材料部在结构材料方面拥有国际知名的研究计划。研究议程是由能源，运输，航空航天和安全领域的重要国家和国际需求驱动的。研究重点是新兴的高温轻量材料（包括高级氧化物，碳化物和金属合金以及保护性涂层），生物和生物启发的材料，以及提供新功能的新型多层，纤维和混合结构。UCSB的结构材料因其跨学科的方法，与机械工程学的紧密合作以及成功的多研究者计划（例如MURI，GOALI，DMREF）而闻名。该程序集成了新的计算方案和先进的实验技术，以指导新材料的发现，开发和合成。它们还解决了发电和推进系统，储能设备，高超音速飞行
The Materials Department has an internationally renowned research program in Structural Materials. Research agendas are driven by critical national and international needs in the areas of energy, transportation, aerospace and security. Research focuses on emerging high-temperature and lightweight materials (including advanced oxides, carbides, and metallic alloys along with protective coatings), biological and bio-inspired materials, as well as novel multilayered, fibrous and hybrid architectures that provide new functionalities. <br><br>Structural Materials at UCSB has long been known for its multidisciplinary approach, strong collaborations with Mechanical Engineering and successful multi-investigator programs (such as MURI, GOALI, DMREF) . The programs integrate new computational schemes and advanced experimental techniques in order to guide discovery, development and synthesis of new materials. They also address material performance at the systems level in power generation and propulsion systems, energy storage devices, hypersonic flight vehicles, blast and ballistic resistant structures, and nuclear reactor environments.