DEPARTMENT OF METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING (MTE)

Professor Richard C. Bradt, Department Head
Office: A-129H Bevill Building

The breadth of training afforded engineers specializing in metallurgical and materials engineering permits entry into many exciting technical fields. All fields of engineering involve metallic, ceramic, polymeric, or composite materials. Virtually every component of any engineered structure is limited by the properties of the materials chosen for its fabrication. The selection, methods of production, heat treatment, and finishing of the materials involved in all aspects of systems of transportation, power generation, communication, food preparation, entertainment, and housing depend on individuals trained in materials. Exciting challenges exist in the development and application of 21st-century materials, which range from the new generation of superconductors and ultralightweight composites to new magnetic recording media and sophisticated high-temperature alloys.

It is the objective of the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering undergraduate program to provide an educational experience that develops the fundamental scientific and technical engineering principles to prepare the student for the 21st century. Students receive an integrated learning experience, which includes classroom and laboratory courses that enhance their analytical, experimental, synthesis, and design skills for problem solving, that address their responsibilities to society and the environment, and that emphasize the growth of their teamwork, communicative, and leadership talents. Student learning is stimulated by modern facilities that include sophisticated equipment and advanced computer technology in which individual attention is the rule rather than the exception.

Graduates of The University of Alabama's metallurgical engineering curriculum have distinguished themselves in many careers, holding a wide range of managerial, scientific, and engineering posts across the country in industry, government, and education. The four-year program leading to the B.S. degree in metallurgical engineering involves a 121-credit-hour course sequence. Advanced study may then be pursued, if desired, to earn the M.S. or Ph.D. degree.

Manufacturing engineering certificate program. The manufacturing engineering certificate curriculum is a 34-credit-hour course sequence that can be taken concurrently with the courses required for a bachelor's degree. Most of the manufacturing engineering courses are acceptable electives in the bachelor's degree program. This certificate program requires 7 or 8 hours beyond the regular bachelor's program. A student completing all requirements receives the B.S. degree and a certificate indicating completion of the additional requirements. The student's transcript will indicate completion of the certificate program. Students interested in the certificate program should contact their advisers.

Laboratories. The metallurgical and materials engineering laboratories include facilities for solidification processing, chemical metallurgy, mechanical processing, heat treating, specimen preparation, light and electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, corrosion, and electrochemistry. New, specialized facilities also exist for rapid and unidirectional solidification, containerless melting, chemical-vapor deposition, sputtering of thin films, thermogravimetric analysis, and surface studies. Extensive work with computer modeling and data acquisition and analysis is currently under way. A two-story facility of approximately 20,000 square feet is equipped with comprehensive modern metal casting equipment. It provides space and facilities for teaching, research, and service to metal casting and processing industries and is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the United States. The laboratory houses all basic types of equipment used in operating foundries and permits demonstration to students of most of the practices encountered in making cast iron, steel, and nonferrous alloys.

Research. Research interests of the faculty include solidification science and technology; high-temperature superconductors; metal matrix composites; mechanical properties of materials; materials for magnetic information technology; mathematical and physical modeling of materials-processing operations such as solidification and steelmaking; plasma processing of materials; electromagnetically driven flow systems; corrosion control; refractories; ceramics; fracture mechanics, resource reclamation; foundry methods; and metal casting.

Graduate programs. Graduate work is offered leading to the degrees of master of science in metallurgical engineering and doctor of philosophy. Please refer to the University of Alabama graduate catalog for details of these programs.

METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM
Revised January 2000

FRESHMAN YEAR
First Semester	Hours
CH 101 General Chemistry I (N)	4
DR 125 Engineering Graphics	3
EN 101 English Composition I (FC)	3
MATH 125 Calculus I (MA)	4
MTE 101 Introduction to Materials	1
	--
	15
Second Semester
CH 102 General Chemistry II (N)	4
EC 110 Principles of Microeconomics (SB)	3
EN 102 English Composition II (FC)	3
GES 126 Introduction to Engineering Computing	3
MATH 126 Calculus II (MA)	4
	--
	17
SOPHOMORE YEAR
First Semester1
MATH 227 Calculus III (MA)	4
MTE 252 Metallurgical Process Calculations (C)	3
MTE 271 Engineering Materials I: Structure and Properties	3
PH 105 General Physics with Calculus I (N)	4
	--
	14
Second Semester
ESM 201 Statics	3
MATH 238 Applied Differential Equations I	3
MTE 243 Synthesis, Processing, and Manufacturing of Materials	3
PH 106 General Physics with Calculus II (N)	4
Humanities elective (HU)	3
	--
	16
JUNIOR YEAR
First Semester
IE 203 Engineering Economics	3
MTE 362 Thermodynamics of Materials	3
MTE 373 Physical Metallurgy I	4
Advanced science elective2	3
Humanities elective (HU)	3
	--
	16
Second Semester
ECE 225 Electric Circuits or ECE 320 Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering	3
MTE 353 Transport Phenomena in Metallurgy (C)	3
MTE 416 Casting and Solidification Processing	3
MTE 455 Mechanical Behavior of Materials	3
Social and behavioral sciences elective (SB)	3
	--
	15
SENIOR YEAR
First Semester
MTE 441 Chemical Metallurgy	3
MTE 481 Analytical Methods for Materials (W)	3
MTE 495 Seminar/Senior Thesis	1
MTE elective3	3
Humanities elective (HU)	3
Advanced science elective2	3
	--
	16
Second Semester
MTE 445 Materials Design Project (W)	3
MTE elective3	3
Advanced mathematics or statistics elective4	3
Humanities elective (HU)	3
	--
	12
Total: 121 hours

¹Possibilities exist for the outstanding student to take an additional free elective of his or her choice during these semesters.
²A list of acceptable electives is available in the metallurgical and materials engineering department office and the Engineering Student Services office.
³One elective must be either MTE 412 or MTE 476; another must be one of the following: MTE 417, MTE 418, MTE 439, MTE 444, MTE 491, MTE 492, an MTE 500-level course, or another course as approved by MTE faculty.
⁴A course in statistics, linear algebra, or advanced calculus that has been approved by the student's adviser.