PhD in Materials Science and Engineering

Required core classes in materials science include:

• Advanced Characterization of Materials
• Advanced Materials Science and Engineering

You'll then choose four courses related to materials properties and applications. Example courses include:

• Additive Manufacturing
• Advanced Mechanics of Composite Materials
• Advanced Welding Metallurgy
• Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering Applications
• Bioelectronics and Bionanotechnology
• Colloids and Interfaces
• Dielectrics
• Electronic Devices for IC Simulation
• Functional Polymer Systems
• Intermolecular Forces in Modern Engineering
• Introduction to Polymer Science
• Nanostructured Materials
• Physics of Semiconductor Devices
• Polymer Materials
• Principles of Physical Metallurgy
• Selected Topics in Materials Engineering

You'll additionally select two courses in materials processing and characterization. Example courses include:

• Corrosion Engineering
• Manufacturing Implications of Advanced Materials Processing
• Microelectronic Circuit Fabrication
• Particle Transport, Deposition and Removal
• Scanning Probe Techniques in Soft Condensed Matter Physics

Some courses are available online and can be taken remotely.

Review the full curriculum for the PhD in Materials Science and Engineering.

A limited number of one-year and partial-year tuition scholarships are available for qualified full-time students. A limited number of stipends are also available. Most scholarships and/or stipends are associated with department assistantships or completion of a master’s thesis as part of the qualified applicant’s plan of study.

To learn more about our scholarships and how to apply, contact the Coulter School of Engineering and Applied Sciences' graduate division at enggrad@dos5.net.

All students must complete the candidacy procedure within two years after admission to the PhD program. Students may have two attempts to pass the candidacy procedure. If they fail their first attempt, they have two months to make a second attempt.

A dissertation must be submitted and defended orally before a committee of five faculty members, with at least one member from outside the department of the candidate's thesis advisor. Typically, faculty advisors are members of the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry or Physics.

A complete application consists of the following:

• Online Application Form
• Resume.
• Statement of Purpose.
• 3 Letters of Recommendation.
• Official Transcripts.
• GRE Test Scores.
  • Optional: Applications will be read without GRE test scores, but applicants should submit scores if they believe they will enhance their application.
• For international applicants, an English proficiency test is required.
  • Minimum test score requirements: TOEFL (80) and TOEFL Essentials (8.5), IELTS (6.5), PTE (56) or Duolingo English Test (115).
  • The English language-testing requirement is not waived based on language of instruction, nor do we accept university certificates. English testing is waived if an applicant has a degree from a country where English is the Native Language. Click here to see the list of these countries.