The University of Toledo is preparing students for in-demand careers in the region’s glass and solar industry, as well as the state’s growing semiconductor industry, with a new undergraduate degree program in materials science.
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field that applies principles of chemistry and physics to understand how the structures of materials like glass, metals, polymers and more affect their properties. Materials scientists can manipulate these properties in the research, development and fabrication of countless products.
Marissa Shook, a chemistry junior, works in a laboratory in Wolfe Hall.
“Think of a smart phone,” said Dr. Nikolas Podraza, a professor and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy who developed the program alongside Dr. Terry Bigioni, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
“Everything in a smartphone has been designed for a specific function, from the semiconductors that power its chips to the touchscreen glass that’s designed to resist scratches and withstand day-to-day impacts. Materials scientists who understand exactly how individual properties of materials work are integral to the consumer products we use every day.”
UToledo is the first and only institution to offer a bachelor’s degree in materials science in the northwest Ohio region. It leverages the unique strengths of UToledo’s College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics while equipping graduates to begin careers in a wide range of industries and at manufacturing powerhouses in Ohio and across the Midwest.
“Materials scientists are in high demand to support our region’s manufacturing industry, from legacy automotive leaders to innovators in glass and solar energy technology,” said Dr. Marc Seigar, dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. “With a strong academic foundation that encompasses our Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization, where student and faculty researchers are breaking ground in the research and development of thin-film photovoltaic technology, UToledo is well positioned to support this industry and the next generation of scientists who will advance it.”
U.S. News & World Report recently ranked UToledo in the top quarter of global universities in materials science.
U.S. News also ranked UToledo No. 1 among all global universities for the percentage of total research publications that are among the top 1% most highly cited papers in the materials science category, in large part reflecting its innovative research out of the Wright Center that has been published in high-profile journals like Nature, Science and Joule.
And as a leading academic partner in the Northwest Ohio Glass Innovation Hub, a $31.3 million investment announced last year by the Ohio Department of Development, UToledo is also co-leading scientific research and preparing highly trained graduates to strengthen the region’s national leadership in glassmaking and solar energy technology.
The College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics has long offered materials science and related courses that explore the relationships between materials, properties and fabrication processes, and it more recently introduced four-course certificates in materials science for undergraduate students in 2024 and graduate students in 2025.
The new bachelor’s degree program builds on these offerings with an interdisciplinary curriculum that emphasizes chemistry, mathematics, physics and applications in courses offered by the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the College of Engineering.
The curriculum also integrates experiential learning. In addition to laboratory intensive courses that introduce students to advanced instrumentation, students will earn credits for research or internship opportunities designed to reinforce and apply key classroom principles in cutting-edge academic or industry settings.
The degree program is designed so that students can specialize in a class of materials, prioritizing courses, research and internship opportunities that position them strongly for a career in their preferred industry.
It’s also designed to adapt and expand to the evolving needs of the job market.
“We expect that scientific breakthroughs and technological developments will continue to transform the field of materials science,” said Podraza, who is also the NEG Endowed Chair for Silicate Science at UToledo. “Our students will be graduating at the cutting edge of these advancements, ready to hit the ground running on their first day in the office, lab or production line.”
The program, which recently received state approval, is expected to enroll its first full cohort in fall 2026.
