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Doctoral Program in Materials Engineering

The graduate school requires at least 90 credits for the Ph.D. degree. An M.S. degree is not a prerequisite for the Ph.D. degree, but does count as 45 credits toward the 90-credit requirement. No additional courses are required for students entering the department with an approved M.S. degree. Students entering the department at the B.S. level must satisfy the course requirements for the M.S. degree.

Students choose a doctoral thesis topic after consultation with the faculty. Students are urged to consider and select topics early in their program of study. An oral thesis presentation and defense are scheduled at the completion of the thesis work.

Doctoral program students must pass a candidacy examination. The candidacy exam is usually given at the end of the student’s first year of graduate study, and consists of a seminar presentation by the student, followed by an oral examination covering the materials core course as well as the subject matter presented in the seminar.  Doctoral candidates should prepare and present (a) a Ph.D. thesis proposal within two years of entering the program,  and (b) a pre-defense seminar approximately six-months before the full defense of their Ph.D. thesis.

For more information, visit the Department of Materials Science and Engineering web page.