Gradaute Programs of Study in Materials Science and Engineering

MS MMSE PhD Core Curriculum

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at UVa offers the degrees of Master of Materials Science and Engineering (MMSE), Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The MS and PhD degrees involve extensive research, leading to a thesis or dissertation, respectively. The MMSE degree does not include a thesis and is often achieved by off-grounds graduate students enrolled in the SEAS distance-learning program. The MMSE degree can also be earned by PhD students who have passed the PhD comprehensive examination and the requisite 10-course curriculum.

The program of study for each of these degrees has been developed consistent with the principles of academic excellence as a foundation for cutting-edge research and cross-disciplinary learning. In all instances a graduate program of study is governed by SEAS policies and guidelines as presented in the Graduate Record, unless a more restrictive MSE policy is presented below. The starting point for each of the three degree programs is the MSE core curriculum.

Upon admission to the MSE department, students select either the MS or PhD track. The PhD stipend is received by a student after the MSE Qualifying Examination is passed, or the MS degree is attained. An MS candidate may switch to PhD status, or PhD candidate to MS status, at any time.

The MSE Graduate Records Coordinator will distribute this policy statement to all entering graduate students and will assist each student in understanding the Departmental requirements for each program of study.

All MSE graduate students must complete a four-course core comprised of:

MSE601 Electronic and Crystal Structure of Materials	3 credits, Fall semester
MSE602 Defects and Microstructure in Materials	3 credits, Spring semester
MSE623 Thermodynamics and Phase Equilibria of Materials	3 credits, Fall semester
MSE624 Kinetics of Transport and Transformation in Materials	3 credits, Spring semester

 

MS Degree

The MS degree in MSE intends for the successful student to demonstrate the ability to do independent research in engineering or applied-science with close faculty guidance. In addition to research, this degree program requires that the student achieve an overall grade point average of at least 3.0 in the 25 course credits beyond the BS level to be distributed as follows.

Course requirements for the MS degree in MSE are:

	Credits
4 MSE core courses	12
4 elective courses from MSE, SEAS or UVa Sci/Math*	12
Graduate seminar	1
TOTAL:	25

*Maximum of 2 courses at 5xx level in MSE
*Maximum of 3 courses at 5xx level in total
*Minimum of 2 courses in MSE beyond core

• The program of study includes one credit of MSE seminar (MSE 701 or MSE 702).
• The program of study includes four electives beyond the MSE core. These electives are at the 5xx, 6xx and 7xx levels, are approved by the graduate student’s advisor, and are selected from SEAS-course offerings or other UVa Science/Mathematics courses. Up to six credits of 5xx-level MSE courses, with a maximum of nine credits of 5xx-level SEAS courses are permitted. No more than six elective credits may be earned in faculty-supervised independent study courses.
• MSE 605 and MSE 606 may be counted towards the program of study only by those students who do not have an undergraduate degree in MSE, or upon petition to the MSE Graduate Director by the graduate student’s advisor.
• Students who have earned graduate course credits at UVa or at another institution may transfer up to six credits into the MSE-MS program of study. Transferred courses may be used to satisfy part of the MSE core requirement, if deemed equivalent by the faculty member teaching the course, or to satisfy the elective requirement, subject to approval by the MSE Graduate Director and the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. The student must document the syllabus content of a transferred MSE core course, and the 6xx or 7xx level of a transferred elective course. Transferred courses may have been taken in MSE or in another field of engineering or science, but may not have been applied to achieve any other earned degree.
• The time sequence of core and elective classes is defined by the student and advisor, considering that core courses provide an important foundation for many of the elective courses and for research.
• The MS degree requires at least six credits of research, under the supervision of a faculty advisor, and culminating in a written thesis that is presented and defended in a public forum.
• The four core courses, written thesis, and public defense of the thesis are departmental requirements for the MS degree and cannot be waived.
• The MS candidate must write and defend publicly his/her thesis at a time that precedes the deadline for the SEAS binding receipt by at least four weeks. The MS defense will conclude with a faculty evaluation and decision on thesis acceptability and additional requirements, if any.
• After public defense of the MS thesis, each MS student will be assessed by faculty with respect to the ability to perform graduate-level engineering research, proficiency at technical writing, and oral presentation skills.

