Programs Which degree for Materials Science?

[cytochrome]

I'm currently a chemical engineering student and I have a huge interest in materials science, probably more so hard materials than soft materials (which is why I feel chemical engineering is a bad choice).

Can I get into the field of materials science via a chemical engineering degree? Ideally I'd like to go to graduate school for Materials Science and Engineering but I'm afraid my chemical engineering background will be laughed at because we mostly do applied thermodynamics to solutions.

I could also change my major to Mechanical Engineering (materials science would take too long to complete since my school does not offer MSE summer classes) and therefore be more adept at solid materials. I don't know...

I'm lost. Can someone give advice as to whether or not a chemical engineer could get involved in the materials science field? Particularly studying mechanics of materials and rational materials design? Or should I change to mechanical engineering?

 

[ezintegral]

I'm studying Materials Science & Engineering and there's a whole side of it dedicated to hard materials (I guess you mean everything related to steel resistance?), metallurgy, micro-structure of materials, how they behave when strain, torsion, etc is applied, how to reinforce them for a specific application.. In some universities, they study that as part of a Mechanical Engineering program.

 

[cytochrome]

I'm studying Materials Science & Engineering and there's a whole side of it dedicated to hard materials (I guess you mean everything related to steel resistance?), metallurgy, micro-structure of materials, how they behave when strain, torsion, etc is applied, how to reinforce them for a specific application.. In some universities, they study that as part of a Mechanical Engineering program.

What part of materials science studies soft materials and what are the applications?