The 2020 Bachelor Curriculum in Materials Science: Thinking Science and Engineering
Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand. – is a famous saying attributed to Confucian philosopher Xun Zi, which inspired the latest revision of the bachelor curriculum in Materials Science offered by our Department. The first students are due to start this September, and there is a lot of excitement mixed with apprehension due to the ongoing covid-19 pandemic, which will likely force us to adapt our teaching approach along the semester.
One of our most exciting developments is the establishment of a Materials Design Lab, a 470 m2 space fully furnished with state-of-the-art equipment for materials processing, characterization, engineering and design, which will host a variety of open-ended engineering projects ranging from polymer chemistry and 3D printing to robotics and electronics. This facility will be open to students for guided activities as well as for independent group and individual projects, encouraging them to combine skill sets from different courses and to explore different engineering solutions to practical problems.
The more traditional courses taught in class have also undergone a major reorganization in order to ensure the right balance between the fundamental pillars of an interdisciplinary engineering degree - mathematics, physics, and chemistry - and modern topics of materials science, including simulation and programming techniques. In particular, the traditional separation of materials into different classes – metals, ceramics or polymers, for example – has become less important in recent times; now the focus is on global properties and interdisciplinary applications. “Our Bachelor’s programme reflects this new interpretation of the subject area more clearly, and offers students the opportunity to explore different topics before specializing into an area of their choice” says Sara Morgenthaler, Study Coordinator in the Department of Materials.
For more information about the bachelor curriculum please visit this page, watch the video above or contact the Study Administration of D-MATL.
