Critical materials are essential to the technologies and infrastructure that support America’s energy, manufacturing and national security goals. As demand grows for more secure and resilient supply chains, engineers and scientists need a broader understanding of how these materials are recovered, separated, purified, processed, manufactured and evaluated across their life cycle. Purdue is preparing students and professionals to meet that need through interdisciplinary education, hands-on research and emerging professional-learning opportunities that connect materials science, manufacturing, sustainability and system-level analysis.
Education Outputs & Goals
The Critical Materials pillar prepares students for careers through hands-on research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and advanced training.
Hands-On Research Training
Students gain experience in critical-material recovery, separation, purification, materials characterization and system-level analysis through interdisciplinary research alongside Purdue faculty and collaborators.
Interdisciplinary Skills Development
Students develop experimental, analytical and systems-thinking skills spanning materials engineering, chemical separations, manufacturing, life-cycle assessment, technoeconomic analysis and supply-chain decision-making.
Career Preparation
Graduates are equipped for careers in academia, national laboratories, industry, and government research in energy storage and electrochemical technologies.
Conferences & Professional Engagement
Continuing Education
Continuing and Professional Education
Purdue is expanding professional and graduate education for engineers and other professionals working across critical-material and energy supply chains. Current and emerging opportunities span rare earth technologies, materials engineering, sustainable manufacturing and supply-chain analysis.
Mines to Magnets: Current Status and Emerging Technologies on Critical Materials
Purdue Engineering Professional Education offers a focused learning opportunity examining the critical-material supply chain and the interdisciplinary engineering technologies supporting rare-earth recovery, processing and magnet production.
Materials Engineering Professional Master's Program
Purdue's Materials Engineering Professional Master's Program provides advanced, industry-focused education in materials science and engineering along with professional and business skills. Students can tailor graduate-level materials coursework to their technical and career interests.
Materials Engineering Fundamentals — MSE 60000
Available through Purdue Engineering Online, this graduate course examines relationships among materials structure, processing and properties across metals, ceramics, polymers and other engineering materials.
IEI Professional Degrees and Certificates
The Institute for Energy Innovation is developing additional professional and online education opportunities, including a Professional Master's Program in Energy Engineering and short-form Critical Materials certificates aligned with industry and government workforce needs.