Overview

With the Materials Engineering program at California Polytechnic State University you will spend much of your time analyzing materials in labs with state-of-the-art instruments and testing equipment. There are also opportunities available for advanced research work as well as internships and co-ops with industry partners across California and the nation. This program is the only primarily undergraduate materials engineering program in the country and is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Learn by doing

Through labs and real-world opportunities, you will learn the properties of various materials and how to work with them. You will polish metal to expose the structure of its atoms under an optical microscope.

You'll use infrared radiation to explore the molecular structure of plastics and learn why it behaves the way it does. You'll test metals, polymers and composites under loads to measure their mechanical properties like stiffness and strength.

Careers

Materials engineers contribute their expertise in virtually all areas of technology and will be needed to design uses for new materials in both traditional and emerging industries.

The majority of the graduates find employment in the biomedical, electronic, aerospace and petroleum industries as executives, consultants, or in research and development. Other graduates are entrepreneurs who have started their own consulting or manufacturing companies.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Materials Engineering Design

Materials Engineering

Materials Laboratory

Materials, Ethics, and Society

Materials Thermodynamics

Noncrystalline Material Systems

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-18 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-02 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

115

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Credits

184 SCH

184 - 186

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

San Luis Obispo, United States

Disciplines

Materials Science Production and Manufacturing Engineering View 120 other Bachelors in Production and Manufacturing Engineering in United States

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

115

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Coursework: They look at the college-prep coursework you have taken during high school, including the courses you have in progress or planned during 12th grade

GPA: For the purposes of your application, they'll consider your 9th-11th grade weighted GPA
Extracurricular Activities and Work Experience: Cal Poly takes activities such as work experience, internships, volunteer programs and extracurricular activities into consideration

Make sure you have a copy of your transcripts, current and planned class schedules, household annual income and social security number (if available).

There is a $70 application fee per campus at the time you apply, unless you qualify for an application fee waiver

English proficiency exam results

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

28359 USD / year

≈ 28359 USD / year
Out-of-State

28359 USD / year

≈ 28359 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

15039 USD / year

≈ 15039 USD / year

Living costs

San Luis Obispo

United States

1100 - 1800 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Get Visa Support

Get personalized guidance from a certified VFS Global advisor and save 20% through Studyportals.

Avoid common visa mistakes and delays
Know exactly what documents you need
Get a clear checklist tailored to your situation

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Materials Engineering.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Learn by doing

Careers

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

San Luis Obispo

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

Our partners