MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

Head of the Department: J. H. Weaver

Associate Head: P. H. Geil

Correspondence and Admission Information: Graduate Programs, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 1304 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801; (217) 333-1441; Fax: (217) 333-2736; E-mail: mse@uiuc.edu

URL: www.mse.uiuc.edu

GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering offers graduate study leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science and Engineering. The department offers opportunities to specialize in ceramics, electronic materials, metals, polymers, biomaterials, and c omputational materials science. The backgrounds of faculty members and the student body vary widely, and research collaborations with other faculty outside the department are frequent. Research facilities include, but are not limited to, the Materials Research Laboratory, Coordinated Science Laboratory, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, and Microelectronics Laboratory.

ADMISSION

Students with bachelor's or master's degrees in the natural sciences or engineering will be considered for admission if they have a grade
point average of at least 3.0 (A=4.0). The general test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required. A minimum paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 610 (253 on the computer-based test) is required of students whose native language is not English. A completed application, three letters of reference, transcripts, and the application fee are required before an applicant is considered for admission. Admission is possible for the spring semester, but most admissions are for the fall semester.

MASTER OF SCIENCE

The M.S. degree requires the completion of a minimum of six units of coursework and two units of thesis credit. At least three units must be at the 400 level, and two units of MATSE courses are required. Candidates for the M.S. degree must submit a thesis that is approved by the adviser and signed by the department head. A nonthesis M.S. degree option is available for students who do not hold a research assistantship. These students are not required to submit a thesis, but must complete nine units of coursework. All other departmental requirements must be met.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

The Ph.D. degree requires the completion of 24 units of graduate work beyond the B.S. degree. A student entering with a B.S. degree must complete 12 units of coursework and 12 units of thesis work. A student entering with an M.S. degree must complete six units of coursework and ten units of thesis work. Ph.D. students must complete a total of five units of credit at the 400 level (i.e. two beyond those credited towards a M.S. degree) and take at least four units of MATSE courses (two units beyond the M.S. degree). All students in the Ph.D. program must complete Statistical Thermodynamics of Materials (MATSE 400) or Thermodynamics and Statistical Thermodynamics (CHEM 441) or Statistical Mechanics and Kinetic Theory (PHYCS 462). Similar courses in thermodynamics or statistical thermodynamics taken at other schools may qualify. A written thesis and successful completion of the final examination is required of all Ph.D. students.

FINANCIAL AID

Financial aid is available in the form of research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and partial fellowships. Applicants to the Department of Materials Science and Engineering are automatically considered for financial aid.