Doctorate In Materials Science and Engineering

Overview

The Ph.D. program in Materials Science and Engineering is designed to provide the most advanced understanding of materials science and engineering and relevant skills. The interdisciplinary nature of the program enables students to pursue research opportunities in diverse areas and a successful career in a broad range of advanced industries or academia as a leader.

About The Program

Candidates for a Ph.D. degree will gain mastery of advanced knowledge on properties of metals, polymers, ceramics, composite materials, or electronic materials, as well as a number of other areas. As the program is broadly interdisciplinary, actively involving faculty in both the College of Science and the College of Engineering, students can pursue diverse areas of expertise and enjoy a broad spectrum of career paths with:

• 4 core courses for fundamental knowledge on MSE principles
• 4 electives for the chosen area of expertise and career path
• Extensive research in the chosen area

Career Opportunities

• University and national lab faculty specialized in materials
• Materials engineer and scientist in research facilities and materials related industries
• Process, R&D, and characterization engineers in industries including microelectronics, aerospace, oil and gas, chemicals, renewable energy, and biomaterials
• Materials characterization specialist, materials analysis and selection
• Manufacturing systems engineer

Degree Options

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

• A Master’s degree in engineering or physical science is required for admission
• 24 credit hours course work (8 courses) and 9 credit hours dissertation

B.S. to Ph.D.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or physical science is required for admission
• 30 credit hours regular courses (10 courses) and 9 credit hours dissertation

Andrea Piacquadio / pexels

Degree Requirements

B.S. to Ph.D. Track

In addition to the requirements listed below for the Ph.D. degree, a B.S.-Ph.D. Track students will be required to enroll in at least three hours of research each semester during the student’s first two years, receiving a pass/fail grade (no R grade) in these hours. A B.S.-Ph.D. Students must have a faculty research (dissertation) advisor prior to the start of the student’s second full semester. A B.S.-Ph.D. Students must take the Ph.D. diagnostic examination prior to the start of the student’s third full semester.

Doctor of Philosophy

The Ph.D. degree program involves an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach that requires students to complete a set of Materials Science and Engineering core courses augmented by elective offerings in aerospace engineering, biomedical engineering, chemistry, civil engineering, electrical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, and physics. The degree is a research degree that requires the candidate successfully to carry out independent research in an area acceptable to the Committee on Graduate Studies for Materials Science and Engineering. A student’s research is directed by a faculty member from any of the departments or programs participating in the Materials Science and Engineering Program.

The Ph.D. degree program requires successful completion of the following curriculum components:

1. 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 30 semester hours of graduate coursework is expected for student’s 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 student’s doctoral dissertation committee.
2. Four core courses or their equivalent are required for all doctoral students:

• MSE 5304 -- Analysis of Materials -- 3
• MSE 5305 -- Solid State Physics and Thermodynamics of Materials -- 3
• MSE 5312 -- Mechanical Behavior of Materials -- 3
• MSE 5321 -- Phase Transformations of Materials -- 3

Total Hours -- 12

At least four of the following supplemental elective courses must be taken by all doctoral students, as approved by the Committee on Graduate Studies for Materials Science and Engineering. Courses from other disciplines may also be taken, which requires permissions from the Graduate Advisor and student’s Supervising Advisor.

• MSE 5315 -- Fatigue Of Engineering Materials -- 3
• MSE 5316 -- Tribology and Lubrication -- 3
• MSE 5320 -- Nanoscale Materials -- 3
• MSE 5330 -- Corrosion Science and Engineering -- 3
• MSE 5333 -- Magnetic Properties of Materials -- 3
• MSE 5335 -- Electrical Properties of Materials -- 3
• MSE 5341 -- Transmission Electron Microscopy in Materials Science -- 3
• MSE 5345 -- Ceramic Materials -- 3
• MSE 5350 -- Introduction to Computational Materials Science -- 3
• MSE 5347 -- Polymer Materials Science -- 3
• MSE 5351 -- Current Topics in Nanotechnology -- 3
• MSE 5352 -- Solar Energy Materials and Devices -- 3
• MSE 5353 -- Fundamentals of Sustainable Energy -- 3
• MSE 5354 -- Electronic Materials and Devices -- 3
• MSE 5355 -- Materials for Energy -- 3

Elective courses will be taken by all doctoral students which 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, subject to approval by the Committee on Graduate Studies for Materials Science and Engineering.

MSE 5300: This course must be taken by any students whose academic backgrounds are different from Materials Science and Engineering. An exemption may be granted by the Graduate Advisor if it is determined that the student has a solid foundation for Materials Science and Engineering. The credit for MSE 5300 will not be counted towards the total credits required for graduation. However, the grade of MSE 5300 will be counted in calculating the GPA.

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, as determined by the Committee on Graduate Studies in Materials Science and Engineering.

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

The dissertation research will be formulated in conjunction with the student’s faculty research advisor who may be associated with any of the following academic disciplines participating in the Materials Science and Engineering Program: aerospace engineering, biomedical engineering, chemistry, civil engineering, electrical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, and physics. 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.

Admission Requirements

Applicants for the master’s or doctoral degrees must have either a baccalaureate or master’s degree in engineering or science. Applicants who have completed a bachelor’s degree and wish to pursue a doctoral degree without completing a master’s degree may apply for admission into the B.S. to Ph.D. Track. The minimum admission requirements to this highly competitive track are the same as those for all doctoral applicants. Doctoral candidates shall also demonstrate through previous academic preparation the potential to carry out independent research in materials science and engineering. All applicants must meet the general requirements of the University as stated in the Graduate Admissions section of this catalog. Applicants not meeting all criteria may be admitted on a provisional or probationary basis.

For applicants with no prior training in engineering or with insufficient undergraduate materials coursework, the same minimum criteria will apply. Additionally, their records will be reviewed in relation to their materials backgrounds, and probationary status with specific remedial work required may be a basis for acceptance of such applicants.

The UT Arlington Materials Science and Engineering Program uses the following guidelines in the admission review process:

Unconditional Admission

Unconditional admission into the Materials Science and Engineering Program requires the submission of items 1 through 5 below for each degree program. A typical successful applicant will have met the following admission requirements:

1. Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.3 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate work in an appropriate engineering or science discipline. (For some international applicants where GPA calculation based on a 4.0 scale is not performed, a minimum performance level of 75 percentile is expected. This minimum expectation may be higher for some countries, where less stringent grading criteria are used.) Performance in core materials-related courses is of particular importance.
2. A GRE score of at least 146 (verbal) and 159 (quantitative). For those applicants whose GRE verbal score falls below 146, high TOEFL scores may be considered to offset the GRE verbal score.
3. Three favorable, veracious recommendations, via the university’s recommendation form or via recommendation letter.
4. A Statement of Purpose detailing the applicant’s background, education, professional goals, technical interests, and research interests.
5. An applicant whose native language is not English must meet the minimum university English language requirements as detailed in the general admission requirements section of the catalog. However, meeting the minimum requirement does not guarantee admission. The program will give preference to students with a TOEFL iBT total score of 84 with sectional scores of 22 for writing, 21 for speaking, 20 for reading, and 20 for listening, or an IELTS score of 6.5.

Probationary Admission

Probationary admission into the Materials Science and Engineering Program may be permitted under the following conditions for each degree program:

1. If an applicant meets any two of the items 1, 2, and 3 above for the doctoral program.
2. A Statement of Purpose detailing the applicant’s background, education, professional goals, technical interests, and research interests.
3. An applicant whose native language is not English must meet the minimum university English language requirements as detailed in the general admission requirements section of the catalog.