Why Study Materials and Metallurgy?
Academic aspect
When we see an electrical device, we think of electrical engineering. When we see machines, we think of mechanical engineering. When we use handy software that makes our life so much easier, we think of computer science and engineering. We are used to asking “how are these made?”, rather than “what are these made of?” As a Materials Engineer, you will ask this question and answer it as well. Even doing a cursory research on the Internet will make you realize that studying materials properties and how to modify them is no less interesting than working with robotics, electronics and programming.
What marks out MSE from other engineering fields is its inter-disciplinary nature. Since MSE graduates have a firm knowledge of materials processing – synthesis – fabrication and microstructure, they can obtain funds from electrical-mechanical-chemical engineering departments all over the world. This is a privilege that students of other engineering disciplines hardly enjoy. Since all technological progress is ultimately constrained by materials constraints, a breakthrough in materials science means an eventual breakthrough in a particular or multiple fields of technology. Owing to this central role of materials at the heart of technology, it is no wonder that funding for materials research is and will always be high. Since BUET is the only institution (and the most competitive one) which imparts materials engineering education, your prospects in academic research abroad as a BUET MME graduate is guaranteed. Our graduates have won scholarships in reputed universities within 6 months of graduation.
Many students want to pursue an academic career in fundamental scientific disciplines like Physics or Chemistry but opt for engineering instead considering the job market in Bangladesh. MSE is a mixture of Solid State Physics and Physical Chemistry. If you want a taste of these basic sciences as well as the
career prospects of engineering, then Materials and Metallurgical Engineering will be a great choice for you since few other engineering disciplines come this close to the natural sciences. Details