact, in some countries, glass containers are made using over 90% recycled glass. There are numerous opportunities for new applications for glass, the development of new glasses, and further efficiencies in glass manufacturing.
You can't imagine life today without glass, and that will be even more the case in the future.
Careers in Glass Engineering Science
Glass engineering science graduates are highly sought after by the glass industry, and by companies that use glasses in processes or products. The Glass Engineering Science program in the School of Ceramic Engineering and Materials Science is unique. There simply isn't another program like it in the United States. Graduates can oversee glass production, work on developing new processes and products, test glass products, or work in technical sales. Many choose to continue their education, obtaining a Masters or Ph.D., preparing themselves for research or teaching at a college or university. With time, and the time may be very short, many will become managers or owners of their own companies. There is no "glass ceiling" with a Glass Engineering Science degree; the sky's the limit!
GES Program Objectives
1) To provide broadly educated engineers and scientists for the Glass Industry, related industries and Graduate Schools. This education should be both technical and non- technical, encompassing societal, ethical and environmental issues.
New York State College of Ceramics 133 2) To provide a program with a specific emphasis on the vitreous state, from which could be obtained a fundamental understanding of these materials, their processing and manufacture, more so than would be obtained from a traditional Materials Science Curriculum. 3) To insure a good grounding in the fundamentals of applied math, science, engineering and the experimental method that will be needed to keep pace with the evolving technologies of the 21st Century. 4) To encourage a multi- disciplinary approach to problem solving, providing ample opportunities to work in teams and for opportunities for expression both orally and in the written word. 5) To encourage global awareness of contemporary social and political issues and to encourage students to become positive role models as leaders and mentors. 6) To ensure continuous opportunities to work with a Faculty who are collectively well versed in all aspects of the field of Glass Science and Engineering through classroom contact, laboratory research opportunities and Research Center activities.
Glass Engineering Science Curriculum
Minimum requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Glass Engineering Science are:
Mathematics 17
Chemistry 8
Physics 8
Engineering courses, required 64
Engineering courses, elective 16
Humanities 20
Unrestricted electives 4
Total credit hours 137 Lower-Division Curriculum
Freshman Year Semester 1
MAT 119 Calculus I 4
CH 105 General Chemistry I 4
CES 101 Materials Processing 3
CES 110 Materials Science I 3
CES 120 Engineering Communications I 3
Freshman Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 17
Semester 2
PHY 125 Physics I 4
MAT 120 Calculus II 4
CH 106 General Chemistry II 4
CES 121 Engineering Communications 3
Humanities or Social Science 4
Freshman Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 19
Sophomore Year Semester 3
MAT 121 Calculus III 3
PHY 126 Physics II 4
CES 212 Materials Science II 3
CES 235 Thermodynamics of Materials 3
Humanities/Social Science or CES 205 – Powder Processing 3
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 16
Sophomore Year Semester 4
MAT 322 Differential Equations 3
CES 205 Ceramic Powder Processing 3
CES 220 Mechanics of Materials 3
CES 241 Thermal Processes in Materials 3
CES 252 Microscopy 3
Humanities 2
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 16
Upper-Division Curriculum Semester 5
MAT 312 Applied Statistics 3
CES 302 Introduction to Glass Science 3
CES 348/349 Spectroscopy/X-ray Characterization 2
CES 307 Thermal and Mechanical Properties 3
CES 308 Glass Laboratory 2
Humanities 4
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 17
Semester 6
CES 305 Properties Laboratory 3
CES 309 Electrical, Magnetic, Optical Properties 3
CES 336 Electrical Engineering 3
CES 348/349 Spectroscopy/X-ray Diffraction 2
Technical Elective 3
Humanities 4
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 18
Semester 7
CES 430 Industrial Glass and Glass-Ceramics 3
CES 474 Engineering Operations 4
CES 461 Thesis I 2
Technical Elective 3
Technical Elective 3
Humanities 4
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 19
Semester 8
CES 304 Mass Transport in Glass and Melts 3
CES 462 Thesis II 2
Technical Elective – Glass 3
Technical Elective 4/3
Unrestricted Elective 4
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 16/15
New York State College of Ceramics 135 Materials Science and Engineering
The Field
Many applications today require broad-based materials knowledge. For example, the pans in one line of gourmet cookware are pressure-cast aluminum with a permanent, non-stick, plasma-sprayed ceramic coating, fitted with polymer handles that are oven safe to 500 °F, and having glass lids. Each material must fulfill its role, but all must be compatible and function together. A materials engineer may specialize in a specific material class (ceramics, metals, polymers) or a specific area of materials science (electrical properties, mechanical properties, processing, testing, etc.), but should possess a broad background in materials science and engineering. Increased emphasis on cost, weight, and size reduction, while still improving product performance, creates challenges for monolithic materials, and opportunities for composites and other new materials. Miniaturization of components frequently is limited by the interactions of dissimilar materials at a microscopic scale. A materials engineer must be able to optimize the overall performance of complex systems involving several materials.
