Education

In the 1940s and 1950s, the chemistry department assumed teaching responsibilities in Material Sciences [Teaching in Metallurgy, Polymer Synthesis, Macromolecular Chemistry (…)]. For mechanical engineers, courses in Materials and Technology had long been part of their basic studies as well; in 1967 an additional course was offered as “Advanced Materials Science”, following the trend in foreign countries to include physics into materials science teaching and to emphasize the analysis of the behavior of materials. This combination led to the birth of a new discipline, initially referred to as “Physical Metallurgy” spreading rapidly following the adoption of the more precise term, “Materials Science”.

The chemistry department accepted the change by creating a whole new three-part course program, designed to train mechanical engineers—who were required to take a substantial courseload in metallurgy—alongside chemists and chemical engineers. Since this course attracted only a limited number of students over the following 10-year period, and since industry was expressing a need for experts in modern materials science, it was clear that an entirely new concept had to be found. Joachim Meissner, Prof. in Polymer Physics since 1974, and a graduate in Physical Metallurgy, offered to work out the necessary course strategy. Coordinating the new concept within the structure of the ETH proved challenging, and in 1981 the creation of a new department was found to be the solution. 1935 was the last time this had been done at the ETHZ, with the formation of the Department of Electrical Engineering.