Johann Guilleminot, Ph.D.
johann.guilleminot@duke.eduPaul Ruffin Scarborough Associate Professor of Engineering
Materials Science & Engineering Certificate
Explore how new materials are discovered and designed
If humanity is to harvest solar energy economically, make quantum computing practical and solve other grand challenges, it must develop new materials.
Students who pursue this sequence of seven courses will learn the principles of the structure and application of novel materials.
Upper-level undergraduate students in Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering and Trinity College of Arts & Sciences are eligible.
Features & Benefits
- Diverse course options compatible with majors in engineering, chemistry and physics
- Learn with an assigned academic advisor
- Participate in the Duke chapter of the Materials Research Society
- Noted on your official Duke transcript
Duke = Excellence in Materials Research
The Duke Materials Initiative convenes a world-class community, connecting innovation in engineering, the sciences and medicine.
Courses
Complete seven (7) courses—including 2 Centerpiece Courses, 4 Electives, and 1 complementary course in the Humanities & Social Sciences
Click to see lists of courses approved for this undergraduate certificate program(others, including Graduate courses, can be approved as electives, based on alignment with the scope of the certificate).
The classifications below, per Main Theme/Topic or Research and Career Focus, can be used to determine which courses fit your goals.
Classification by Main Theme/Topic
o Materials Science & Engineering → ME 510, ME 511, ME 514, ME 516, ME 555, ME 582, CEE 423, ECE 524
o Soft Matter, Polymers & Biomaterials → ME 490, ME 555, ME 555, ME 555, BME 302
o Mechanics & Structural Engineering → ME 321, EGR 201, CEE 302, CEE 422
o Physical & Chemical Foundations → CHEM 210, CHEM 301, CHEM 310, PHYS 264, PHYS 363, ECE 521
o Electronics, Nanoscience & Computation → ECE 230, ECE 511, ECE 545, ME 491
• Classification by Research and Career Focus:
o Energy & Sustainability → ME 516, ME 555 (Electron Microscopy), ME 582
o Advanced Manufacturing & Materials → ME 510, ME 514, ECE 545
o Computational Modeling & Data Science → ME 511, ME 490, ME 582
o Biomedical Applications → BME 302
o Structural / Civil Engineering → CEE 302, CEE 422, CEE 423
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Title Instructor(s) Offered ME 221 Structure & Properties of Solids Alternatives for majors other than Mechanical Engineering:
- Biomedical Engineering: BME 221 Biomaterials
- Chemistry: CHEM 548 Solid-State & Materials Chemistry
- Physics: PHYSICS 516 Quantum Materials
Blum, Chi, Delaire, Ni, ZauscherFall & SpringME 412 Modern MaterialsPayneNot currently offeredME 490 AI for MaterialsGuilleminotFallME 490 Statistical Thermo MatterDelaireSpring -
Course Instructor(s) Offered Note ME 321 Mechanical Engineering Analysis for Design Santillan Spring Required for ME majors ME 490 Molecular Modeling of Soft Matter Arya Fall Starting Fall 2026 ME 491 Independent Project Must be materials-related. Requires a detailed plan and prior approval. ME 510 Diffraction & Spectrometry of Materials Delaire Fall Occasionally ME 511 Computational Materials Science Blum Spring ME 514 Properties & Characterization of Polymeric Materials Zauscher Fall ME 516 Thin-Film Photovoltaic Technology Mitzi Spring Occasionally ME 555 Electron Microscopy for Energy & Sustainability Chi Spring ME 555 Fundamentals of Soft Matter Rubinstein
ZauscherSpring ME 555 Intermediate Polymer Physics Rubinstein Fall & Spring Cross-listed as CHEM 590 Introduction to Polymer Physics ME 555 Introduction to Rheology Keshavarz Fall ME 582 Applications in Data & Materials Science Brinson Spring BME 302 Fundamentals of Biomaterials & Biomechanics Spring CEE 302 Introduction to Soil Mechanics Spring CEE 422 Concrete & Composite Structures Spring CEE 423 Metallic Structures Fall CHEM 210 Modern Applications of Chemical Principles Fall & Spring CHEM 301 Elements of Physical Chemistry Fall CHEM 310 Physical Chemistry I Fall ECE 230 Microelectronic Devices & Circuits Fall & Spring ECE 511 Foundations of Nanoscale Science & Technology Spring ECE 521 Quantum Mechanics Fall Occasionally ECE 524 Introduction to Solid-State Physics Fall ECE 545 Foundations of Nanoelectronics & Nanophotonics Spring EGR 201 Mechanics of Solids CEE Staff Fall & Spring Required for ME, CEE and BME majors PHYS 264 Optics & Modern Physics Fall & Spring PHYS 363 Thermal Physics Spring -
Course Offered HISTORY 106 Science & the Modern World Spring ECON 112FS Globalization & Corporate Citizenship Fall -
Electives
- Two (2) elective courses can be required courses in a student’s home department
- Courses in areas related to Materials Science such as Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science and Energy, are also permissible, subject to approval by the certificate coordinator
Humanities & Social Science Courses
- All courses must be approved by the certificate coordinator
- Other course options will be considered on an individual basis, with consideration given to their relevance to the field
University Program in Materials Science & Engineering
- Undergraduate students who are also pursuing Duke’s Master of Science in Materials Science & Engineering, please be advised that enrolling in the Materials Science Seminar course is needed to fulfill master’s degree requirements. For details, please consult with the 4+1 Program admissions counselor and the director of graduate studies in the University Program in Materials Science & Engineering.
Cleanroom Fabrication, Materials and Device Characterization & Imaging
Duke undergraduates can gain research experiences in Duke’s Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility — a state-of-the-science suite of laboratories that include class 100 and class 1000 clean rooms, electron microscopy, MicroCT imaging, X-ray characterization and optical spectroscopy.