The School of Materials Science and Engineering offers a program of study and research leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree. The Ph.D. degree recognizes demonstrated proficiency and high achievement in research. Beyond mandatory core classes the students in the Ph.D. program pursue an individually structured study plan culminating in a dissertation that makes an original and substantial contribution to the fundamental knowledge in the field of study.
Students with a BS or MS degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Polymer Science and Engineering, Ceramic Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Textile Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, or in a related field of science and engineering can be admitted in the Ph.D. program. Ph.D. admissions are generally granted with tuition waivers and financial assistance in the form of graduate research assistantships.
The MSE faculty have diverse research backgrounds and expertise in various areas of Materials Science and Engineering constituting three typical working groups: (a) Functional Materials, (b) Soft and Biomaterials, (c) Structural Materials, and spanning all forms and functions of materials. MSE students, research scientists, and faculty are currently engaged in research in the following general areas:
- Polymers and Macromolecules
- Biologically Enabled and Bioinspired Materials
- Nanomaterials and Nanoengineered Devices
- Computational Design, Modeling, and Simulations
- Functional Electronic and Optical Materials
- Fibers and Composites
- Energy Storage and Harvesting
- Advanced Structural Materials
- Multi-scale Structural & Chemical Characterization

