Department of Materials Science & Engineering

A Message to Prospective Northwestern MSE Students from the Chair

Application for Graduate Study (forms and dates)

Ph.D. Program
Master of Science Program
- Certificate Program in Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME)
- Minor in Engineering Management

Graduate Programs in Materials Science and Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) The MS degree is not needed for the PhD in Materials Science and Engineering. All PhD students are provided with tuition and stipend, subject to satisfactory progress and availability of funds.

Master of Science (MS) No financial aid is available to students in this degree program.

Application for Graduate Study

The online application for Fall 2012 applicants will be available beginning September 2, 2011. The deadline for submission of online PhD applications is December 31, 2011, and for online MS applications is July 15, 2012.

Application Components:

1. Transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. Official copies of transcripts must be uploaded as part of the online application. Please do not mail paper copies of your transcripts.

2. GRE scores. All applicants must have the results of the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) General Test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing) sent to the Graduate School (school code 1565, no department code necessary). Students who have taken subject tests (e.g. Physics or Chemistry) are encouraged to report those scores as well.

3. Letters of recommendation. On-line submission of letters of recommendation is required. There is no form to fill out.

4. Statement of Purpose: in 1200 words or fewer (about 2 pages), describe your preparation for and motivation to pursue a PhD (or MS, for MS applicants). Applicants are encouraged to identify specific contributions that they have made to prior research projects, and to discuss the influence of these experiences on the decision to pursue a PhD.

Optional: You may submit, online only, a 2-page CV as well as reprints of published articles (in PDF format). The CV provides a convenient format to summarize any publications, honors, or awards that you feel have a bearing on your PhD application. Do not submit unpublished/submitted manuscripts. Please do not send paper copies.

5. Diversity Statement. Requested by Graduate School (optional). See online application for more information.

6. TOEFL. Applicants whose native language is not English must also supply scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The examinations should be taken no later than December to ensure that results reach the Graduate School and the department by early January. This requirement will be waived for those applicants who will graduate from an accredited institution in which the courses are taught in English. If you fall into this category, it is not necessary to apply for a waiver; it will be granted automatically.

Decisions on PhD applications for Fall quarter are made no later than the preceding March. An admitted PhD applicant must respond to an offer of admission by April 15, 2012. Decisions on MS applications submitted the previous fall are made by mid-April. An admitted MS applicant must respond by August 10, 2012.

Financial Assistance

Virtually all full-time PhD students in materials science and engineering making normal progress toward the degree objective secure a research assistantship, fellowship, or teaching assistantship that provides a stipend and payment of full tuition.

Research assistantships are funded by grants or contracts directed by individual professors. Fellowships may be from University, government, or industrial sources; teaching assistantships are normally temporary assignments from the University.

The stipend level — $26,400 for 12 months in 2009-10 — is subject to annual adjustment for cost-of-living changes. The stipend level is increased to $2,300 per month for students the first quarter after they qualify. Fellowships with larger stipends are available for those with advanced standing or special qualifications. Externally funded fellowships are often supplemented.

Research assistants and fellows serve as part-time department teaching assistants, for which they receive additional remuneration. Funds may also be obtained through low-interest loans from the University or elsewhere. Veterans’ benefits may be received simultaneously with other aid.

Housing

Many students choose to room in private homes or to rent apartments in Evanston or nearby communities. Current students are happy to provide advice and can be reached through the department office at the phone number that follows.

Northwestern operates an apartment building, Engelhart Hall, for both married and unmarried graduate students. Apartments are available for one-year lease; preference is given to students beginning full-time degree programs on the Evanston campus. For more information and application forms, contact the Graduate Housing Office at the address given in the "Where to Write or Phone" section at the bottom of this page.

Where to Write or Phone

Check the status of your application at any time: https://gradstatus.northwestern.edu./ You will need the email address you used in your application, and your application number. This application works best in Firefox.

