Main navigation
- Programs
- Subjects
- Universities
- Destinations
- Advice
The UC Santa Barbara Materials Department was founded on a core principle: research thrives in a collaborative, interdisciplinary academic setting. Students can customize their study and research programs to align with both research objectives and personal interests. The curriculum requires all students to complete a foundational departmental core sequence that explores essential concepts in materials structure, followed by specialized coursework in their primary field emphasizing structure-property relationships, plus electives chosen from diverse graduate-level offerings. The Department provides an extensive selection of advanced materials courses, covering cutting-edge technologies like optoelectronics, energy storage, sustainable polymers, clean energy solutions, quantum computing systems, and high-efficiency propulsion. Additional course options span materials chemistry, synthesis techniques, processing methods, advanced analysis, phase transformations, and materials mechanics.