The MS degree program of study for each student must be approved by the MSE Graduate Director. The MSE faculty will review any appeal of this decision. Ideally, the MS degree program of study should be formalized and approved during the student’s first year in the MS program. [top]

MMSE Degree

The MMSE degree in MSE emphasizes classroom learning, and requires that the student achieve an overall grade point average of at least 3.0 in the 30 course credits beyond the BS level.

The courses are to be distributed as follows.

	Credits
4 MSE core courses	12
6 elective courses from MSE, SEAS or UVa Sci/Math*	18
TOTAL:	30

*Minimum of 2 courses in MSE, beyond core
*Maximum of 2 courses at 5xx level in MSE
*Maximum of 3 courses at 5xx level in total

• MSE 605 and MSE 606 may be counted towards the program of study only by those students who do not have an undergraduate degree in MSE, or upon petition to the MSE Graduate Director by the graduate student’s advisor.
• The program of study must be approved by the MSE CGEP advisor, or by the student’s advisor, and by the MSE Graduate Director.
• Up to six credits of electives may be earned in faculty-supervised independent study courses. Such independent study courses may include laboratory work.

Each MMSE student will be assessed by faculty with respect to proficiency at technical writing, oral presentation skills, and engineering analysis.

The MS degree program of study must be approved by the MSE Graduate Director. The MSE faculty will review any appeal of this decision. Ideally, the MS degree program of study should be formalized and approved during the student’s first year in the MS program. CGEP students are urged to work closely with the MSE CGEP advisor to ensure an appropriate plan of study. [top]

PhD Degree

The PhD degree in MSE intends for the successful student to produce tangible-intellectual achievement(s) from independent research in the engineering or applied science of materials. As a foundation, the PhD degree in MSE requires that the student achieve satisfactorily at least 38 course credits beyond the BS level, to be distributed as follows.

Minimum course requirements for the PhD degree in MSE are:

*Minimum of 2 courses at 7xx level in MSE
*Minimum of 4 courses in MSE beyond core
*Maximum of 2 courses at 5xx level in MSE
*Maximum of 3 courses at 5xx level in total

• The program of study includes two credits of MSE graduate seminar. (MSE 701 and MSE 702).
• A minimum of six of the 24 elective credits must be earned in 7xx-level MSE courses at UVa.
• No more than six elective credits may be earned in faculty-supervised independent study courses. Independent study credits do not count towards the six credits of electives at the 7xx level. MSE 605 and MSE 606 credits may not be counted among the 24 credits of elective courses required for a PhD in MSE. Students entering the PhD program without a BS or MS in MSE are encouraged to consider taking MSE 605 and MSE 606 to reinforce core understanding of materials science. Students with a BS or MS in MSE should generally not take MSE 605 or MSE 606.
• The student’s PhD committee will review the student’s program of study, and will advise the student and MSE Graduate Director on suggested courses beyond this minimum requirement.
• Each PhD student, with consent of the student’s advisor, may petition the MSE Graduate Director to receive the MMSE degree upon completion of 30 course credits on the path to the PhD. All conditions to the MMSE degree described above apply.
• The program of study includes eight elective courses (24 credits) beyond the MSE four core courses. These electives are at the 5xx, 6xx and 7xx levels, and are selected from SEAS-course offerings or other UVa Science/Mathematics courses.
• Students entering the PhD program without an MS degree may transfer up to 12 credits of graduate course work to be applied to their plan of study, provided those courses were not used to earn another degree, subject to approval by the Graduate Director and the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.
• Students entering the PhD program with an MS degree from another institution are required to complete the four-course MSE core or to demonstrate that they have taken the equivalent courses elsewhere. Students are also required to complete four courses for credit chosen from MSE, SEAS, or UVa-Science/Math courses at the 5xx, 6xx, or 7xx level. At least two of these four courses must be in MSE at the 7xx level.
• The PhD-degree program of study must be approved by the student’s PhD advisory committee and by the MSE Graduate Director. Ideally, the PhD degree program of study should be formalized and be approved during the student’s first 18 months in the PhD program.
• The PhD candidate must pass a qualifying examination consisting of both written and oral components and which includes both general and comprehensive elements.
• The PhD candidate must write and defend publicly a proposed research plan that is the foundation for the student’s dissertation. This PhD dissertation proposal and public defense of the PhD dissertation must occur in different semesters.
• The PhD candidate must write and defend publicly his/her dissertation at a time that precedes the deadline for the SEAS binding receipt for the Spring semester by at least four weeks. This defense will conclude with a PhD advisory committee plus faculty-only evaluation and final decision on dissertation acceptability and requirements.
• The PhD degree requires at least 25 credits of research, under the supervision of a faculty advisor, culminating in a written dissertation that is presented and defended in a public forum.
• For all PhD students, the MSE core-course foundation, qualifying examination, research proposal, dissertation, and public defense of dissertation are departmental requirements that cannot be waived.
  