Graduate Admissions Coordinator
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Northwestern University
Cook Hall, Room 2036
Evanston, Illinois 60208-3108 U.S.A.
Phone 1-847-491-7896 (800-562-6291--toll free, US only)
E-mail matsci@northwestern.edu with Graduate Admissions in the Subject.
http://www.matsci.northwestern.edu/

Admissions
The Graduate School
Northwestern University
Rebecca Crown Center
Evanston, Illinois 60208-1113 U.S.A.
Phone 847-491-7264
Contact list http://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/admission/contact/
Web http://www.northwestern.edu/graduate/

Graduate Housing Office
Northwestern University
1915 Maple Avenue
Evanston, Illinois 60201 U.S.A.
Phone 847/491-5127
E-mail grad-housing@northwestern.edu
Web http://www.northwestern.edu/gradhousing/

The Graduate Program

The department offers both MS and PhD degrees in materials science and engineering. Evaluation of applicants for either degree is based on the same criteria. The MS is not required for the Ph.D.

We strongly recommend that students begin their graduate programs in the fall quarter, although those with unusual circumstances and an appropriate background may begin in the winter quarter or during Summer Session.

Graduate School Information

PhD Program

The doctoral program in materials science and engineering is designed to integrate core courses that apply across the field, specialty courses selected with the advisor, and research. Students have opportunities to develop presentation and writing skills through participation in individual research groups, presentations at national and international meetings, and submission of papers for publication. Students also participate as full- or part-time teaching assistants in graduate and undergraduate courses.

PhD Research

Each PhD candidate works closely with a faculty advisor on a research project. Projects may be experimental, theoretical, or a combination thereof, depending on student and faculty interest. Through faculty involvement in collaborative research and through the science and technology centers, research teams often include other Northwestern faculty members, professors from other universities, scientists from national laboratories (particularly nearby Argonne National Laboratory), postdoctoral research associates, and other graduate students. All research done in the department directly applies to the dissertation or thesis. We believe that active involvement in and reporting of original research are key elements in a graduate student’s maturation.

PhD Curriculum

The PhD curriculum includes five courses that provide a foundation for any specialization within materials science and engineering. Students take ten additional courses, two of which constitute a recognizable minor and four of which must be in Materials Science at the 400 level or above. The other courses are appropriate to the specialization or are useful for dissertation research. The followinglist of courses is not inclusive because new courses based on emerging fields are continually being developed. For example, Synthesis of Materials has recently been taught as a special topics course.

Core Courses

401   Analytical and Statistical Thermodynamics of Materials
404   Imperfections in Materials
405   Physics of Solids
406 Symmetry and Mechanical Properties of Materials
408   Phase Transformations in Materials

General Courses

318   Materials Selection
333   Composite Materials
390   Materials Design
391   Process Design
411   Phase Transformations in Crystalline Materials

Characterization Courses

361   Crystallography and Diffraction
380   Introduction to Surface Science and Spectroscopy
460   Electron Microscopy
461   Diffraction Methods in Materials Science
465   Advanced Electron Microscopy and Diffraction
466   Analytical Electron Microscopy

Ceramics Courses

340 Ceramic Processing
341 Introduction to Modern Ceramics

Electronic Materials Courses

355   Electronic Materials
398   Introduction to Plasma Science and Processing Technology
415   Fundamentals of Thin Film Materials
451   Advanced Physics of Materials
452   Selected Topics in the Solid State

Metals Courses

434 Fracture of Brittle Solids
435 Special Topics in Mechanical Behavior of Solids

Polymers Courses

331 Physical Properties of Polymers
445 Special Topics in High Polymer Science

A wide variety of courses in other science and engineering departments may be used for the minor or as electives.

In addition to course work, PhD candidates write and defend a research proposal before a committee of four people—three faculty members from the department and a fourth person from another department or from outside the University. The same committee reads the final dissertation and hears the student defend it.

Crown Family Graduate Internship Program

PhD candidates may choose to participate in the Crown Family Graduate Internship Program, gaining practical experience in industry or national research laboratories in areas related to research interests. An internship can significantly boost the thesis effort and may provide a basis for future employment.

