西南大学材料科学与工程学院是为实现高校全面发展、走综合化发展道路，加强工科基础发展而于2003年成立的 又一新学院。学院位于环境优美的原五一所区内，由中国工程院院士曾苏民教授担任名誉院长。全院教职工中拥有博士学位的教师占80%。学院本着高起点、前瞻性发展的原则，以“提高层次、充实内涵、突出特色、加快发展”为总体目标，以师资队伍建设为关键，以学科建设为突破口，以本科教学为基础，以研究生教育为方向，以产、学、研为目标，集中有限力量发挥自身优势，力争在未来四年里，将学院办成科研与教学并重、外向发展与内涵建设相结合的特色突出、小而强的工科学院，在西部地区乃至全国能占一席之地。
学院现有材料物理与化学、材料学硕士点和材料物理本科专业。主要培养有社会主义觉悟、品德高尚、专业厚实、知识结构合理、综合素质良好的德 、智、体、美、劳全面发展的材料物理专业的专门人才，将比较系统地学习材料制备（或合成）、材料加工、材料结构与性能测定及材料应用等方面的基础知识、基本原理和实验技能，了解材料物理的理论前沿、应用前景和最新发展动态，以及材料科学与工程产业的发展状况，熟练掌握一门外语，普通话达到较高的水平，具备材料物理相关的基本知识和实验技能， 具有一定的创新能力和实践能力，能在材料科学与工程及相关领域从事生产、教学、科学研究等相关工作。
学院的教研室包括材料学教研室和材料物理教研室；实验室包括材料科学专业实验室、热处理实验室、材料分析实验室、高真空镀膜实验室、纳米材料实验室 。学院拥有4千多平方米的办公、教学及实验、科研场所，配有先进的办公、教学科研实验设备；拥有教学用计算机房、电子阅览室计算机房， 以及科技文献资料室等教学科研基础设施。
学院以“围绕学风抓管理，围绕素质求创新”为工作理念，从思想建设、制度建设入手，逐步形成了良好的学风。教风和学风相结合，齐抓共管，把学风建设作为系统工程来做，使学风建设与学院各项工作有机结合，相互促进。
在学生活动方面，学院以领导思想为指导，学生自由发挥相结合的政策，让同学们充分发挥自己的能动性，充分展示才华。建院伊始，学院成立了学习工作小组， 组织学生开展了各种各样，丰富多彩的课外文化活动，让同学们“动”起来，为学生开展素质教育提供良好平台。
该专业优秀毕业生可免试攻读材料物理与化学等专业硕士生，也可到学校、科研院所及电子、信息等行业的企事业单位从事教学、科研、开发、 生产和管理工作。
Breif Of School of Materials Science and Engineering
Founded in 2003, School of Materials Science and Engineering is a young academic institute for the purpose to realize the development in an all-round way of the university, strengthen the inter-disciplinary cooperation and focus on the foundation of engineering. It is situated on the foot of Mt. Jinyun and by the side of Jialing River. The faculty members are very high quality- 80% of them are with Ph.D degrees. Basing on the high starting point, the overall goal is to emphasize on undergraduate teaching and providing graduate education for master degrees. It also aims to enhance industrial, academic, and research links, strives to use our own advantages to construct a small but powerful engineering institute. In the next four years, it will focus on both scientific research and teaching, both outside development and inside optimization. The school hopes it can play an important role in the western region and even the whole country in long run.
In 2004, the school independently gave the course admissions to the students from all over the country. Currently the school is offering master degree course of materials physics and chemistry，materials science and bachelor degree course of material physics. Since the beginning, the school has conscientiously cultivated the highly qualified technical intellectuals who have socialist conscientiousness and a solid foundation of academic theories and who are capable of working independently. Its philosophy is to maintain a balanced development of wisdom, virtue, physical strength, collectivism and aesthetics. To meet the academic requirements, it strictly trains students to study materials synthesis, material processing, analysis of properties and structures of materials, and material application, etc. Through the introduction of disciplines, the graduates will be informed the latest developments, prospects and applications of material physics and the industry status of material science and engineering. On the other side, the graduates are requested to master a foreign language and to speak good Mandarin. Excellent graduates with strong adaptability of innovation and practice are popular in employee units, such as industry, education and research.
The school has two research groups of materials science and material physics and five well equipped laboratories, which are specialized in materials science, heat treatment, materials analysis, high vacuum coating and nano-materials. Other facilities include a teaching computer room and an electronic reading room and a library for teaching, learning and scientific research.
The school is recognized for its strict operation and administration. A series rules and systems are continually proposed to encourage students to work hard, demonstrate their interests and genius. In spare time, the school organizes colorful leisure entertainment activities which enhance the links between student and staffs.
Genius graduates can get examination-free admission for master degree of material physics and chemistry and also can teach, do research and manage in universities, academic institutes and enterprises related to electronics and information technology.