In the 1960s, materials science and engineering emerged as a major factor in teaching and research. During this period, in spite of temporary economic setbacks, materials science and engineering received increasing financial support from the public and private sectors. It attracted qualified people from related scientific and technical fields, and promising students in the face of fluctuations in enrollments. Although the evolution of materials science and engineering was a long-term process over several decades, it is appropriate to discuss it in this section because it was closely connected with two major developments affecting the Department: a name change involving the term "materials science" and the establishment of the Center for Materials Science and Engineering at MIT.
In 1967 the Department of Metallurgy changed its name to the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science and in 1974 to the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. These name changes reflected the growing awareness, both at MIT and in the field, that materials must be studied in terms of their behavior and characteristics, rather than by specific class. At that time, and now, Course III undergrads pursue a hands-on curriculum that integrates classroom study and laboratory experimentation.
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