A student may elect the graduate internship option in the latter stages (e.g., third year) of PhD study. A proper position is found with the help of the student’s PhD advisor, the associate dean of graduate studies and of research, and the director of industry relations. The student works full-time for three, six, or nine months and generally is paid by the participating sponsor.

Ryan Fellow ships to Advance the Field of Nanotechnology

The Ryan Fellowship, made possible by a generous donation from Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan, supports graduate students dedicated to the exploration of fundamental nanoscale science and to advancing this knowledge into practical applications of benefit to society. The fellowship, created in 2007, is to support the finest graduate students in the country and to provide them with the education and experience to assume leadership roles in the realm of nanotechnology. Ryan Fellows will participate in a variety of activities, including retreats, lectures and symposia, and other opportunities to engage in collaborative discussion and research with domestic and international partners. Applications are by nomination only. The fellowship includes an annual $7500 award: $5000 as an additional stipend and $2500 for research expenses. Incoming students receive two years of Ryan Fellowship funding after which they are eligible to apply for the award for continuing students. Continuing students are eligible to be nominated at the end of their second year. Awardees will receive Ryan Fellowship funding in addition to their current funding for three years or until they graduate, whichever comes first. The fellowship competition is open to incoming PhD students who demonstrate aptitude and interest in nanoscience and continuing students who have shown exceptional scientific talent and who have committed to a specific research project in the area of nanoscience and technology. The inherent interdisciplinarity of nanotechnology makes the Ryan Fellowship applicable to gifted students in a broad spectrum of scientific and engineering disciplines. Ryan Fellows will represent a select group of scholars who assume a leadership role in the NU graduate student community and present their accomplishments each year at the Ryan Fellows Symposium. In addition, recipients will have opportunities to engage in collaborative research with domestic and international partners (some countries where representative partnerships are already in-place include Spain, Germany, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Korea, Japan, and China). Northwestern University is uniquely positioned to provide the ideal environment for graduate researchers in nanotechnology. Its history of substantial contributions to the field has made the mid-west a major hub of nanotechnology research and education. As early as 2000 and prior to the establishment of the National Nanotechnology Initiative by the U.S. Congress, Northwestern recognized the importance of the field and established the Institute for Nanotechnology in 2000. Since then, the Institute (now called the International Institute for Nanotechnology or IIN) has helped to nucleate and develop new efforts in nanoscience and nanotechnology research campus-wide, and now encompasses over $300 million in extramural funding including funding for one of the nation’s first Nanoscale Science & Engineering Centers and Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence, among others.

Master of Science Program

A non-thesis MS option of twelve courses available for students who do not require financial support. Eight of the twelve must be in the department, including five 400-level courses. The two programs below may be of particular interest to those seeking an MS degree in Materials Science and Engineering.

MS Certificate Program in Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME)

The Northwestern University MSE department has organized an MS Certificate program in the new field of ICME, operating within the department’s existing courses-only MS program. Led by Greg Olson and Chris Wolverton, the initiative responds to education recommendations of the recent National Academy ICME study, building on Northwestern’s unique research and education achievements in computational materials design and a new education infrastructure of our doctoral cluster in Predictive Science & Engineering Design (PSED). As summarized in the "Coursework" link, below, the certificate requires 5 units of specified core courses. The new program will be piloted in the 2011/2012 academic year starting September 2011, with an extended application deadline in August 2011.

Coursework for Certificate Program in Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME)

MS Minor in Engineering Management

The Industrial Engineering and Management Science (IEMS) Department is offering an Engineering Management minor which will provide an understanding of basic engineering management principles for MS students at the McCormick School of Engineering & Applied Sciences. The minor consists of taking 2 required courses and 1 elective chosen from the list below:

Required Courses

IEMS 407 Quantitative Methods for Decision-Making
IEMS 402 Engineering Management

Electives (Choose one)

    IEMS 426   Project Management
    IEMS 415   Computer Simulation for Risk and Operations Analysis
    IEMS 427   Operations Analysis
    IEMS 428   Design for Six Sigma
    IEMS 486   Logistics and Service Operations Management

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

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