The BTech Program in Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

The undergraduate handbook can be found here. This contains the details of the structure of a BTech program. FAQs for JEE aspirants and prospective students, as well as the courses specific to the department are listed below.

FAQs for prospective students and JEE aspirants

What is Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and what does the BTech program prepare a student for?

Metals & alloys, polymers, ceramics, biomaterials, composite materials, advanced materials, smart materials and nanomaterials are the various kinds of materials Metallurgical and Materials Engineers are concerned with.

In this field, we study the inter-relationships between processing methodologies, structure (from the macroscopic level down to the atomic level), properties (electrical, mechanical, thermal, optical, magnetic, chemical) and ultimately, the performance of the material. Such an understanding is critical for breakthroughs in different fields like new materials for faster computers, sustainable packaging, energy harvesting, biological implants, targetted drug delivery, etc.

The B.Tech. program in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering is aimed at understanding and developing materials and processes for the betterment of human life and equipping YOU to help make the world a better place!

What does a student study in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering?

The B.Tech. program in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering (courses listed in this page) provides a solid foundation in the theoretical and practical aspects of:

Understanding old and new materials, from extraction to processing, as well as cultivating a deep understanding of the thermodynamics and kinetics of materials.

Engineering the mechanical, optical, thermal, electrical, electronic, magnetic and chemical properties of materials; includes testing these properties.

Characterizing materials using many state-of-the-art tools like electron microscopes and x-ray diffractometers to investigate their underlying microstructure and correlating this information with their properties and performance.

Increasing the life of components by understanding and tailoring the ability of the material to resist degradation by corrosion or wear in real-world operating conditions. Computational materials, which involves a mathematical understanding of the physics and chemistry of materials to analyze and predict their behavior. In this way, students can utilize their passion for programming to explore new horizons in the field of materials science and enable experimentalists to do the same!

Economics and sustainability issues, which play a critical role in governing materials selection and materials design.

I want an IT job, MBA or Civil Services after studying Metallurgical and Materials Engneering. Can I do it?

Yes, engineering in any discipline gives you a strong base in Mathematics. So you can easily excel in all these careers.

What’s more, even Google CEO Mr. Sundar Pichai and Goa ex-CM Late Mr. Manohar Parrikar are Metallurgical and Materials Engineers from the IIT system!!

What are the future prospects after studying Metallurgical and Materials Engineering?

I. Industrial (Government and Private) Core prospects: *Iron, steel and metal manufacturers like Tata, SAIL, BHEL, NALCO, etc.

*Natural resource companies like ONGC, Shell, Schlumberger, Vedanta, etc.

*Infrastructure-building companies like Aditya Birla, Ambuja Cement, L&T etc.

*Defense sector like DRDO, CSIR labs

*Atomic energy sector like DAE, BARC, etc.

*Automobile industry like TATA, Huyndai, etc


II. M.S. and M.Tech. / Ph.D. Options: Universities and labs all over the world are looking for Metallurgical and Materials Engineers in interdisciplinary fields of research including energy, environment, aerospace, defense, space exploration, semiconductor devices, automobiles, magnetic materials, polymers, packaging, biomaterial research, and many more new emerging fields!

*Natural resource companies like ONGC, Shell, Schlumberger, Vedanta, etc.

Here are some fun facts for future researchers!

The 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov for their experiments on the two-dimensional material graphene with sensational electronic, optical and spin transport properties.

Dan Shechtman, a Professor of Materials Science, was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of quasicrystals.

Computational materials, which involves a mathematical understanding of the physics and chemistry of materials to analyze and predict their behavior. In this way, students can utilize their passion for programming to explore new horizons in the field of materials science and enable experimentalists to do the same!

Economics and sustainability issues, which play a critical role in governing materials selection and materials design.


II. M.S. and M.Tech. / Ph.D. Options: Intellectual property companies like i-Runway are always looking for people from different science and engineering backgrounds.

Basically, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering gives a broad, all-round engineering education with a strong foundation in physics, chemistry and mathematics that prepares one to excel even in the most diverse fields.

Can I switch to different disciplines for Masters or PhD after studying Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Yes, of course. There are many international courses and curricula which encourage people from Metallurgical and Materials Engineering background to apply. You will have to qualify TOEFL and/or GRE and/or IELTS for them and have a good CGPA in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering.

And oh, yeah! Prof. Dan Shechtman who received a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2011 is a Metallurgist. There are many Nobel Laureates in Physics and Chemistry who are Materials Scientists as well. It is possible to leap into highly applied and/or fundamental research. Remember! the field of Metallurgical and Maerials Engineering is highly inter-disciplinary - so we welcome people from almost all walks of science and engineering, and in return, contribute to all of science and engineering.

What are the innovations incorporating Metallurgical and Materials Engineering?

Did you know that the material used to make your phone display needs to be simultaneously optically transparent and electrically conducting, and costs more than the phone battery, camera and memory put together? Or that diamonds turn flexible if made into very fine needles?

Materials are all around us, and advances in every other sector rely on support from and advancement in materials.

Chips that find their way into every electronic device including YOUR laptop and smartphone;

Materials for data storage and permanent magnets;

Biomaterials for medical implants (like stents), prosthetic limbs, dental fillings - that absolutely MUST be bio-compatible;

Phone/laptop displays; flexible/wearable electronics;

Jet engines, airplanes for the aerospace sector and materials for space applications;

Metro trains, ships, cars, mopeds, biclycles and the Hyper Loop in the transportation sector;

Structural foundation and support for skyscrapers and bridges;

Refractory materials providing insulation inside furnaces and spaceships;

Submarines, weapons, bulletproof vests and bulletproof glasses for the defense sector and for the law enforcers;

Advances in Energy Materials required to pave the way for a renewable future;

Materials to build chemical and nuclear reactors;

The best kind of tennis rackets -

require and represent the past, present and future efforts of metallurgists and materials scientists/engineers!

Even the bag that you use to bring home vegetables, the packaging for milk and curd, the tetrapak for fruit-based beverages, the pots you cook in, cups you drink from, the glass for the window you enjoy looking out from, awesome jewelry - are ALL landmarks in materials innovations!

The BTech Program

The semesters mentioned are for a typical 4 year plan, followed by L-T-P-S-C details. L = number of weekly lectures, T = number of weekly tutorials, P = number of laboratory hours, S = number of hours that the students are expected to spend on self-study and C = number of credits for the course. Keep in mind, in addition to the departmental courses listed below, students will also be taking one or more General Engineering, Science, Mathematics, Humanities and Social Sciences courses every semester.

The maximum number of credits that a student can take in a semester is 21 credits.

First Semester

No departmental courses are offered in the first semester. The students take General Engineering, Science, Math, Humanities and Social Sciences courses.

Second Semester

GE110 (2nd semester: 3-1-0-5-3) Introduction to Metallurgical and Materials Engineering.

Third Semester

MM201 (3rd semester: 3-1-0-5-3) Metallurgical Thermodynamics and Kinetics.

MM202 (3rd semester: 3-1-0-5-3) Transport Phenomena.

MM203 (3rd semester: 3-1-0-5-3) Materials Characterization Techniques.

MM204 (3rd semester: 0-0-2-1-1) Materials Characterization Laboratory.

MM205 (3rd semester: 0-0-2-1-1) Physical Metallurgy Laboratory.

Fourth Semester

MM206 (4th semester: 3-1-0-5-3) Principles of Extractive Metalurgy.

MM207 (4th semester: 3-1-0-5-3) Phase Transformations and Heat Treatment.

MM208 (4th semester: 0-0-2-1-1) Phase Transformations and Heat Treatment Laboratory.

Fifth Semester

MM301 (5th semester: 3-1-0-5-3) Iron and Steel Making.

MM302 (5th semester: 3-1-0-5-3) Mechanical Behavior and Testing of Materials.

MM303 (5th semester: 3-1-0-5-3) Materials Processing.

MM304 (5th semester: 0-0-3-1.5-1.5) Mechanical Behavior and Testing Lab.

MM305 (5th semester: 0-0-3-1.5-1.5) Materials Processing Lab.


Sixth Semester

MM306 (6th semester: 2-2/3-0-10/3-2) Corrosion and its Prevention.

MM307 (6th semester: 3-1-0-5-3) Electronic, Magnetic and Optical Materials.

MM308 (6th semester: 2-2/3-0-10/3-2) Modelling and Simulation.

MM309 (6th semester: 2-2/3-0-10/3-2) Polymers and Composites.

MM310 (6th semester: 0-0-2-1-1) Corrosion Laboratory.

MM311 (6th semester: 0-0-4-2-2) Modelling and Simulation Laboratory.

Developmental Project

Seventh Semester

Departmental Elective - I (courses offered may change every year depending on availability of faculty members).

Capstone Project I

Eighth Semester

Departmental Elective - II (courses offered may change every year depending on availability of faculty members).

Capstone Project II (usually continues from Capstone Project I)