Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science and Engineering

To earn the degree, students must complete the following program milestones:

• Complete at least 90 credit hours of approved graduate coursework.
• Complete four core MSE courses.
• Complete Professional Development and Supervised Teaching requirements.
• Develop and maintain an Individual Development Plan (IDP).
• Form a Supervisory Committee.
• Pass the Qualifying Examination.
• Complete and successfully defend a doctoral dissertation.

Students must earn a grade of B or better in each core course and in EMA 6001.

Placement Test
Incoming students must either pass the Fundamentals Placement Exam before beginning the program or enroll in EMA 6001 during their first fall semester.

Time Limit
All degree requirements must be completed within five years of passing the Qualifying Examination.

Transfer Credits
With approval, students may transfer up to 9 graduate credit hours from another institution. Transfer courses must have a grade of B or higher. Official transcripts must be submitted to the advising team.

Ph.D. students complete four core courses, professional development, supervised teaching and seminar requirements as part of the degree program.

A faculty research advisor and supervisory committee play a key role in guiding your academic and research progress throughout the Ph.D. program. Together, they help ensure you are meeting degree requirements and making satisfactory progress toward your dissertation.

Responsibilities of the Supervisory Committee

Your supervisory committee will:

• Establish your specific degree requirements.
• Evaluate your research progress.
• Conduct and report required oral examinations.
• Review and approve your doctoral dissertation.

Students are expected to meet with their supervisory committee at least once each year to discuss progress and plan the next stages of their program.

Committee Composition

Your supervisory committee must include four members:

• Chair (Research Advisor)
  • A Materials Science graduate faculty member, or
  • An out-of-department graduate faculty member with Materials Science affiliate status.
• Two additional Materials Science graduate faculty members.
• One external member who is not a member of the MSE graduate faculty and does not hold MSE affiliate status.

Important Milestones

To remain on track, students should complete the following milestones:

The Graduate School requires all Ph.D. students to complete an Individual Development Plan (IDP). The IDP helps you set academic and professional goals, track your progress, and stay on schedule for degree completion.

Learn more about the Graduate School’s IDP requirements. (Add link.)

Annual IDP Requirements

Students must complete IDP assignments each fall and spring semester until graduation.

Fall Semester (Due Dec. 1)

Complete the following:

• Schedule an advising meeting with your principal investigator (PI).
• Complete your Mentoring Plan.
• Complete your Action Plan.
• Set Short-Term Goals.
• Complete a Self-Assessment.
• Update your Aspirations, Goals and Responsibilities.
• Submit the Mentor Meeting Form signed by your PI.

Spring Semester (Due by the Last Day of the Term)

Complete the following:

• Update your Long-Term Goals.

Professional development and teaching are important components of the Ph.D. experience. Students develop skills in teaching, mentoring and professional communication while gaining hands-on classroom experience.

EMA 6920 – Professional Development
1 Credit | Fall

All Ph.D. students must complete 1 credit of EMA 6920 – Professional Development.

This course prepares graduate students for professional success in Materials Science and Engineering through activities such as:

• Developing professional skills.
• Serving as a teaching assistant.
• Writing and defending research proposals.

EMA 6941 – Supervised Teaching
4 Credits Required | Fall and Spring

All Ph.D. students must complete 4 credits of EMA 6941 – Supervised Teaching.

Students typically serve as teaching assistants (TAs) for two courses, with an expected commitment of approximately five hours per week for each assignment. Teaching assignments are made by the MSE Associate Chair, typically beginning in the student’s second year.

Teaching Responsibilities

As a teaching assistant, you may be responsible for:

• Holding office hours.
• Leading review sessions.
• Grading assignments and exams.
• Assisting with course materials.
• Proctoring exams.
• Attending lectures or laboratory sessions.
• Delivering a lecture under special circumstances.

Performance Evaluation

Teaching assistants are evaluated by:

• The course instructor.
• Students enrolled in the course.

Students who receive an unsatisfactory evaluation must repeat the teaching assignment.

The Qualifying Examination evaluates whether students have the knowledge, research skills and potential to successfully complete a Ph.D. dissertation.

Examination Components

The Qualifying Examination includes:

• A written research proposal.
• An oral defense of the research proposal.
• An evaluation of knowledge in the four MSE core subject areas.

The written and oral components are evaluated separately on a pass/fail basis. Students must pass both components to successfully complete the examination.

Timeline

Students must:

• Take the Qualifying Examination within two years of entering the Ph.D. program.
• Complete the examination no later than the fifth academic term, including summer.
• Pass the examination within two attempts.

Students transitioning from the M.S. program may be granted one additional semester to complete the examination.

As part of the Qualifying Examination, students must prepare a research proposal modeled after proposals submitted to federal funding agencies, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Proposal Requirements

Your proposal should demonstrate:

• An original research idea.
• A strong understanding of the relevant literature.
• Clearly defined research objectives.
• Appropriate experimental or analytical methods.

Formatting Guidelines

The proposal must:

• Be no more than 20 pages, excluding references.
• Use 12-point font and 1.5 line spacing.
• Include all figures and tables within the 20-page limit.

Recommended Proposal Outline

A typical proposal includes:

• Summary (1 page)
• Introduction and problem statement
• Research objectives
• Literature review
• Proposed research plan
• Methods and procedures
• Preliminary results (if available)
• Expected outcomes and broader impacts
• Timeline and resources
• References

Submission Deadlines

Students must submit:

• The proposal title and abstract at least four weeks before the Qualifying Examination.
• The complete research proposal at least five business days before the oral examination.

The oral portion of the Qualifying Examination allows students to present and defend their proposed research before their supervisory committee.

Examination Format

The oral examination includes:

• A 30-minute public presentation of the research proposal.
• Questions from the audience and supervisory committee.
• A closed examination with the supervisory committee.

Evaluation

During the closed session, the supervisory committee evaluates:

• The proposed research.
• The written research proposal.
• The student’s knowledge of the four MSE core subject areas.

Following the examination, the committee will deliberate and determine whether the student has passed or failed the examination.

Retaking the Examination

Students who do not pass either the written or oral component may retake the failed component during the following academic term.

The Dissertation Defense is the final examination required to earn the Ph.D. degree. During the defense, students present and defend their research before the supervisory committee and the university community.

Defense Format

The Dissertation Defense includes:

• A public presentation of the dissertation.
• An open question-and-answer session.
• A closed examination with the supervisory committee.

Requirements

Before scheduling your defense, ensure that:

• Your dissertation is complete and editorially acceptable.
• The defense is announced online at least two weeks in advance.
• All members of your supervisory committee attend the defense.
• The committee chair and external member attend in person.

After the Defense

Students must:

• Submit all final examination forms within five business days of the defense.
• Submit the Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD) to the Graduate School by the published university deadline. (Add link.)

The Dissertation Defense must be completed within six months of the degree being awarded.

Unsatisfactory Performance

Students who receive a grade of U (Unsatisfactory) must retake the Dissertation Defense during the following semester. The defense may be retaken only once.

MSE Graduate Coordinator

Kevin Jones, Ph.D.
Email: MSE Graduate Coordinator

Advising Office