Materials Science and Engineering, MSMSCE

The Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering offers programs leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Materials Science and Engineering, with research specialization in the following areas:  

• Ceramics  

• Electronic Materials  

• Metals and Alloys  

• Micro-Materials  

• Nanomaterials  

• Polymers and Composites  

• Surfaces and Interfaces  

• Thin Film 

Admission Requirements 

Admission to the M.S. degree program is on a competitive basis, and financial assistance is available through teaching and research assistantships, as well as a limited number of fellowships. Applicants should have a minimum grade point average of 3.0/4.0 on all undergraduate work. Persons with backgrounds in any physical science or engineering discipline are encouraged to apply, as each applicant’s qualifications are reviewed individually. Minimum requirements for admission include a bachelor’s degree and four semesters of university-level calculus, calculus-based physics, and chemistry. Please note that meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission, as acceptance is on a competitive and space-available basis. 

Degree Requirements  

The master’s degree is offered under Plan A (thesis option) and Plan B (non-thesis option). Candidates for the degree under Plan A must complete a minimum of 30 hours of graduate courses to include, if desired, no more than 6 credit hours of MSE 768  and submit and defend a thesis that demonstrates research ability. The required course work includes the materials science core (MSE 632  MSE 635  MSE 650  MSE 781  ) as well as appropriate electives selected in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies. In certain exceptional cases (as determined by the faculty), a non-thesis M.S. may be undertaken (Plan B). The non-thesis option requires 30 hours of course work that includes the materials science core, and is only available to those students with prior research or industrial experience. For both Plan A and Plan B, at least half of all graduate course work must be at the 600 level or above.