Graduate Degree

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Engineering, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

An applicant for admission to the Ph.D. degree program in materials science and engineering must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in materials science and engineering or a related field and must have a grade-point average that would indicate success in graduate study. Applicants must submit their scores on the Graduate Record Examination General Test.

Students entering the program with a bachelor’s degree in a field other than Materials Science and Engineering may be required to complete additional collateral courses to fulfill deficiencies in their academic background. Collateral course work will not count towards degree requirements.

Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Materials Science and Engineering

Students must meet the requirements specified by their guidance committee and must meet the requirements specified below. Students entering the program with a bachelor’s degree are required to complete a minimum of 13 additional credits selected in conjunction with the advisor and committee. Students entering the program with a master’s degree are required to complete a minimum of 12 additional credits, but may receive a waiver for some of the required courses with approval of the advisor and committee.

1.	All of the following courses (13 credits):
	CHE	802	Research Methods						1
	MSE	851	Thermodynamics of Solids						3
	MSE	855	Advanced Rate Theory and Diffusion						3
	MSE	860	Advanced Theory of Solids						3
	MSE	870	Electron Microscopy in Materials Science						3
	Or
	MSE	881	Advanced Spectroscopy and Diffraction Analysis of Materials						3
2.	Complete 5 credits of CHE 992 Seminar.
3.	Complete one mathematics or statistics course at the 400-level or above.								3
4.	Pass a qualifying examination consisting of a written component and an oral component.
5.	Pass a comprehensive examination in the form of a research proposal defense containing a written proposal and an oral defense.
6.	Complete a minimum of 24 credits of MSE 999 Doctoral Dissertation Research, with no more than 36 credits.
7.	Successfully defend the dissertation and present the results of the research in a public seminar during the final oral examination.