I love chatting with students because they always come up with the most thought-provoking questions. Recently, in a major advising session, a prospective student asked me, “What would you say are the traits that would make one a successful MSE major?”

This question caught me off guard and then made me excited because it is admittedly not one I’ve heard before! We’re all familiar with the classic MSE vs. ChemE question, or Why you should study MSE, or even what an MSE Major can offer you, but these are all external factors. In the words of the great JFK, “Ask not what your Major can do for you—ask what you can do for your Major.” Similarly, I felt like this student’s question touched on intrinsic, personal characteristics and how they might align with aspects of the MSE major.

So… what follows is my attempt at answering this question. Some of them might apply generally to success as a materials scientist, while others are specific to an academic BS degree (though an analog in the professional world probably exists). Be aware that, like all my posts, the views below are singular and my own, particularly since they apply to my limited experience in the Stanford MSE program, and a little bit of what I saw at Berkeley. If some of the traits below resonate with you, great! MSE could be a great home for you. 💙 If they don’t right away, it doesn’t preclude MSE for your degree, and we can chat about what makes sense and how the MSE Major helps you develop these traits.

Some traits

🧠 You approach problems in an interdisciplinary fashion. Just as this is characteristic of the field of MSE, this form of thinking will allow you to succeed in the major. Rarely will a class or topic be constrained to one domain, but rather it will synthesize elements of physical chemistry, quantum mechanics, statistical thermodynamics, linear algebra, and more. Whether it’s a lecture-based or lab-based course, you’ll find yourself thinking broadly across disciplines and that different situations will require a different emphasis—even for the same material/technology. It can be daunting at first to juggle so much information, but this is an important skill that you will develop over time and come to embrace, as long as you’re excited about the prospect of this mode of problem solving!

👩🏽‍🔬 You effectively apply physics, chemistry, and math concepts. MSE is fundamentally rooted in these pure subjects, so if you were trying to escape these topics entirely, you’re out of luck. That being said, MSE approaches these topics differently, so as I told another student, even if you did poorly in your pure STEM classes, you absolutely can excel in MSE. For example, you’ll no longer have to memorize what a nucleophile or SN2 reaction is, nor have to handle tricky integrals in Maxwell’s equations, but you will have to think about how steric hindrance can affect polymer crystallinity or how the combination of electric and magnetic fields affects the interpretation of microscopy data. So knowing the details drilled into you from your math and science courses are less than important than knowing the implications and applications of that knowledge. I have found that students initially struggle at first when working with concepts that are lifted out of their pure domains and into an application (e.g., they’re all quite proficient at vector-based calculations, but struggle with reciprocal space math and relationships), but persistence eventually leads to mastery and a deeper appreciation of both the fundamental subjects and MSE.

🔺 You eat, sleep, breathe the MSE tetrahedron. OK, not really, that’s kinda extreme, but you get the point. If Physics is about the free body diagram and ChemE is all about the process flow diagram, then you will learn to embrace the MSE tetrahedron in your studies. Not only is it geometrically pleasing, but it highlights the interdependent relationships between processing, structure, property, and performance, and how we can use characterization to understand these elements. Materials scientists routinely use the tetrahedron to analyze a problem and design appropriate solutions, and you will learn to do so as well!

⚛ Your mind defaults to thinking from atoms and up. This is a nod to the fact that materials scientists work across length scales, usually starting at the atomic level, or how the interactions between different atoms influence micro and macroscale phenomena. To succeed in the Major, you will have to gain proficiency in relating observations (in lecture, in lab, in research) to atomic-level behavior, such as the crystal structure, bonding environment, and composition, for both crystalline and amorphous materials. The atoms are often coupled with smaller particle and quasiparticle effects, such as electrons (e.g., band structure, Jahn-Teller distortions), plasmons, phonons (e.g., BCS superconductivity), etc. One level up from atoms is microstructure, such as grains, magnetic domains, and higher-level ordering. This is often the bridge between atomic-level phenomena and macroscale behavior, so it is important to understand the structure-property relationships that function across scales and design solutions with these linkages in mind.

🕳 You are always considering the role of defects. This one’s for all the haters out there! If you’re pessimistic or skeptical about perfection, then you will align well with this trait, which emphasizes the role that defects play in materials. Defects occur at all levels and dimensions—0D (point defects like vacancies and interstitials), 1D (dislocations), 2D (grain boundaries, antiphase boundaries, magnetic domain walls), 3D (voids and precipitates)—and they profoundly influence materials properties and performance. In fact, more often than not, materials scientists view defects as a feature, rather than a flaw, and they think about how to design materials with the desired defects (e.g., grain boundaries for strengthening and not embrittlement, vacancies for optical and electronic applications).

📝 You excel at a range of communication skills. Traditional MSE curricula is very focused on the science and structured in a way that suits academics—lectures and exams, with derivations and calculations. Modernized curricula are just as rigorous in science and skills, but they will include a range of communication assessments to build your communication skills. In the real world, materials scientists typically work in interdisciplinary teams—actually, they’re often the leaders of such teams—and will have to engage with a range of domain experts. It is important to be able to communicate what you’re doing and why it matters using text, graphics, videos, and other media, to a variety of stakeholders including researchers, managers, policy makers, etc. You should embrace opportunities to develop such skills in the low-stakes classroom environment, so that later when you move into high-stakes work environments, you’ll be able to let your talents shine.

💖 You like contributing to a wholesome community. Most MSE departments are small (I graduated in a class of 5), and while that is often equated to a close-knit student community (we actually know you by name!), such a community doesn’t just form by default. It is absolutely built by students like you, so as much as you stand to benefit from this community, you’ll also have a greater experience in the Major if you actively contribute to it. This can be making sure everyone feels included in a group chat, helping organize academic/social events, advocating for UGs at Dept. Town Halls, and more. Tying back to the first trait, you’ll find that MSE often recruits an electic bunch. I actually do think this is related to the fact that folks with diverse interests don’t see themselves fitting into one of the more “traditional” engineering majors (ChemE, MechE, EE, etc.); but more importantly, I believe we can tap into this diversity and creativity to create a learning environment unmatched in any other department. It is incredibly valuable to learn from your peers, and if you agree with me, then we look forward to seeing you around the department!

But wait! What if none of these traits apply to me?

Have no fear! The list above is not exhaustive and you might still find MSE to be the perfect home for you, especially as you’ll develop them as you progress through the major. If you have any questions or concerns, the best way to resolve them is to contact us and we can chat more.