Introduction to Materials Science (Coursera)

Introduction to Materials Science (Coursera)

Periods of our civilization have names associated with materials – stone age, bronze age, iron age and the silicon age. Materials impact all aspects of your daily life and will continue to do so in the future. The more we understand materials, the more we imagine the future with fantastic devices and advancements enabled by materials. This initial specialization introduces a limited number of material science and engineering concepts.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

The topic presentations are at the concept level without being mired in heavy mathematics. Participation in each course is best done by initially having a firm sense of what MSE does and its impact on society. Topics in this specialization span from atom bonding and crystal structure to diffusion and phase diagrams. Some of the position titles that may benefit from this course include Materials Engineer, Chemical Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Aerospace Engineer and Materials Quality Control. Others who want to explore the world of materials will find it helpful.

Course 1 of 4 in the Materials Science for Technological Application Specialization.

What You Will Learn
The role of materials engineers in contemporary engineering practice.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Course Introduction
This course introduces students to the basic ideas of materials science and engineering. This course includes an introduction to the relationship between processing, properties, and structure. This course is different from many other courses in that it uses a rudimentary introduction of fundamental concepts materials selection. It also identifies the characteristics and properties of the different families of materials based on their interatomic bonding. Finally, we explore how materials properties vary across the periodic table.

WEEK 2
Module 1: Introduction to Specialization and Course
In this module, we will see a high-level overview of materials science and engineering and learn about materials selection, materials families, types of bonding and processing of materials.

WEEK 3
Module 2: Atomic Structure and Interatomic Bonding I Property Relationships
In this module, we will learn about atomic structure, interatomic bonding and how the location of an element on the periodic table affects its chemical properties. Various examples are discussed.

WEEK 4
Module 3: Atomic Structure
In this module, we learn about different kinds of atomic structures and the relationships between structure and properties of materials.

WEEK 5
Module 4: Crystal Structures
In this module, we learn about different kinds of atomic structures, and the relationships between structure and properties of materials.

WEEK 6
Module 5: Unit Cells
In this module, we discuss how to identify and locate positions in unit cells, and how to specify and identify directions in unit cells

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Material Behavior (Coursera) Coursera
Georgia Institute of Technology

Material Behavior (Coursera)

Have you ever wondered why ceramics are hard and brittle while metals tend to be ductile? Why some materials conduct heat or electricity while others are insulators? Why adding just a small amount of carbon to iron results in an alloy that is so much stronger than the base metal? In this course, you will learn how a material’s properties are determined by the microstructure of the material, which is in turn determined by composition and the processing that the material has undergone.

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Applications in Engineering Mechanics (Coursera) Coursera
Georgia Institute of Technology

Applications in Engineering Mechanics (Coursera)

This course applies principles learned in my course “Introduction to Engineering Mechanics” to analyze real world engineering structures. You will need to have mastered the engineering fundamentals from that class in order to be successful in this course offering. This course addresses the modeling and analysis of static equilibrium problems with an emphasis on real world engineering systems and problem solving.

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to Solid State Chemistry (edX) EdX
MIT,MITx

Introduction to Solid State Chemistry (edX)

Learn chemical principles by examining materials with examples from energy generation and storage to emerging technologies. This first-year University chemistry course explores the basic principles of the chemical bond by studying the properties of solids. Properties such as stiffness, electrical conductivity, thermal expansion, strength, and optical properties are the vehicle by which you can learn a great deal of practical chemistry.

Sep 6th 2023
13-24 Weeks
Quantum Mechanics for Scientists and Engineers 2 (edX) EdX
StanfordOnline

Quantum Mechanics for Scientists and Engineers 2 (edX)

This course covers key topics in the use of quantum mechanics in many modern applications in science and technology, introduces core advanced concepts such as spin, identical particles, the quantum mechanics of light, the basics of quantum information, and the interpretation of quantum mechanics, and covers the major ways in which quantum mechanics is written and used in modern practice.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Mécanique de Newton (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Mécanique de Newton (Coursera)

À l’École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, un cours de mécanique fait partie de la formation de tous les futurs ingénieurs et scientifiques. Il a pour but de leur apprendre à transcrire sous forme mathématique un phénomène physique, afin de pouvoir en formuler une analyse raisonnée. Cette partie couvrira notamment la cinématique du point matériel, la balistique dans le champ de la pesanteur et l’oscillateur harmonique.

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks
The Finite Element Method for Problems in Physics (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

The Finite Element Method for Problems in Physics (Coursera)

This course is an introduction to the finite element method as applicable to a range of problems in physics and engineering sciences. The treatment is mathematical, but only for the purpose of clarifying the formulation. The emphasis is on coding up the formulations in a modern, open-source environment that can be expanded to other applications, subsequently.

Nov 2nd 2026
13-24 Weeks
Fundamentals of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology (edX) EdX
Purdue University,PurdueX

Fundamentals of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology (edX)

Learn about the application of nanomaterials in civil and environmental engineering. This course will introduce students to the field of nanotechnology with a special emphasis on nanomaterials synthesis, characterizations and their applications in civil and environmental engineering. The specific applications will include, but not limited to, tailoring mechanical property, durability, self-cleaning, self-sealing, self-sensing, energy harvesting and other multi-functionality.

Aug 22nd 2022
5-12 Weeks
Materials Data Sciences and Informatics (Coursera) Coursera
Georgia Institute of Technology

Materials Data Sciences and Informatics (Coursera)

This course aims to provide a succinct overview of the emerging discipline of Materials Informatics at the intersection of materials science, computational science, and information science. Attention is drawn to specific opportunities afforded by this new field in accelerating materials development and deployment efforts.

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to Basic Vibrations (Coursera) Coursera
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology - KAIST

Introduction to Basic Vibrations (Coursera)

Introduction to Basic Vibrations starts with the fundamental principle of vibrations with a single and double degree of freedom systems. These fundamental vibration systems provide a solid platform not only to understand general vibrations but also to apply or use them into simple mechanical problems.

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Análisis de Sistemas de Transporte (Coursera) Coursera
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Análisis de Sistemas de Transporte (Coursera)

Este curso es una introducción a las metodologías fundamentales para la gestión, planificación y evaluación de sistemas de transporte de pasajeros. Se aprenderán técnicas usadas en la práctica para estimar la demanda, modelar la operación y realizar análisis económicos de proyectos de transporte.

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Engineering Systems in Motion: Dynamics of Particles and Bodies in 2D Motion (Coursera) Coursera
Georgia Institute of Technology

Engineering Systems in Motion: Dynamics of Particles and Bodies in 2D Motion (Coursera)

This course is an introduction to the study of bodies in motion as applied to engineering systems and structures. We will study the dynamics of particle motion and bodies in rigid planar (2D) motion. This will consist of both the kinematics and kinetics of motion. Kinematics deals with the geometrical aspects of motion describing position, velocity, and acceleration, all as a function of time. Kinetics is the study of forces acting on these bodies and how it affects their motion.

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Fundamentals of Fluid-Solid Interactions (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique

Fundamentals of Fluid-Solid Interactions (Coursera)

What is fluid-solid interactions ? It is what happens when the motions of a fluid and of a solid are somehow coupled. This happens all the time, around you when leaves flutter in the wind, inside you when your heart beats, above you when wings of a plane vibrate, under the sea... The idea behind this MOOC is to give you the basic tools to be able to predict and eventually mitigate things called flutter, galloping, sloshing, vortex-induced vibrations, added mass, to cite a few. We are going to consider any possible domains of applications such as civil engineering, aerospace engineering, nuclear engineering , ocean engineering, biomechanics and even food processing !

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks