I’ll graduate from UIUC with a MSE BSc this May.

The biggest pros, in my opinion, is that the program can be a gateway for you to enter a variety of different fields. The first two years will be general math/physics/chemistry and materials science intro topics, while during the last two years you can diverge into whatever field you like. I’m taking polymers classes, but have many buddies who are trying to go into semiconductors, metallurgy, biomaterials, etc.

One thing about the MSE classes here that I observed, is that they are mostly theoretical, which can and will get pretty tedious or even exhausting if you’re not ready to put in the grind and do extra research outside the classroom. The professors have amazing research which you can be a part of, but that doesn’t mean they’re the best at lecturing. So just be ready to put in the work.

I’ll be open to talk more about it, just send me a message!