Discover Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE)

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering was among the first to be established at the Institute, and it has greatly evolved over the century from its roots in metallurgical sciences and mining technologies to become a truly interdisciplinary major. Through the understanding of materials properties, materials scientists and engineers have provided the essential foundations to the computer chip and digital revolution, photovoltaic development, nanotechnology, biological engineering, tissue engineering, and many of the greatest technological developments of our time.

Discover Materials Science and Engineering will introduce you to the ubiquity of material science, from the smartphone in your pocket to the clothes on your back. You will explore three different material classes: electronic, magnetic, and optical materials; metals and ceramics; biomaterials and polymers. You will also get to spend a week with current DMSE students, hear from DMSE alumni and professors who are involved with cutting-edge research, and attend demos in the DMSE Glasslab, Breakerspace, and Foundry. Oh, and of course you will get to know your fellow first-years and explore MIT and Boston! You can look forward to dining in Boston, kayaking in Cambridge, and much more!

Dates: Tuesday, August 19 – Saturday, August 23, 2025
Number of participants: 24
Cost: $0