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Undergraduate Student Experience

MSE students painting during a student happy hour in the department student lounge

Student Organization Lists and Directories

Round out your academic experience with extracurricular activities that develop your leadership experience, communication skills and new perspectives while having fun! With over 1,000 recognized student organizations, Cornell has something for everyone. Below are popular experiences for materials science engineering students.

  • Cornell Materials Society

    Expanding the resources and experiences available to students during their collegiate experience, this group works to foster relationships between department faculty, students, alumni and industry members to expose students to cutting-edge materials research, professional development and social events, among other activities.

  • Student Project Teams

    Nearly 30 teams with more than 1,000 student participants. Project teams mimic real-world engineering scenarios and bring students, faculty and staff together for the sake of team building and innovation. Many teams compete across the region, nation and globe and others work on service learning projects and programs. Project teams are dedicated to sustainability, programming, robotics, design, healthcare, watersports, public service and more.

  • Society of Women Engineers at Cornell

    Cornell Society of Women Engineers promotes women in engineering by advocating the importance of diversity and uniting resources to encourage leadership and academic, professional, and personal excellence.

  • Cornell National Society of Black Engineers

    Whether through participating in regional and national conferences, attending professional development events, or engaging in service projects, our chapter is dedicated to making a positive impact on campus and beyond. We welcome all students who share our passion for engineering excellence and making a lasting contribution to society.

  • Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Cornell Chapter

    National in scope, the organization is composed of 50 professional chapters with approximately 2000 members and 200 student chapters with a membership of more than 10,000 college students. Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers engages in outreach programs, provides leadership and networking opportunities to its members, and helps in furthering their education, advancing their careers, and promoting their recognition.

  • Study Abroad

    Engineering is an international field, and undergraduates who study abroad will greatly benefit from experiencing a new culture. Spending a full semester abroad (typically the fall semester of junior year) takes careful planning in coordination with your academic advisor. To learn more, attend an [Engineering Study Abroad information session] and then speak with the [Engineering Advising Office]. Applications are handled through the Office of Global Learning. For the full breakdown of courses, contact the [undergraduate student services coordinator].

  • ELI undergraduate research in the Richard Robinson Lab with students

    Undergraduate Teaching

    Sharpen your communication and leadership skills, give back to the younger undergraduate community and learn much more about a subject. If you’re planning to pursue a Ph.D. and work in academia, being a teaching assistant (TA) can act as a great starting point in your teaching career.

  • Student working in professor Uli Wiesner's research in his lab

    Undergraduate Research

    Most faculty advise undergraduate research. Students often present their research at Cornell and scientific meetings, and some become authors on scientific papers.