Prospective Graduate Students
The graduate program in materials science and engineering provides a thorough grounding in the fundamental behavior of ceramics, composites, electronic materials, metals, and polymers. Emphasis is also given to the application of concepts and basic principles in the selection, design, processing, and use of engineering materials. Special topics courses are offered to complement the programs of graduate research. Research is primarily in the areas of nanostructured materials, biomaterials, composite materials, functional materials, materials processing, materials synthesis, electronic materials, and structural materials.
Click here to see the Requirements for Degrees.
Ph.D.
To excel in the field of materials science and engineering, a Ph.D. provides in-depth knowledge of materials and the opportunity to dedicate quality time to research. A Ph.D. in materials opens doors to faculty positions in academia, as well as advanced positions in industry. Our faculty are involved in a wide variety of research areas.
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Your application to the Ph.D. program in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering begins right here.
Program Requirements
At least 90 quarter credits are required for the Ph.D. degree. An M.S. degree is not a prerequisite for the Ph.D. degree, but does count as 45 quarter credits toward the 90 quarter credit requirement. Additional courses are encouraged for students entering the department with an M.S. degree. Students entering the department at the B.S. level must satisfy the course requirements for the M.S. degree. Students choose a doctoral thesis topic after consultation with the faculty. Students are required to consider topics early in the program. An oral thesis presentation and defense are scheduled at the completion of the thesis work.
In addition to the graduate seminar, which is required of all graduate students, doctoral program students must pass an oral candidacy examination during their seminar and an original proposal defense.
Fellowships
Applicants to the Department of Materials Science and Engineering are considered for Research Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships upon application to the department. Additionally, qualified U.S. citizens or permanent residents can apply separately to several internal federally funded fellowship programs such as the Department of Education GAANN fellowships.
Requirements to apply for the Ph.D. program in Materials
While the general requirements are 700 (GRE, math), 500 (GRE, verbal) and 100 (TEOFL), special consideration will be given to applicants with exceptional records of academic excellence and research experiences. Please also look at the Application Checklist and the Program Information for MSE.
For more information
Please explore our Web site for more information about our department and our program. If you are interested in visiting the department to meet one-on-one with faculty, students, and staff and to take a tour of our labs, please request a visit. For questions about the graduate program, please read through some of the prospective graduate frequently asked questions or contact our graduate advisor.
M.S.
A materials science and engineering master's degree is a postgraduate degree that enables you to enhance your academic qualifications and skills to advance your career in an in-demand engineering specialization.
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Requirement Programs
A total of 45 quarter credits is required for the M.S. degree. These include two required core courses on Materials at Equilibrium and Solid State Materials. Additionally, students choose four courses from a list of nine additional core courses. All full-time students are required to undertake a 9-credit thesis on a topic of materials research supervised by a faculty member. M.S. and B.S./M.S. students can select the Non-thesis Option if carrying out research work is not possible, in which case, the thesis may be replaced by either (a) a 6-credit Thesis Proposal and 3-credit course work, or (b) 9-credit course work. All students are required, during their first year, to propose an advisor supported research thesis topic or literature survey for approval by the department. Students are urged to make a choice of topic as early as possible and to choose appropriate graduate courses in consultation with their advisor. The program is organized so that part-time students may complete the degree requirements in two to four years. Full-time students may complete the program in two years.
For more information
Please explore our Web site for more information about our department and our program. If you are interested in visiting the department to meet one-on-one with faculty, students, and staff and to take a tour of our labs, please request a visit. For questions about the graduate program, please read through some of the prospective graduate frequently asked questions or contact our graduate advisor.