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WHY CHOOSE MATERIALS ENGINEERING?

At any given point in life any person will stop for a moment, pondering, and will ask himself how
he or she came about to be existing in the world. The never-ending interrogative of how life is created
on earth in the middle of nowhere is merely the cover page of the book of humanitys unquenchable
thirst for knowledge. The need to comprehend the universe surrounding us, and solutions to making our
way into and out of it more pleasant, have been the driving forces that led our previous generations to
decipher how to utilize their brains in order to hunt that mammoth that was 15 times larger than them,
or how to make a 20 ton train move by using combustion, and even come up with a 4 x 2.5 device that
is capable of accessing the entirety of information that is known to man by just touching it.
This driving force moves scientists, (specifically engineers) into comprehending the world surrounding us
and studying it to manipulate the resources available, in order to meet the needs and wants of society in
an effective manner. The first thing that engineers needed in order to engineer things, were materials.
Without materials there is no engineering. Materials scientist and engineers are those who
Evaluate materials and develop machinery and processes to manufacture materials for use in
products that must meet specialized design and performance specifications. Develop new uses
for known materials.[The career] Includes those engineers working with composite materials or
specializing in one type of material, such as graphite, metal and metal alloys, ceramics and glass,
plastics and polymers, and naturally occurring materials. [It] includes metallurgists and
metallurgical engineers, ceramic engineers, and welding engineers. (www.bls.gov, 2014)
Materials scientists have fun with a set of different materials, and it is all with the purpose of making life
easier. It is without a doubt an exciting occupation, but; what requirements must one meet in order to
become a Materials Engineer? What are the benefits and disadvantages that come with this profession?
And, why does this seem like such an attractive occupation?
Being a Materials Scientist involves being able to enjoy science and being able to apply critical
thinking, and mathematical skills when working with problems. Materials Engineers solve problems in
many different engineering fields like civil, mechanical, chemical, electrical and aerospace. They work
with materials at the nano-metric level, usually at offices with access to computers and lab equipment in
order to test their ideas and hypotheses of the projects they currently work in at the time. Other
common every-day responsibilities for Materials Engineers include:
Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
Determine appropriate methods for fabricating and joining materials.
Monitor material performance and evaluate material deterioration.
Supervise production and testing processes in industrial settings, such as metal refining facilities,
smelting or foundry operations, or nonmetallic materials production operations.
(www.careerinfonet.org, 2014)

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The great majority of Materials Engineers are required to complete a Bachelor of Science degree
in the subject of materials, or relating subjects. Most agencies and firms require a passing grade in the
Fundamentals of Engineering exam after graduation, as well as knowing how to apply the principles of
engineering and technology, having a general knowledge of the chemical composition of materials,
knowledge of mathematics and physics, and their applications. Some of the most important skills that a
Materials Engineer must have include critical thinking, reading comprehension, active listening, complex
problem solving skills, as well as writing and speaking skills; these last ones are very important, as they
enable engineers to communicate their ideas and findings with the scientific community. Electrical
Engineer Patty Giron ratifies this statement and shares her advise: You need to be able to communicate
effectively with people, as you will most likely be working as a team on various projects. You also need
to be comfortable making presentations and doing public speaking. (Hodon, 30)
Since investigations require considerable amounts of time being invested on them, these
Engineers usually have fulltime work schedules, but they are willing to stay extra hours if they feel like
the progress of their project is not satisfying enough for them. The median salary per year for Materials
Engineers as of 2012 in the U.S. is of $85,200. In the state of Texas, it averaged $77,000, as shown in the
following table:
STATE AND NATIONAL WAGES
Location
Pay
Period
2012
10% 25% Median 75% 90%
United States
Hourly $25.43 $32.16 $40.94 $51.69 $62.51
Yearly $52,900 $66,900 $85,200 $107,500 $130,000
Texas
Hourly $23.71 $28.48 $37.03 $47.31 $62.94
Yearly $49,300 $59,200 $77,000 $98,400 $130,900
Table extracted from careerinfonet.org
*Although there is a significant difference in the national and Texan wages overall, the top 10%
of employees in Texas had a slight advantage over the median of the rest of the country.
There are predictions that describe the anticipated growth in the career sector in the country,
there is not much growth expected for the career for the year 2020 in the whole country. Contrary to
this trend, the state of Texas is expected to have a 24% change in job openings.
State and National Trends
United States
Employment
Percent
Change
Projected
Annual Job
Openings
1

