Coursework

All first year students are highly encouraged to work with the MSE Graduate Advisor to build their first semester schedule.

The Professional Master's and PhD in Materials Science & Engineering are technical degrees. Coursework requirements reflect the program's focus on preparing you to be technical leaders in the field.

All MSE MS and PhD students must complete 30 course credit hours including three core MSE courses (9 credits), four courses within a specialized track (12 credits), and at least three breadth electives (9 credits). All graduate students must declare a track from the list in the coursework section by their second semester. All graduate students should take the three required core courses as soon as the courses are offered. Do not wait to take a core class as they are not offered every semester.

Professional MS students should declare a track in consulation with the MSE Gradaute Advisor. The Professional MS is a coursework-only degree.

PhD students should consult with their faculty research advisor/PI on all coursework decisions. 

Pass/fail courses do not count toward your degree. Audited courses do not count towards your degree and cannot be paid for through tuition remission.

Special topics or new classes that fit your degree plan may become part of your formal MSE program by petition.

MSEN 5000 Professional & Personal Development Series (Bootcamp) is offered to new incoming PhD graduate students during the Augmester (first two weeks of August) and continues throughout the first academic year. It is a course designed to hone your research and communication skills, discover your learning style, understand expecations of graduate school, develop time management strategies, examine advisor and peer relationships, and exploring overall strategies to help you succeed in the PhD program. Bootcamp credits count toward the breadth elective requirements.

Look up course descriptions in Graduate-level courses are coded 5000+.

Required Core Courses For All Tracks (3 Courses = 9 credits)

  • Materials Composition and Structure (MSEN 5470)
  • Materials Characterization for Engineering (MSEN 5270)
  • Materials Thermodynamics and Kinetics (MSEN 5370)

Specialized Track Courses (4 Courses = 12 Credits)

Click a specfic track button below to see its recommended cources. For the open track, you can choose any four courses from the list of approved courses in each track.

Electronic, Magnetic and Photonic Materials  Soft Materials  Structural Materials  Materials for Energy Biomaterials  Computational Materials Science  Materials Characterization and Processing 

Breadth Electives (3 Courses = 9 Credits)

  • Professional Master's students may take up to 6 credits of Engineering Management Courses as part of their breadth electives. 
  • Independent study courses count as breadth electives for both MS and PhD students. To enroll in an . After completing the form and receiving a signature from the faculty supervisor, submit the form via email to the MSE graduate advisor. Only the graduate advisor can sign you up for an independent study.
  • Fundamentals of Materials Science and Engineering (Bootcamp) counts as a breadth elective. 
  • PhD students should discuss appropriate courses for their breadth electives with their faculty research advisor/PI.