In many industries, several materials may be competing for the same market (e.g., polymer composites versus metallic aircraft structures, and ceramic versus metallic engine components). In these applications, a materials engineer must be able to make an unbiased decision in selecting the best material (or combination of materials), which requires a fundamental understanding of the properties and performance of each of the competing materials.
Careers in Materials Science and Engineering
The broad technical base of the Materials Science and Engineering degree prepares graduates for employment in a wide range of industries, including electronics, automotive, and aerospace, as well as for graduate school in engineering and science.
Graduates of this program are particularly well suited to work for smaller companies that need materials engineers with a broad background, rather than people specialized in particular fields. Many companies involved in manufacturing require engineers with this broad materials background who can specify materials selection, oversee
production, or maintain quality control.
In addition, independent testing and consulting companies must also be able to provide support for a wide range of customer needs. Engineering managers must be able to direct engineers and scientists with varied backgrounds. Both of these career options require the ability to communicate with different materials disciplines and to make sound engineering decisions based on knowledge from the different disciplines.
The B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering is a wonderful foundation. What you do to build on it is limited only by your imagination.
MSE Program Objectives
1) To provide a program that enables graduates to pursue careers in the materials industries, graduate studies in Materials Science and Engineering and related fields, and/or advanced studies leading to other professional careers such as medicine, dentistry, law, and business. 2) To provide graduates with a strong foundation in the fundamentals of science and engineering and opportunities to apply these principles to the four integrated aspects of materials systems (structure, processing, properties, and performance.)
3) To enable students to develop the ability to formulate and solve contemporary materials’ design and selection problems using experimental, statistical, and computational methods. 4) To provide students with substantial hands-on laboratory experience in materials characterization, processing, fabrication, and properties measurement using modern equipment standard in industrial and research environments and with ample opportunities to analyze, interpret, and communicate experimental results. 5) To encourage students to participate in team activities which integrate social, financial, and the technical aspects of engineering and to provide a forum for students to communicate the outcomes of such activities. To emphasize effective communication--orally, in writing, graphically, and electronically, both formally and informally. To encourage students to develop the necessary interpersonal skills to work as a member of a team. 6) To encourage global awareness of
contemporary social, ethical, and political issues and to encourage students to become positive role models as employees, coworkers, leaders, and mentors.
Materials Science and Engineering Curriculum
The minimum requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering are:
Mathematics 17
Chemistry 8
Physics 8
Engineering courses, required 53
Engineering courses, elective 27
Humanities 20
Unrestricted electives 4
Total credit hours 137 Lower-Division Curriculum
Freshman Year Semester 1
MAT 119 Calculus I 4
CH 105 General Chemistry I 4
CES 101 Materials Processing 3
CES 110 Materials Science I 3
CES 120 Engineering Communications I 3
Freshman Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 17
Semester 2
PHY 125 Physics I 4
MAT 120 Calculus II 4
CH 106 General Chemistry II 4
CES 121 Engineering Communications 3
Humanities or Social Science 4
Freshman Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 19
New York State College of Ceramics 137 Sophomore Year
Semester 3
MAT 121 Calculus III 3
PHY 126 Physics II 4
CES 212 Materials Science II 3
CES 235 Thermodynamics of Materials 3
Humanities/Social Science or CES 252 – Microscopy 3
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 16
Sophomore Year Semester 4
MAT 322 Differential Equations 3
CES 220 Mechanics of Materials 3
CES 241 Thermal Processes in Materials 3
Humanities 4
Humanities or Applied Statistics 4
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 17
Upper-Division Curriculum Semester 5
MAT 312 Applied Statistics 3
CES 348/349 Spectroscopy/X-ray Characterization 2
CES 306 Polymers I 3
CES 307 Thermal & Mechanical Properties 3 CES 309 Electrical, Magnetic & Optical Properties 3
CES 332 Transport Properties 3
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 17
Semester 6
CES 348/349 Spectroscopy/X-ray Diffraction 2
CES 438 Metals I 3
CES Technical Elective – Materials 3
CES Technical Elective 3
CES Technical Elective 3
Humanities 4
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 18
Semester 7
CES 474 Engineering Operations 4
CES 461 Thesis I 2
CES Technical Elective – Materials 3
CES Technical Elective 3
CES Technical Elective 3
Humanities 2
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 17
Semester 8
CES 462 Thesis II 2
Technical Elective - Materials 3
Technical Elective 3
Technical Elective 3
Unrestricted Elective 4
Humanities 2
Seminar 0
Total Credit Hours 17
Minors for Students in CEMS Programs
Students enrolled in any of the School's undergraduate degree programs may take one of the following minors: Glass Science and Technology, Photonic and Optical Materials, Biomedical Materials. The requirements for these minors are given below.
