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 following list 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

Polymers Courses

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.

Master of Science Program

A 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.

NEW "Mini-MBA:" 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

Ryan Fellowships 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.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

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