What Our Students Say

Celebrating the legacy of Duke's Materials Science & Engineering alumni, who continue to shape the future of materials innovation globally. Their achievements underscore Duke's commitment to excellence in research, education and real-world application

At Duke, the next generation of materials scientists and engineers is cultivated, addressing the grand challenges of society by forging solutions through thoughtful education, research, and a commitment to the pivotal role of materials science—all while leveraging the university's renowned strengths across various disciplines and sectors.

The response to the success of our MatSci program can be seen in student reflections on their experiences.

The materials science program has given me the opportunity to participate in advanced research, to gain experience and to create meaningful contributions. It bridged my bachelor and PhD study, and helped me build lifelong connections with professors here. They helped me a lot, whether in research or in life, and I am grateful to them.

Tianhao Li
Master of Science, Class of 2023

Graduate students can expect to establish a holistic appreciation for materials synthesis, characterization, and analysis from diverse perspectives. You will be challenged and encouraged to work together to learn things beyond just the focus of your research. All the faculty were incredibly supportive, engaged, and invested in student success.

The Duke MatSci program is unique in that its courses span both Duke's Pratt School of Engineering and its Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, as well as elective eligibility in the Nicholas School of the Environment, which only serves to further underscore the value the program places on widening perspectives.

Our alumni describe the MatSci graduate program as deeply important to their future academic goals.

Tianlin Wang, a recent graduate in the Class of 2023, said,"The MatSci program provided knowledge and information in a very wide range, which can be helpful for not just science but also the finance field."

Wang has also gone on to work in a top-tier venture capital company in China. Our students are able to apply the knowledge and insights gained from our program to the real world, all while making an impact in their respective communities.   

Duke's MatSci program allowed us to gain an incredibly strong foundation across the different areas of materials science (solids and soft materials, characterization tools, computational approaches, etc.) while providing the flexibility to focus on the particular applications that most interested us (whether biological, energy, metals, etc). I felt I left with a deeper understanding of how to confront materials questions and an appreciation for the current state of technologies—both of these vital to career success.

Abigail Mrvos
Master of Science, Class of 2020

Employers love candidates who have and can bridge theoretical knowledge and practical experience, which is something one gets to do in the Duke MatSci program by being able to choose courses that align closely with their research work.

The creative freedom that I was allowed to have in my research work at Duke has instilled in me critical thinking and the ability to solve new, complex problems at Intel and elsewhere. With world-class professors and research facilities like the Shared Materials and Instrumentation Facility (SMiF), the MatSci program has equipped me with skills like design of experiments, material deposition and characterization, necessary to excel in my current role at Intel.

Sanket Hedduri
Master of Science, Class of 2021