WINTHROP UNIVERSITY
Department of Chemistry, Physics, & Geology
Syllabus

Semester: S 2025          Credit hours: 3                
Course: PHYS 321 (001) - Materials Science
Pre-requisite: A grade of C_ or better in (PHYS 202 or 212) and (CHEM 105 OR CHEM 202 OR CHEM 211).
Online Asynchronous                  Assignments

Professor: Dr. Ponn Maheswaranathan (Mahes).   
Office hours: TR 11-12:30, T, 3-4;30, W 4-5 (213-B Sims) or by appointment. 
Cell Phone: 803 504 9399, E-mail: mahesp@winthrop.edu
Textbook: Materials Science and Engineering, Callister, 10th Edition, John Wiley Publishing.

Course Objectives:

• Develop an understanding of the synthesis, structure, properties, and performance of chemical, engineering, and electronic materials.
• Gain an understanding of materials' role in science and technology.
• Develop problem solving skills in materials science.

Course Description:
PHYS 321 is an introductory materials science course primarily intended for chemistry majors, pre-engineering students, and for minors in engineering physics. The course will cover synthesis, structure, properties, and technical performance of engineering metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, and superconductors.

University-Level Competency:
Materials science introduces students to the role of scientific reasoning via understanding materials and solving materials science problems (e.g. describing the crystal structures and calculating materials properties). They will apply the scientific methodologies of inquiry during the characterization of materials. They will also be introduced to the history of materials discovery (e.g., topics and modern materials are introduced with historical perspectives) and learn that the materials for current technology are discovered after cutting edge materials research. In addition, they will see how the scientific advances made in a laboratory transforms into useful materials for today's technological devices.   

Attendance and Participation:
The attendance policy described in the Winthrop University undergraduate catalog will be followed. Students are encouraged to follow the Blackboard schedule carefully and turn in the homework there on time and to actively take part in classroom activities. Regular attendance and good participation efforts will help in the final letter grade assignment for borderline cases.

COVID-19 Statement: During this pandemic period each student is expected to act in the best interest of the WU community by behaving responsibly to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. All students, faculty, and staff must wear masks inside buildings and classrooms, unless alone in a private office. All members of the campus community must follow campus guidance on masking. Please do not attend class if you have fever or any signs of the COVID virus; do not attend class if your roommate or someone you have close contact with acquires the virus and be respectful of others to remain COVID-free. Students who violate WU guidelines will be asked to comply. Continued failure to comply may result in referral to the Dean of Students Office as a student conduct violation.

COVID-Related Absence: Students should contact Health Services regarding a positive test, close contact, or enhanced COVID-like symptoms. Any student who has either tested positive, has COVID-like symptoms, or has close contact with someone who has COVID, must contact Health Services. Students should log in to the Patient Portal to schedule a TELEPHONE TRIAGE Appointment w/ COVID as the reason and upload the positive test result if applicable. Health Services will communicate with the student on what steps to take next, and if need be, the Dean of Students Office will get absence verification for required isolation and quarantine. Students who verify their absences through the Dean of Students Office often minimize any academic impact caused by missed class time. Health Services will only provide dates of absence, not medical information. Please note, residential students who test positive or are a close contact are expected to follow their personal COVID Quarantine and Isolation Plan. 

Homework:
Chapter sections, questions, and problems are assigned for each lecture. Keep up with all the assignments and turn in your homework regularly. Get help when needed.     

Winthrop’s Academic Success Center:
Winthrop University’s Academic Success Center (ASC) provides comprehensive free resources for all undergraduate students seeking to perform their best academically. The ASC offers a variety of personalized and structured resources that help students achieve academic excellence, including peer tutoring and academic coaching. In addition to services within the ASC, other campus services (e.g., Writing Center, Language Learning Center, Library) are available. For more information, please visit the ASC website's Student Resources page: https://www.winthrop.edu/success/campus-resources.aspx.
You can also contact the ASC at 803/323-3929 or success@winthrop.edu with any questions.

Students with Disabilities/Need of Accommodations for Access:
Winthrop University is committed to providing access to education.  If you have a condition which may adversely impact your ability to access academics and/or campus life, and you require specific accommodations to complete this course, contact the Office of Accessibility (OA) at 803-323-3290, or, accessibility@winthrop.edu. Please inform me as early as possible, once you have your official notice of accommodations from the Office of Accessibility.

Winthrop’s Office of Nationally Competitive Awards (ONCA) identifies and assists highly motivated and talented students to apply for nationally and internationally competitive awards, scholarships, fellowships, and unique opportunities both at home and abroad.   ONCA gathers and disseminates award information and deadlines across the campus community, and serves as a resource for students, faculty, and staff throughout the nationally competitive award nomination and application process.

Student Conduct Code: The policy on student academic misconduct is outlined in the “Student Conduct" website. 

Academic Integrity at Winthrop University: "Academic integrity is a fundamental tenet of the Winthrop learning community. Academic work must depend upon respect for and acknowledgement of the research and ideas of others. Misrepresentation of someone else’s work (or the use of AI or CHAT GPT) as one’s own is a most serious offense in any academic setting. Academic misconduct in any form cannot be condoned." 

Syllabus change policy: The instructor will make changes to this syllabus as deemed necessary for the progression of the course.

Tests & Final: Two tests (each worth 20% for a total of 40%) and a comprehensive final (40%) are scheduled as follows. Homework is worth 20%.

Grade:
The above total will be used to assign a letter grade, which will be very close to the following:
100% - 90% = A     89% - 87% = A-    86% - 84% = B+    83% - 80% = B    79% - 77% = B-   
    76%-74% = C+   73% - 67% = C     66% - 64% = C-     63%-60% = D      59%- 0% = F