Materials Scientist

What do your morning cup of coffee, your elliptical machine, and your car have in common? They’re all made out of materials. As a Materials Scientist, you study, develop, enhance, alter, manipulate, and create metals, ceramics, plastics, glasses, fibers, and many other materials. Then you use your knowledge as a Materials Scientist to make metals stronger, plastics more pliable, or cotton more breathable.

You typically specialize in one material when you’re a Materials Scientist—plastic, for example. More technically, you work with polymers, which make up plastics. Think about plastics and the myriad jobs they perform. Some are microwave- and/or dishwasher-safe, while others melt into a pile of goo. Some are so soft you can easily crack them with one hand, while others are so tough that a car wouldn’t crush them. Each of these variations was created by the great mind of a Material Scientist like you.

Polymers are just one example. Other common materials include synthetics (think Corian countertops or non-wood decking materials), fabrics, semiconductors, and ceramics.

Materials science covers a range of studies, such as engineering, physics, and chemistry. Your area of specialization might be driven by your passions. Love marbles? Then work with glass. Want to help build the next space shuttle? Then gain knowledge about semiconductors, polymers, or metals. Common titles in this field include Materials Engineer, Physicist, Metallurgist, and Nanotechnologist, just to name a few.