Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science and Engineering
72 credit hours beyond the B.S.
This program provides advanced, research-based education and knowledge through advanced coursework, state-of-the-art and original research, and publication of novel results in preparation for careers in academia and industrial research and development.
The department offers programs leading to the Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering. The doctoral degree is awarded in recognition of a high level of mastery in one of the several fields of the department including a significant original research contribution. A student working toward the Ph.D. degree has great flexibility in formulating an overall program to meet individual needs under the guidance of an adviser and the department.
Further, the student must be accepted by a thesis adviser and pass a qualifying examination given by the department in order to be admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. The examination evaluates the student’s background in order to determine the student’s potential for achieving a doctorate.
The student, in consultation with the adviser, prepares a plan of study to meet individual needs and interests, which must then be approved by the adviser, the department’s graduate studies committee, the department chair, and the Graduate College. The plan of study usually consists of at least one full year of advanced coursework beyond the master’s degree, or equivalent, and a minimum of one full year of thesis research.
After the student essentially completes all coursework, he or she must pass the Ph.D. comprehensive examination. Conducted by the student’s thesis advisory committee, this examination must be completed at least one year prior to graduation. Concentrated research to satisfy the requirements of a doctoral dissertation is ordinarily conducted after the comprehensive examination has been passed. The dissertation must be approved by the student’s thesis advisory committee. Thesis research should be equivalent to at least one full year's work, corresponding to up to 36 thesis credit hours. This work is performed on campus; the department’s graduate studies committee and the Dean of the Graduate College must approve off-campus research. The doctoral dissertation is expected to contain a distinct and substantial original contribution to the student’s field of study. After the research has been completed and a preliminary draft of the dissertation is approved, the candidate defends his or her thesis at a final oral examination, which is open to the public.
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | (17-18) | |
| Select a minimum of six courses from the following: | 17-18 | |
| Failure Analysis | 3 | |
| Introduction to Ceramic Materials | 3 | |
| Introduction to Polymer Science | 3 | |
| Advanced Aerospace Materials | 3 | |
| Engineering Analysis I | 3 | |
| Advanced Thermodynamics | 3 | |
| Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics | 3 | |
| Electrical, Magnetic and Optical Properties of Materials | 3 | |
| Solidification and Crystal Growth | 3 | |
| Design of Modern Alloys | 3 | |
| Advanced Mechanical Metallurgy | 3 | |
| Dislocations and Strengthening Mechanisms | 3 | |
| Materials Laboratory | 3 | |
| Problems in High-Temperature Materials | 3 | |
| Fracture Mechanisms | 3 | |
| Diffusion | 2 | |
| Advanced Physical Metallurgy | 3 | |
| Computational Methods in Materials Science and Engineering | 3 | |
| Miscrostructural Characterization of Materials | 3 | |
| Transmission Electron Microscopy | 3 | |
| Ferrous Transformations | 3 | |
| Materials and Process Selection | 3 | |
| Fiber Composites | 3 | |
| Advanced Materials Processing | 3 | |
| Thermodynamics in Materials Science | 3 | |
| Ph.D. Research | (24-36) | |
| MMAE 691 | Research and Thesis Ph.D. | 24-36 |
Minimum degree credits required: 72
