Any Metallurgists/ Material Scientists out there?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around experiences and insights related to the fields of materials science and metallurgy, including academic and industry perspectives. Participants share their backgrounds, career paths, and the demand for professionals in these areas, as well as exploring the relevance of computational approaches within materials science.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants indicate that materials scientists and metallurgists are in high demand, with one sharing their positive job search experience after graduation.
  • There is a suggestion that hands-on experience and a willingness to work with high-energy equipment are beneficial traits for those in the materials science field.
  • One participant is considering a career in materials science from a computational physics perspective and questions the demand for such a background.
  • Another participant asserts that computational materials science, particularly in areas like ab-initio modeling and Density Functional Theory (DFT), is a growing field and emphasizes the diverse backgrounds of those entering this area.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the demand for materials scientists and the relevance of computational approaches, but there are varying perspectives on the specific career paths and the importance of advanced degrees like a PhD.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions involve assumptions about job market conditions and the applicability of different educational backgrounds, which may not be universally applicable.

streeters
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Has anyone here worked as or studied materials science or metallurgy?
Where did you end up?
Any positive/negative aspects to the industry?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated

Cheers.
 
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streeters,

I'm a materials scientist who is pursuing his PhD, but I've also worked in industry for 3-years before deciding to go back to school. Materials Engineers, Materials Scientist, Metallurgists, or whatever are probably some of the most in demand people today. As soon as I graduated with my BS I didn't have trouble finding a job and I wasn't the best student at the time. Bottom line, if you like to operate high-energy equipment, get your hands dirty, and actually "make" something Materials Science is the field for you.

modey3
 
Modey3 said:
streeters,

I'm a materials scientist who is pursuing his PhD, but I've also worked in industry for 3-years before deciding to go back to school. Materials Engineers, Materials Scientist, Metallurgists, or whatever are probably some of the most in demand people today. As soon as I graduated with my BS I didn't have trouble finding a job and I wasn't the best student at the time. Bottom line, if you like to operate high-energy equipment, get your hands dirty, and actually "make" something Materials Science is the field for you.

modey3

Thanks for the insight. Are you looking to get into academia with your PhD or just progressing your career? Did you feel limited without a PhD?
 
I am studying both chemistry and physics. I am pondering the materials field from a computational physics-angle.

modey3: what do you think about that? Is a computational physics/materials something that is in demand, if you got both the physics-part of QM and such, and the chemENG-angle on top of that?
 
"modey3: what do you think about that? Is a computational physics/materials something that is in demand, if you got both the physics-part of QM and such, and the chemENG-angle on top of that?"

Computational Materials Science (CMS), particularly in the ab-initio modeling (QM modeling) area, is a hot field of study. People who go into CMS or Materials Science for that matter come from all sorts of backgrounds: physics, chemistry, metallurgy/materials engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering. If CMS is interesting to you start learning about Density Functional Theory (DFT) because 90% of all the papers published in the area of CMS involve using DFT. CMS of course involves more than just DFT and the best applied theoreticians can model at all scales.

modey3
 

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