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 PhD.

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.

The graduate program in materials science and engineering is designed to integrate core courses that apply across the field, specialty courses selected with the adviser, 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 Program

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.

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 Material

General Courses

322   Kinetics of Heterogeneous Reactions
333   Composite Materials
390   Materials Design
391   Process Design
411   Phase Transformations in Crystalline Materials
412   Interfaces in Crystalline Solids

Characterization Courses

361   Crystallography and Diffraction
380   Introduction to Surface Science and Spectroscopy
385   Image Analysis
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
440   Crystal Defects and Transport Phenomena in Ceramics
441   Selected Topics in Ceramic Science

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

Energy and Materials Courses

333   Composite Materials
355   Electronic Materials
376   Nanomaterials
395   Materials for Energy Efficient Technology
395   Conductive Polymers
435   High Temperature Materials

Metals Courses

434   Fatigue and Fracture
435   Special Topics in Mechanical Behavior of Solids
464   Advanced Dislocation Theory

Polymers Courses

331   Physical Properties of Polymers
335   Polymer Processing
444   High Polymers in the Solid State
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 adviser, 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.

MS Program

A MS option is available for students who do not require financial support which requires twelve courses. Eight of the twelve must be in the department, including five 400-level courses.

Research

Each PhD candidate works closely with a faculty adviser on a research project. Projects may be experimental, theoretical, or a combination, 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.