  • Recommendation: One of the eight elective courses should be math intensive, consistent with a list established by the MSE faculty and allowing for transfer of an equivalent course.
  • Recommendation: The PhD candidate’s advisory committee should tailor the program of courses to reflect the importance of both depth and breadth in MSE and in the area of research.
  
  Each PhD candidate will be assessed by faculty after public defense of the dissertation with respect to the ability to form a research plan, ability to perform original research, proficiency at technical writing, and oral presentation skills.[top]

PhD Qualifying Examination

Preliminary Examination:

All PhD students, including students who have earned an MS from another department or university, must pass, or be exempted from, a written preliminary examination before taking the MSE qualifying examination. The content of the written preliminary exam is based on the four MSE core courses. The purpose of the preliminary examination is for students to demonstrate knowledge of the core material.

The written preliminary exam is:

• Waived for students with 1) a combined GPA of at least 3.5 in the four MSE core courses and 2) who have no core-course grade below a B.
• Taken typically by PhD students in June of the first year following completion of the four-course core

In preparation for the written preliminary examination, students may study independently or in groups, may use former qualifying examination questions, and may use material from their core courses, in addition to any other reference materials. A student who fails the written preliminary examination on the first attempt may retake the exam once at the following offering. If a student fails the preliminary examination twice, the student will not be allowed to continue in the PhD program.

Qualifying Examination

The purpose of the qualifying examination is twofold. First, is for the student to demonstrate, through both written and oral presentation, the integration of a core body of knowledge in Materials Science and Engineering. The second purpose is for students to demonstrate the ability to apply MSE core knowledge to research, including the ability to state a problem clearly, to propose a solution, to utilize the scientific literature as a means of self-learning, and to recognize the limitations and implications of the research work. Each PhD student must pass, or be exempted from, the written preliminary examination before taking the MSE qualifying examination.

The PhD qualifying examination is:

• Taken typically by students in August, two years after enrolling with the BS contains both written and oral components.
• Given over a 4-6 week period; prior preparation for the exam is neither encouraged nor expected. emphasizes MSE knowledge synthesis and research practice including literature usage.
  consists of a common research topic for all students.
• Broad, open-ended, and appropriate for a range of GRA research experience and interest.

Students enrolling with a MS degree typically take the qualifying examination in August, one year after enrolling in the PhD program. Students may neither consult nor work with other students during the qualifying examination.

A student who fails the qualifying examination on the first attempt may retake the exam once. If a student fails the qualifying examination twice, the student will not be allowed to continue in the PhD program.