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Materials Science and Engineering deals mainly with synthetic and biological polymers, ceramics and metals. Polymers, or the so-called plastics, are essential for all activities of the modern era -- so much so that one epithet for the 20th century has become the Plastics Age. Their importance will continue to increase in the 21st century, with a corresponding expansion in their areas of application. Strong polymers are now replacing steel in many industrial and technological applications. Bullet-proof glasses, fire-retardant plastics, superabsorbant materials, optical devices, electrical conductors, artificial skin, drug-delivery systems and polymer-based glues stronger than steel are but a few examples. Due to their improved strengths and low densities, polymers are now replacing major metallic elements in the aerospace industry. Biodegradable and biocompatible polymers that are now being commercially produced from certain bacteria are beginning to replace many synthetic and non-degradable polymers. Ceramics and their composites with polymers are also finding wide use in advanced technologies.
Materials science and technology is an interdisciplinary field that is closely related to diverse disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology, or chemical and mechanical engineering and mechanics. The Sabanci University degree program in Materials Science and Engineering aims at furnishing its students with the theoretical and practical skills necessary for the understanding, design and application of advanced technology materials. Industrial production based on polymers in particular can be low-cost, not consuming a large amount of space or energy, and making this an attractive field for small scale venture capital undertakings. More generally, and as a result of the interdisciplinary nature and flexibility of the MAT program, its graduates are likely to enjoy job opportunities ranging from basic and applied research in the physical, chemical or biological sciences to industries concentrating on advanced technological materials.
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