Material Science Ph.D

Curriculum Worksheet (opens a new window) |

UM, MTech, and MSU propose a collaborative Ph.D. program in materials science (MatSci). The program will be a collaborative effort of the three campuses, and it will involve multiple departments, faculty, courses, and research infrastructure. UM, MTech, and MSU will offer the Ph.D. degree in MatSci. Research specialties will focus in biomaterials; electronic, photonic, and magnetic materials; materials for energy storage, conversion, and conservation; and materials synthesis, processing, and fabrication-all areas where the three campuses collectively have considerable expertise. The curriculum will integrate a broad range of physical science and engineering disciplines with an even broader range of applications: from health and medicine to nanotechnology to energy, environment, and natural resources. Courses will be coordinated and shared by the three campuses, taking advantage of on-line instructional technologies where appropriate. Each student will complete original, independent research culminating in a dissertation. The program will offer optional, employer-based internships, in which the student tackles a current problem important to the employer.

Core Curriculum

MTSI 500 - Survey of Materials Science and Engineering 1 credit
2 Credits required
MTSI 501 - Bonding, Structure & Defects 4 credits
MTSI 502 - Function & Application 3 credits
MTSI 511 - Thermodynamics of Materials 3 credits
MTSI 512 - Kinetics and Transformation 3 credits
MTSI 551 - Advanced Materials Characterization Techniques I 2 credits
MTSI 552 - Advanced Materials Characterization Techniques II 3 credits

20 Credits

Note(s):

Electives
Elective courses will be available, allowing students to deepen their understanding and research skills in the program’s focus areas: (1) biomaterials; (2) materials for energy storage, conversion, and conservation; (3) electronic, magnetic, and photonic materials; and (4) materials synthesis, processing, and fabrication.
Some electives will be developed specifically for the MatSci Ph.D. program, others would be graduate courses from other related graduate programs at the three campuses. Courses in mathematics, statistics, and numerical modeling would be recommended for students with special interests in theory and simulation.
Summary of Degree Requirements
Courses. The MUS MatSci Ph.D. will require a minimum of 60 semester credits beyond the bachelor’s degree. Of the 60 credits, at least 18 credits must be obtained for dissertation research, and at least 32 credits must be earned for coursework. Up to 24 semester-credits from a master’s degree may be accepted toward the minimum degree requirements, but they must be applicable to the MatSci curriculum, and their acceptance is subject to the review and approval of the student’s committee and the MatSci program’s Leadership Council. No more than 6 credits may be from 400-level courses. To ensure that students benefit from the collaborative, three-campus nature of the program, at least 9 credits must be earned from courses offered away from the home campus. Students are expected to complete the20-credit core curriculum and pass the qualifying examination within the first year. Appendix III summarizes the new courses.
In addition to the core curriculum, each student must earn at least 12 credits of electives within or related to the chosen specialty. Typically, this coursework would be completed by the end of the student’s second year. Additional elective courses intended to provide a student with specialized expertise and/or skills relevant to their dissertation research may be recommended by the individual student’s advisor and committee.

Other Requirements. Other requirements include the qualifying exam, the candidacy exam, the dissertation, participation in the program’s annual summer symposium, annual meetings with a student’s advisory committee, and an optional internship.