The UF Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) is among the best in the United States and is the most prominent MSE program in the state of Florida. It’s also one of the most established in the country, having been founded originally in 1959 by Dr. Frederick N. Rhines.

The department is also home to the Nuclear Engineering (NE) program, which is the top NE program in the state and the only Florida university offering graduate degrees in nuclear engineering. It is home to the UF Training Reactor (UFTR), one of only 31 in the country. The UFTR is one of two reactors in the southeast and offers a unique opportunity for nuclear and nuclear materials testing under harsh environments.