Glass Science and Technology Minor Required Courses (8 credits)
CES 302 Introduction to Glass Science 3
CES 308 Glass Laboratory 2
CES 430 Industrial Glass and Glass-Ceramics 3
Plus at least 6 credits from among the following:
CES 304 Mass Transport in Glasses and Melts 3
CES 326* Co-op in Glass 2
CES 418 Optical Glasses 3
CES 42y Optical Spectra of Solids 2
CES 426 Advanced Glass Science 3
CES 450* Independent Study in Glass 1-3
CES 461/462* Senior Thesis in Glass 4
CES 487 Introduction to Photonics 3
Total credit hours 14
*with permission of instructor and minor advisor.
Photonics Minor
Required Courses (8 credits)
CES 302 Introduction to Glass Science 3
CES 428 Fundamentals of Optical Behavior 2
CES 487 Introduction to Photonics 3
Plus at least 7 credits from among the following:
CES 308 Glass Laboratory 2
CES 316 Electroceramics 3
CES 326* Co-op in Opt. Matl./Photonics 2
CES 418 Optical Glasses 3
CES 42y Optical Spectra of Solids 2
CES 450* Independent Study in Optical Matl/Photonics 1-3 CES 461/462* Senior Thesis in Optical Matl/Photonics 4
EED 330 Device Electronics 3
EED 440 Communications Systems Engineering 3
EED 444 Optical Fiber Communications Systems 3
EED 475 Image Processing 3
EED 490 Laser Theory and Applications 3
PHY 225 Elementary Optics 2
PHY 401 Quantum Physics 4
PHY 424 Advanced Electricity and Magnetism 4
Total credit hours 15
*with permission of instructor and minor advisor.
New York State College of Ceramics 139 Biomedical Materials Minor
Required courses (10 credit hours)
BIO 252 Introduction to Cell Biology 4
CH 310 Basic Organic Chemistry 3
CES 486 Biomedical Materials 3
Plus at least four courses from the following (12-15 credit hours)
CES 402 Polymer Characterization 3
CES 424 Optical Properties of Materials 3
CES 438 Introduction to Physical Metallurgy I 3
CES 464 Composite Design and Fabrication 3
BIO 372 Advanced Cell Biology 4
BIO 440 General Biochemistry 4
BIO 462 General Microbiology 4
BIO 482 Molecular Genetics 4
Total credit hours 22-25
Minors in Other Areas of Study
Minors in nearly every other area of study at the University are open to students in the School. Minors in mathematics, chemistry, and physics are very compatible with the three degree programs, since upper-level courses in these areas can be used as technical electives. A minor in Business is facilitated by allowing two courses required for the Business minor, MKT 321 and MGT 328, to count as technical electives. The Business minor can be used as the foundation for an MBA (see the section on MBA and Law Programs.)
Double Degrees
All students also have the option of obtaining two Bachelor degrees in two different units of the University. The minimum requirements for awarding two bachelor's degrees from two different University units to a student are successful completion of 148 semester hours, the general University graduation requirements, and the specific requirements for each degree. Students who wish to pursue double degrees should start as early as possible, and they need to have an academic advisor in each major.
Preparation for the Graduate Biomedical Materials Engineering Science Program Our newest graduate offering is the Master of Science in Biomedical Materials Engineering Science. It is an interdisciplinary program with the Department of Biology at Alfred University with an emphasis on materials for biomedical applications. This program is open to students who have a B.S. in Biology or in Ceramic Engineering, Glass Engineering Science, or Materials Science and Engineering. Students in one of the School's degree programs who want to enter this graduate program should prepare for this by taking the minor in Biomedical Materials.
Exceptional students who complete the minor in Biomedical Materials should be able to complete the MS in Biomedical Materials with one additional year of study at the graduate level.
Preparation for the Health Professions
An engineering education provides a strong background for continued study in the health professions. Interested students must choose electives wisely and maintain a high grade point average. Students must take biology (BIO 101 and 102) and organic chemistry (CH 315 and 316). An upper-level course in biology is recommended.