The Department of Materials Science and Engineering received approval for establishment on October 23, 1987, and admitted its first students in March of the following year, 1988.

The education of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering aims to understand and elucidate the properties of engineering materials across the board based on fundamental theories of physics and chemistry, and to research materials with excellent physical properties and effective manufacturing methods. The research scope of the Department aims to cultivate internationally creative talents capable of acquiring broad knowledge of materials through systematic and efficient education on the basic properties of various engineering materials, such as metals, ceramics, energy, and semiconductor materials, while simultaneously conducting in-depth research in their respective major fields based on the characteristics of each material.