Additive Manufacturing (Non-Thesis)

A graduate degree in additive manufacturing equips you to design, optimize and qualify parts produced through 3D printing technologies that are transforming aerospace, medical, energy and manufacturing industries. At Colorado School of Mines, additive manufacturing is taught as an applied, multidisciplinary field that connects materials science, mechanical design, process engineering and quality systems. Graduates leave prepared to implement AM technologies, qualify new materials and processes, optimize production workflows and contribute immediately in professional roles across manufacturing companies, aerospace firms, medical device companies and service bureaus.

Additive manufacturing is evolving rapidly as new processes, materials and digital tools expand production capabilities. Key advances include:

• Multi-material and functionally graded additive manufacturing for complex material distributions
• In-situ process monitoring and closed-loop control using cameras, thermal sensors and real-time feedback
• Machine learning and AI for defect prediction, parameter optimization and quality assurance
•  Large-scale metal AM for aerospace structures, tooling and infrastructure components
• High-throughput polymer AM and automated post-processing for mass customization
• Digital thread integration connecting design, simulation, manufacturing and inspection data

Graduates pursue technical and engineering roles that require AM expertise and manufacturing knowledge including:

• Additive manufacturing engineer or process engineer
• Design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) specialist
• Materials engineer focused on AM alloys and materials
• Quality engineer or certification specialist for AM parts
• Production engineer implementing AM in manufacturing
• Applications engineer for AM equipment manufacturers
• R&D engineer developing new AM processes or materials
• Manufacturing technology consultant
• Technical sales engineer for AM systems and materials
• Research scientist in advanced manufacturing laboratories

• Current research in additive manufacturing spans both academic and industry settings with a shared focus on improving performance, reliability, scalability and qualification while expanding the range of materials and applications. Key research areas include:
• Process–structure–property relationships examining how process parameters influence microstructure, mechanical performance and long-term reliability
• In-situ monitoring and sensor integration using thermal imaging, optical systems and data capture to detect defects and enable closed-loop process control
• Data-driven modeling, machine learning and AI applied to parameter optimization, defect prediction and quality assurance
• Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) including topology optimization, lattice structures and geometry-enabled performance improvements
• Material development and qualification focusing on new metal alloys, high-performance polymers, composites, ceramics and bio-compatible materials
• Multi-material and functionally graded structures enabling tailored material properties within a single component
• Part qualification, certification and standards development supporting adoption in regulated industries such as aerospace, energy and medical devices
• Large-format and high-rate additive manufacturing addressing scalability, build speed and cost for production applications
• Post-processing and hybrid manufacturing integrating heat treatment, machining and surface finishing into AM workflows
• Digital thread and digital twin integration connecting design, simulation, manufacturing, inspection and lifecycle data
• Supply chain resilience and distributed manufacturing exploring how AM can reduce lead times, tooling requirements and logistical risk

In academic settings, these research efforts advance fundamental understanding of materials, processes and mechanics. In industry, they are applied to production readiness, certification, cost reduction and workforce adoption. Together, this work is driving the transition of additive manufacturing from prototyping toward robust, repeatable, production-scale deployment across aerospace, energy, medical and advanced manufacturing sectors.