• A minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate coursework is expected for students entering with an appropriate master's degree or, for highly-qualified students, a minimum of 42 semester hours of graduate coursework for students entering with a bachelor's degree, as approved by the Committee on Graduate Studies for Materials Science and Engineering. Additional coursework may be required by the doctoral dissertation committee.

• Four core courses or their equivalent are required:
  MSE 5304. Analysis of Materials
  MSE 5405. Solid State Physics and Thermodynamics of Materials
  MSE 5312. Mechanical Behavior of Materials
  MSE 5321. Phase Transformations of Materials


• One of these two courses are required:
  MSE 5345. Ceramic Materials
  MSE 5347. Polymer Materials Science


• Three of the following supplemental elective courses must be taken, as approved by the Committee on Graduate Studies for Materials Science and Engineering.
  MSE 5310. Dislocation Theory
  MSE 5314. Fracture Mechanics
  MSE 5315. Fatigue of Engineering Materials
  MSE 5331. Ferroelectric Devices
  MSE 5333. Magnetic Properties of Materials
  MSE 5334. Optical Processes in Solid Materials
  MSE 5335. Integrated Circuit Materials and Processing
  MSE 5336. Electrical Properties of Materials
  MSE 5345. Ceramic Materials
  MSE 5346. Contemporary Polymer Chemistry
  MSE 5347. Polymer Materials Science
  MSE 5348. Fundamentals of Composites
  MSE 5349. Advanced Composites
  MSE 5351. Current Topics in Nanotechnology
  BME 5332D. Orthopedic Biomaterials
  BME 5335. Biological Materials, Mechanics and Processes
  BME 5361D. Biomaterials and Blood Compatibility
  CHEM 5309. Organic Chemistry I
  CHEM 5350. Advanced Polymer Chemistry
  CHEM 5461. Analytical Instrumentation
  CHEM 6305. Special Topics in Applied Chemistry
  EE 5340. Semiconductor Device Theory I
  EE 5343. Integrated Circuit Techniques
  EE 5349. Topics in Integrated Circuit Technology
  EE 6342. Advanced Quantum Devices
  ME 5312. Continuum Mechanics
  ME 5314. Fracture Mechanics in Structural Design
  ME 5339. Structural Aspects of Design
  PHYS 5316. Solid State II
  PHYS 6302. Methods of Applied Physics II Computers in Physics


• Elective courses will allow specialization within a particular academic discipline. Graduate courses in chemistry, physics and engineering will be selected for this purpose, in consultation with the student's research advisor and subject to approval by the Committee on Graduate Studies for Materials Science and Engineering.

After completion of the first year's coursework (i.e., core courses), students must satisfactorily complete diagnostic examinations, which may be written or oral or written and oral with a supplemental interview with faculty members.

A student must satisfactorily complete a comprehensive examination upon completion of all or nearly all of the coursework requirements and after having demonstrated research ability through partial completion of dissertation research.

The dissertation research will be formulated in conjunction with the student's faculty research advisor, who may be associated with any of the academic disciplines participating in the Materials Science and Engineering Program. The dissertation research represents the culmination of the student's academic efforts and is expected to demonstrate original and independent research activity and be a significant contribution to knowledge in the field.