IEEE feels the connection with the ACM is needed for effective outreach. There are approximately one hundred fifteen materials science and engineering programs in the U.S. and Canada with an estimated student population of eight thousand. However, the profession attracts people from a number of other disciplines, such as physics, chemistry, and several engineering fields. This cross-disciplinary aspect makes it difficult to accurately know the number of people working in the field. One rough estimate places this number in excess of nine hundred thousand.
Materials engineers join a number of societies depending on the particular sub-specialty.
TMS's plan, therefore, is to involve others, such as the American Ceramics Society and the Materials Research Society. TMS is doing a careful analysis of existing data, such as numbers of people in various sub-specialties, types of jobs, employment in various industries and salary trends. They are also attempting to develop new information on career paths both to jobs in the field and to jobs outside the field. This analysis is being used by TMS to prepare media and services to assist college students in making career decisions. The videotape and CD-ROM feature practicing materials scientists in various industries and at various degree levels.