Ph.D. Program
Requirements/advancement to candidacy
Prospective Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of 45 credits of graduate or upper-division undergraduate coursework, of which at least 30 credits must be graduate level credits, covering all five areas of study:
- Materials Science and Engineering: Quantum and Thermodynamic Foundations of Materials
- Condensed Matter and Structure
- Materials Characterization Techniques
- Functional Materials
- Materials Synthesis and Processing
Students must earn at least a B- in these courses to remain in good standing in the program. Students must also take one course in area (6) Professional Development.
Students are required to take either PHYS 215 or CHEM 263, and PHYS 219 or CHEM 262 from area (1). Taking PHYS 262 is strongly encouraged.
Students must enroll in either MSE 200 the first time it is offered during their residency.
Students must enroll in MSE 280 during all quarters of residency and must obtain a letter grade in the course once during each academic year of residency except for the first one. A letter grade in this course entails giving one of the Colloquia.
Students must also take two quarters of MSE 290 during their first year; the two different rotations may be done with the same or a different group. The course of study needs to be approved each quarter by the research adviser (when determined) and the MSE graduate adviser. Students may take additional courses to prepare for and conduct their Ph.D. research as needed.
One or more of these first-year courses can be waived if students have taken equivalent graduate-level courses at their undergraduate institution. However, this requires that the course covers the material in the first-year courses syllabi and that the students obtained a satisfactory grade (a B or higher, or the equivalent).
Dissertation
The Ph.D. degree necessitates a public dissertation defense, comprising a seminar open to the public, succeeded by a question-and-answer session. The examining committee, comprising a minimum of three members, including two from the Program Faculty, will conduct the questioning.