2012 2022
Materials Engineers 23,200 23,400 +1% 750
Texas
Employment
Percent
Change
Projected
Annual Job
Openings
1

2010 2020

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United States
Employment
Percent
Change
Projected
Annual Job
Openings
1

2012 2022
Materials Engineers 1,650 2,050 +24% 90
1
Projected Annual Job Openings refers to the average annual job openings due to growth and net replacement.
Table extracted from careerinfonet.org
Materials Engineers are required for traditional occupations involving aerospace engineering
and in industries focusing on medical related fields; they are needed to help develop new materials for
medical implants.
Finding a position as Materials Scientist in the future is not as difficult as other professions that
are heavily populated in the countrys universities. Also, there is more demand in certain states in the
nation than in other states. For example, states in the northeast of the country display more
employment of materials engineers as of May of 2013. In the south, only California, Arizona, and Texas
hire more than 660 persons.

Although Texas is one of the highest employing states regarding materials engineers, it is not
one of the highest paying ones. Along with the northeastern states of the union, the rate of employment

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in Texas is not directly proportional to the salary of its employees. This trend is shown in the following
table:


Sometimes finding a job is not always an easy task, and people who did not have success in
landing a position right after the end of school or internship, must look for other alternatives as a
solution to their problem. All the knowledge gained throughout school is still very valuable and should
not go to waste, that is why some job-seekers in the materials field resort to utilizing their knowledge
and applying it in other areas related to the scientific field they study. A good example would be a Sales
Engineering position in business or engineering companies., which consists of presenting engineered
products or materials to possible customers; it is convenient in the way that the knowledge previously
gained in school about materials can be applied and be put to good use.
Some of the negative aspects and also the challenges that this career entails are time and
money invested in education, because having made a financial commitment in school requires a full-
time dedication to achieving the best possible grades. Also, the Materials Science and Engineering
degree takes an average of 5 years to complete, which means more time and money than other majors.

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These challenges should not be seen as obstacles, but rather as investments that are being made for the
future, which is what college is in essence.
Materials Science and Engineering is a much more appealing career than any other because of
its broad array of opportunities in all the possible ramifications of work. Without having intentions of
diminishing the value of the other engineering majors, I believe that no other career offers a liberty of
specialization like MSE does. For example, one can choose to lead his career path into nanomaterials
technology, fuels, or super-alloying for the aeronautical industry. MSE requires a set of skills and
complementary abilities in order for one to be successful when in practice, what appealed to me the
most about this career was the fact that a chemistry and geology background is required; these subjects
have been the primary subjects over which I have developed a passion much before I had the age to
understand them. Deductive reasoning, problem sensitivity, and, oral and written comprehension are
some of the abilities I possess and can readily improve, that will enable me to be proficient in the field of
Materials Science and Engineering.
What requirements must one meet in order to become a Materials Engineer? What are the
benefits and disadvantages that come with this profession? And, why does this seem like such an
attractive occupation?
In order to become a Materials Engineer, one must obtain and master a different set of abilities
and skills. After earning a Bachelors Degree on this field, a passing grade on the Fundamentals of
Engineering Exam, and obtaining a License it is possible to practice the career and work on different
projects where the fun of discovery really begins. The advantage that studying Materials Science and
Engineering is that the employment rates will remain constant for the next seven or eight years, and the
salary average will remain constant both in the country and in the state of Texas. MSE is an attractive
occupation because it allows the practitioner to apply his or her skills to the problems encountered
when working in projects or in research. The beauty of it is, that Materials Engineers have the
opportunity to transform things in nature into solutions that benefit our everyday life, as Dr. Donald
Askeland states in the Preface of one of his works:
When the relationships between the structure, properties, and processing of materials are fully
understood and exploited, materials become enablingthey are transformed from stuff, the raw
materials that nature gives us, to things, the products and technologies that we develop as engineers.
(Askeland, 2003, xv)






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