MSE at Cornell University

Gateway courses

Each of these unlocks the largest share of downstream work on this map. Courses from other departments can appear here when they genuinely gate MSE coursework.

• PHYS 1112Physics I: Mechanics & Heatopens 61 courses (7 directly)
• MATH 1920Multivariable Calculus for Engineersopens 50 courses (8 directly)
• PHYS 2213Physics II: Electromagnetismopens 38 courses (5 directly)
• MATH 2930Differential Equations for Engineersopens 31 courses (9 directly)
• MSE 2610Mechanical Properties of Materials: From Nanodevices to Superstructuresopens 28 courses (6 directly)
• PHYS 2214Physics III: Oscillations, Waves, and Quantum Physicsopens 23 courses (4 directly)

The map

Intro tiers at the top, advanced work below; arrows point from a prerequisite to the course it unlocks. Courses from other departments appear where they gate MSE work. Click any course to see what it requires and unlocks without leaving this page; hovering lights up its neighbors. The lists on this page carry the same courses in text form.

Showing the 90 MSE and feeder courses that have prerequisite links. 54 more MSE courses have no recorded prerequisites. They are listed under Tracks below, not drawn as loose dots here.

Tracks

Upper-level clusters, grouped by the gateway that opens them.

The longest ladders

The deepest prerequisite chains in MSE. These are the routes that take the most semesters to climb.

• 8 courses deep, ending at MSE 5461

  1. MATH 1910Calculus for Engineers
  2. MATH 1920Multivariable Calculus for Engineers
  3. MATH 2930Differential Equations for Engineers
  4. PHYS 2214Physics III: Oscillations, Waves, and Quantum Physics
  5. AEP 3610Introductory Quantum Mechanics
  6. AEP 4230Statistical Thermodynamics
  7. ECE 4070Physics of Semiconductors and Nanostructures
  8. MSE 5461Compound Semiconductor Devices

• 7 courses deep, ending at MSE 4020

  1. MATH 1910Calculus for Engineers
  2. MATH 1920Multivariable Calculus for Engineers
  3. MATH 2930Differential Equations for Engineers

• 7 courses deep, ending at MSE 5310

  1. MATH 1910Calculus for Engineers
  2. PHYS 1112Physics I: Mechanics & Heat
  3. ENGRD 2610Mechanical Properties of Materials: From Nanodevices to Superstructures

• 7 courses deep, ending at MSE 5720

  1. MATH 1910Calculus for Engineers
  2. MATH 1920Multivariable Calculus for Engineers
  3. MATH 2930Differential Equations for Engineers

Grade medians

Teaching in Fall 2026

Instructors on MSE sections in Fall 2026, from the registrar's schedule.

• Christopher Umbach
• Debdeep Jena
• Eve Donnelly
• H. Grace Xing
• Hari Nair
• James Weaver
• Julia Dshemuchadse
• Kintu Early
• Lara Estroff
• Marty Murtagh
• Michael Thompson
• Mostafa Hassani
• Nicole Benedek
• Richard Robinson
• Shefford Baker
• Uli Wiesner
• Yu Zhong

Clubs & organizations

No clubs or organizations on record under MSE yet.

Clubs students here join

Department events

MSE does not run a page here yet. When it does, its events show up here and on the Cornell campus feed.