Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) is pioneering in setting up the discipline of Materials Science and Engineering in China, which has been composed of departments of materials science and engineering since 1997 and among which the heat treatment major was set up in 1926. The discipline of 'Materials Science and Engineering' is one of the first national first-degree subjects and has been consistently ranked top 1 ‱ in ESI.In 2025, it ranked 9th worldwide in ESI. Additionally, SJTU's materials discipline has been steadily rising in various global rankings: 16th in the 2025 QS World University Rankings, 10th in U.S. News & World Report, and 10th in the ARWU Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.
In recent years, the school has actively pursued innovation in research and application. Aligned with global academic frontiers and national strategic needs, it has refined its development approach by consolidating research directions and integrating academic teams, resulting in 17 distinctive teaching and research groups.
The school boasts a strong faculty of 643 staff members, including 295 teaching faculty—109 full professors and 117 associate professors. Through the implementation of a "talent-driven" strategy, the school has attracted a strong pool of experts, including 4 academicians, 29 national-level distinguished talents, and 43 national-level young talents.
The total student enrollment stands at 1,937, including 502 undergraduates, 596 master's students, and 947 doctoral candidates.
The school has consistently achieved breakthroughs in scientific research. In the past five years, it has secured over 2.3 billion RMB in research funding, published more than 3,200 SCI-indexed papers, filed 1,637 invention patent applications (with 966 granted), and received 1 National Science and Technology Progress Award (First Class), 2 National Science and Technology Awards (Second Class), and 17 provincial/ministerial-level awards (First Class). The school has made remarkable achievements in both basic and applied research. Since 2017, faculty and researchers have published 8 high-impact papers as first or corresponding authors in Science and Nature, along with 17 collaborative papers and 68 articles in their sub-journals. Multiple key technological achievements have been successfully applied in major national projects such as aviation, aerospace, marine engineering, and nuclear power, contributing significantly to addressing core challenges in critical fields and supporting key national initiatives.
