Here are a few of the most frequently asked advising questions undergraduates have in MatSE.
Remember that it is the responsibility of all students to initiate contact with academic advisers, monitor their academic progress, and follow University policies. Students are encouraged to work closely with academic advisers and to make appointment with their adviser or with the Ryan Family Student Center through Starfish.
Meg Abplanalp is the academic advisor for all undergraduate MatSE students. Students without urgent issues are encouraged to make an advising appointment using the Starfish system.
Once you have completed 29.1 cumulative credits and have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0. To declare your major, head to the Update Academics section of LionPATH and select MATSE_BS from the Major drop-down menu.
A degree audit is a checklist of your degree requirements and shows you what you’ve completed, as well as what still needs to be done. You can access yours by selecting What-If Report and/or Academic Requirements from the drop-down menu in LionPATH’s Student Center.
Yes, MatSE students have two primary options for going abroad:
The main difference between these two options is that Education Abroad provides a cultural experience while completing 1-2 general education courses, while the IIM program focuses on research in an international setting.
Any Penn State students that take classes at different institutions while enrolled at Penn State should send the official transcript directly from the institution to Penn State Undergraduate Admissions (201 Shields Building) in order for the course work to be evaluated for transfer credit. Please note that credits are transferred; grades are not. Credits transferred from another school do not affect a student’s GPA. A $25 processing fee will be posted to your student account once an official college transcript is received and credits are processed on your record in LionPATH. Please see http://admissions.psu.edu/admissions/index.cfm/info/future/transfer/cre… more details.
In addition to the IIM program, students are encouraged to seek internship and co-op opportunities outside of Penn State. The department regularly posts job opportunities on its website, www.matse.psu.edu/jobs. Further, the department has partnered with the College of Engineering’s eCareer office to offer career advice and internship opportunities to MatSE students. Please see www.engr.psu.edu/career for further information.
As you probably already know, a student can pursue careers in several different areas of the field of Materials Science and Engineering. A great place to start researching the field is the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, at http://www.bls.gov. Be sure to check out both Materials Engineering and Materials Science career fields. Students can also attend graduate school for more advanced study.
Just ask! Typically, students express interest in this to their academic adviser, who then points them to certain faculty members, depending on subject. Our faculty are accessible and it is up to the student to reach out directly.
Each spring, the department opens up the online application for department-specific, MatSE-funded scholarships. These are merit-based and are awarded based on GPA. Please see http://www.matse.psu.edu/undergraduate/financial-aid for more information. MatSE students are also encouraged to apply for College of EMS-specific scholarships through www.ems.psu.edu.
Our MatSE computer lab, located in 116 Steidle Building, is limited to MatSE and EMSC (pre-major, intending on MatSE) students only. Please visit https://www.matse.psu.edu/keys-and-access-requests.
The senior thesis can be accomplished via two different courses: MATSE 493W and MATSE 494W. The selection of the senior thesis course will be made during the 6th semester in MATSE 492W. MATSE 492W is a prerequisite for registering for MATSE 493W or 494W.
MATSE 493W is a senior capstone experience in the College of Engineering’s Learning Factory. The student selects his or her top 5 choices of topics from a list of industry-sponsored projects seeking MatSE students, and joins a multi-discipline team to work on the assigned topic. Most likely, the student will be the only MatSE student on the team.
MATSE 494W is the traditional senior individual research thesis. This course is usually taken over a summer and semester, or two semesters. The student joins a research group to perform the thesis. The thesis advisor does not have to be MatSE faculty, but the thesis topic should be materials-focused. For 494W, 3 credits are taken in total, but those credits can be distributed as determined by the student and his or her thesis advisor. Before the third credit can be graded, the Undergraduate Office must have received a complete and signed copy of the thesis. It is highly recommended that the student taking this course have previous research experience.
Yes! Our students participate in Material Advantage and Keramos. Materials Advantage, a student-run chapter of professional societies, arranges industry trips, fundraising activities, social events, and lab demonstrations for visitors and area children. Keramos, the National Professional Ceramic Engineering Fraternity, is a student group that works to promote and emphasize scholarship and character. Membership to both organizations opens in the fall semester of each academic year.
Megan Abplanalp, Academic Adviser
Email: advising@matse.psu.edu
Phone: 814-865-5765
R. Allen Kimel, Associate Teaching Professor and Associate Head for Undergraduate Studies
Email: kimel@matse.psu.edu
Phone: 814-865-5397
