Materials engineering is a broad ranging discipline which applies the principles of science and engineering to the development of metallic, ceramic and polymeric materials and to their manufacture into goods and their subsequent performance. It is founded on the relationship between structure and properties, an understanding of which permits materials to be engineered to specific end use requirements.

Metals are the mainstay of the engineered materials world making today's transportation industry, agriculture, construction and communication systems possible. The equipment and machines used to develop and process all other materials are built primarily from metals.

On the other hand, though used for thousands of years, the true potential of ceramics is just beginning to be tapped. Engineered ceramic parts show great promise in automobile and aircraft engines as well as in electronics and space exploration.

Plastics (Polymers) are revolutionizing the world of materials and have replaced traditional materials - metal, wood and glass in a wide variety of applications such as cars, computer, furniture, packaging and more.

While the individual classes of materials are often used alone, they can also be combined into composites which can have superior properties to the materials from which they are made. Plastics reinforced with thin fibres of carbon, boron or glass are used in aircraft, cars and sporting goods to combine lightweight, strength, stiffness, and corrosion resistance with flexibility.

Electronic materials constitute another class of materials microscopically engineered for precision performance. Semi-conductors have revolutionized electronics. A new generation of materials superconductors promise even faster computers and better efficiency in energy use.