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Graduate Programs
MS in Materials Science & Engineering
The Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science offers a Master of Science Degree in Materials Science & Engineering with either a Thesis Option or Course Option.
Thesis Option
- The quantitative requirement for the degree is 30 credit units. A minimum of 24 of these units must be course credit, and a minimum of 6 units must be MEMS 7998 Masters Research. A minimum of 15 units of the total 30 units must be in MEMS courses.
- The overall grade-point average must be 2.70 or better.
- Every semester, full-time MS students in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) are required to take either the department's Graduate Seminar (MEMS 5000 Graduate Seminar) or the Graduate Seminar offered by the Institute of Materials Science & Engineering (IMSE 8997 IMSE Graduate Seminar). These are 0-unit, Pass/No Pass courses.
- Degree candidates will plan their programs with the help of their thesis advisor. Courses are to be Engineering courses at the 5000 level or above, or they may be Chemistry; Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Science; or Physics courses at the 4000 level or above. Course credit must include at least 12 units (four courses) from a list of approved materials-focused courses (PDF) as well as 3 units (one course) of mathematics at the graduate level. The following restrictions apply:
- A maximum of 3 units of MEMS 5999 Independent Study are allowed.
- A maximum of 6 units of 4000-level courses are allowed.
- Each course must be approved by the candidate's thesis advisor.
- A maximum of 6 units of transfer credit with a grade of B or higher are allowed for courses taken at other graduate institutions.
- For the combined bachelor's/master's program, up to 6 units can count for both the BS and the MS, as long as the program of study satisfies the criteria above.
- The student must also write a satisfactory thesis and successfully defend it in an oral examination before a faculty committee consisting of at least three members, at least two of which are from the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science.
Course Option
- The quantitative requirement for the degree is 30 credit units (normally 10 courses). A minimum of 15 units of the total 30 must be in MEMS courses.
- The overall grade-point average must be 2.70 or better.
- Every semester, full-time MSE students are required to take either the department's Graduate Seminar (MEMS 5000 Graduate Seminar) or the Graduate Seminar offered by the Institute of Materials Science & Engineering (IMSE 8997 IMSE Graduate Seminar). These are 0-unit, Pass/No Pass courses.
- Degree candidates will plan their programs with the help of their faculty advisor. Courses are to be engineering, math, or science courses at the 4000 level or above (with the restrictions described below) or Chemistry; Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Science; or Physics courses at the 4000 level or above. Course credit must include at least 18 units (six courses) from a list of approved materials-focused courses (PDF) as well as 3 units (one course) of mathematics at the graduate level. The following restrictions apply:
- A maximum of 3 units of MEMS 5999 Independent Study are allowed.
- A maximum of 6 units of 4000-level courses are allowed. The 4000-level courses cannot be required courses for the student’s undergraduate degree.
- A maximum of 6 units of transfer credit with a grade of B or better are allowed for courses taken at other graduate institutions.
- For the combined bachelor's/master's program, up to 6 units can count for both the BS and the MS, as long as the program of study satisfies the criteria above.
