Degree: Master of Science (MS)
Field of Study: Materials Science and Engineering
Program Overview
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering offers a program leading to the Master of Science degree. The MS degree can be obtained through three different tracks, addressing specific needs of different groups of graduate students. Each track prepares students for an advanced professional career by profoundly deepening their understanding and knowledge of materials science and engineering beyond the basics.
Graduate Policies
For graduate policies and procedures, please review the School of Graduate Studies section of the General Bulletin.
Program Requirements
The degree of Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering is awarded through one of the following three tracks.
"Research" (Thesis-Focused) Master's Track
This plan is appropriate for full-time graduate students. It requires a total of 30 credit hours. The coursework component comprises successful completion of 7 courses (21 credit hours). One course can be 300-level, all others must be 400- or higher level. Up to two courses can be from an engineering or science curriculum outside the department. The minimum cumulative GPA is 3.0. Students with lower standing will be placed on academic probation. Up to 6 credit hours can be transferred from graduate level courses (grade B or better) taken at another university in excess of their BS degree requirements. The thesis component consists of individual research (EMSE 651), totaling no fewer than 9 credit hours, and a final oral defense. The examining committee includes three faculty members of the department. Additional committee members may be added at the discretion of the student in consultation with their advisor. A PPOS (planned program of study) must be submitted by the end of the second semester, prepared by the student the advisor and submitted online to the School of Graduate Studies.
"Professional" (Project-Focused) Master's Track
This program suites part-time graduate students, e.g. while employed elsewhere as materials engineers. The coursework component comprises successful completion of 9 courses (27 credit hours). One course can be 300-level, all others must be 400- or higher level. Up to two courses can be from an engineering or science curriculum outside the department. The minimum cumulative GPA is 3.0. Students with lower standing will be placed on academic probation. Up to 6 credit hours can be transferred from graduate level courses (grade B or better) taken at another university in excess of their BS degree requirements. The program involves a project, typically 3 credit hours (EMSE 649) and completed in a single semester, and a final comprehensive oral exam. The examining committee consists of three faculty members of the department. Additional committee members may be added at the discretion of the student in consultation with their advisor. An Academic Program must be submitted by the end of the second semester, prepared by the student the advisor and submitted online to the School of Graduate Studies.
"Accelerated" (Course-Focused) Master's Track
Materials science and engineering is a discipline that extends from the basic science of materials micro-structure and properties to the design and evaluation of materials in engineering systems. Data science and analytics seeks to identify statistically significant relationships, model development, and predictive behavior of large data sets generated by e.g. manufacturing technologies. The Accelerated Master's Track is a course-work-only program that extends classical education in materials science and engineering with data science and analytics. It can be completed in just one calendar year!
The suggested program of study includes 10 courses, taken over the fall-, spring-, and summer semester of one academic year.
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Fall Semester:
- Spring Semester:
The 3 credit hours of EMSE 599 can be replaced by an additional course of 3 credit hours, e.g. EMSE 468.
