Requirements for the PhD Degree
A minimum of 72 credits is required for the PhD in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE). A minimum of 36 of these 72 credits must be didactic coursework beyond the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. This requirement cannot be satisfied by graduate seminar (MSE 2185 / ME 2085 ), PhD Research MSE 3997 ), or PhD Dissertation (MSE 3999 ). The coursework consists of (I) MSE core (six required courses that students must take in the first year of enrollment), (II) a group of elective courses tailored for each student’s research and as required for technical broadening beyond the MSE focus, (III) course(s) to address mathematical/numerical skills, and (IV) PhD Research credits. The student’s advisor must approve the course sequence selection.
Transfers: Students can transfer up to 30 didactic course credits from an MS or equivalent degree as a block, subject to approval by the MSE graduate program. While students can transfer up to a 30-credit block from a previous MS degree, they still need to satisfy the core MSE course requirement and the math requirement described below. If a student has already taken similar contents to the core MSE courses, content waivers could be requested on a case-by-case basis. In all cases, students need to take at least 12 credits of didactic MSE graduate courses, even if core class content waivers are granted.
Program Milestones: In addition to the credit requirements, students must complete the PhD-required milestones, as described in the MSE graduate handbook, including passing the preliminary (qualifying) exam, comprehensive exam (along with the dissertation proposal), and dissertation defense
Credit Requirements are elaborated below:
Core Courses Requirement
The 18-credit core course component must be taken within the first year of the program*.
Typically, full-time PhD students are expected to carry a course load of three courses per semester in addition to research credits (MSE 3997 ) until their coursework is completed. If a student’s background is insufficient for a given graduate course, the student must prepare by attending appropriate undergraduate courses or through independent study. This should be arranged in consultation with the student’s faculty advisor and the lecturing faculty of the relevant course(s). Students must take the PhD Preliminary (qualifying) exam at the end of their second semester as they complete the core courses. Students who fail in their first attempt can be allowed a second attempt in the following semester upon approval of their research advisor. Students who fail the exam at both attempts are dismissed from the MSE PhD program.
Note:
*:A student must score at least a B (3.0) in each of these six classes. If a student does not get at least a letter grade of B, the class must be taken a second time. All didactic classes must be successfully completed before the student can apply for admission to PhD Candidacy.
**:If a student has a background in MSE such as a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering, MSE 2067 can be waived upon the permission of the MSE graduate program. In this case, one (1) more advanced/technical elective course must be substituted for MSE 2067 to complete the requirements for the PhD degree.
Advanced and Technical Elective Requirement
In addition to core courses, a student must take at least 15 credits from advanced and technical elective courses in the MSE graduate program and relevant science and engineering disciplines. As a part of advanced and technical elective courses, up to twelve (12) credits of didactic coursework counting towards the 36 course credits requirement may consist of non-MSE courses in other Engineering, Science or Mathematics disciplines with consultation of the student’s advisor and approval of the MSE graduate program. The selection of courses, in general, must be approved by the student’s Major Research Advisor.
Mathematics Requirement
A student must take one mathematics/numerical course for three (3) credits beyond those required for the materials science and engineering Bachelor of Science degree. This can be satisfied by courses from the following list: ME 2001 , ME 2002 , ME 2060 , ME 2063 , MSE 2012 , MSE 2049 or as approved by the MSE graduate program. This requirement may be waived if it was met in a previous graduate program which the student attended before entering.
Graduate Seminar Requirement
All PhD students are required to register for Graduate Seminar (MSE 2185 ) in the fall and spring semesters, unless on full-time dissertation (FTD) study, enrolled part-time or excused by the MSE graduate program. A satisfactory grade is based on attendance.
PhD Research Requirement
Each student must also have at least thirty (30) credits of MSE Research (e.g. MSE 3997 or MSE 3999 ). Before passing the comprehensive examination (dissertation proposal), students should register for MSE 3997 (PhD Research). After passing the comprehensive examination, students should register for MSE 3999 (PhD Dissertation).
The requirements described in these guidelines represent the minimum requirements. The minimum requirement of 72 credits of graduate work must be satisfied by combinations of research, course work and transfer credits for the award of a PhD degree. Students are allowed to take additional courses with the agreement of their advisors. In some cases, these courses may be suggested by the PhD advisor for better preparation for a given research area.
