Program Overview

Materials Science and Engineering Program

The Materials Science and Engineering program at the University of California, Riverside, is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in the field of materials science and engineering.

Overview

The program offers a Ph.D. degree with a focus on research and independent study. The faculty recommends that students take a minimum of 36 units of graduate or upper-division course work covering all five areas of study in Materials Science and Engineering:

• Thermodynamic Foundation of Materials (MSE 201-209)
• Crystal Structure and Bonding (MSE 210-219)
• Materials Characterization Techniques (MSE 220-229)
• Functional Materials (MSE 230-239)
• Materials Synthesis and Processing (MSE 240-249)

Course Requirements

Students must enroll in MSE 200 the first time it is offered during their residency. Students must also enroll in MSE 250 during all quarters of residency and must obtain a letter grade in an MSE 250-259 course once during each academic year of residency, except for the first one.

Preliminary Examination

The purpose of the preliminary examination is to screen candidates for continuation in the doctoral program. The examination is administered by the graduate program committee jointly with the M.S. comprehensive examination. Candidates must solve at least one problem in each of the five areas of study in Materials Science and Engineering.

Dissertation Proposal and Oral Qualifying Examination

After passing the preliminary examination at the Ph.D. level, doctoral candidates must prepare and submit a dissertation proposal to their qualifying examination committee at least one month before the qualifying examination. The proposal should clearly indicate the proposed problem under study, demonstrate substantial knowledge of the topic and related issues, state the progress made toward a solution, and indicate the work remaining to be done.

Dissertation Examination and Defense

A doctoral dissertation should be an original and substantial contribution to knowledge in the student's major field. The dissertation must demonstrate the student's ability to carry out a program of independent advanced research and to report the results in accordance with standards observed in recognized scientific journals. When the doctoral committee determines that a suitable draft of the dissertation has been presented, a dissertation examination and defense for the student is scheduled.

Normative Time to Degree

The normative time to degree is 12 quarters (15 quarters for students without an M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering).

Preparation for Careers in Teaching

All doctoral students are encouraged to serve as teaching assistants for at least three quarters during their graduate career. The program offers a Teaching Practicum in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE 301).

Research Areas

The program has several research areas, including:

• Biomaterials
• Structural Materials
• Computational Materials
• Material Processing
• Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Materials
• Energy and Green Technology

Facilities

The program has several facilities, including:

• Fee-For-Service
  • SEM - TESCAN
  • DSC - Netzsch
  • TGA - Netzsch
  • Thin Film XRD – Rigaku SmartLab
• Fixed Fee-For-Service
  • FT-IR - ThermoFisher
  • Raman - ThermoFisher
  • Universal Tester - Instron
  • Microscope - Nikon
  • Grinder/Polisher - Allied
  • Tube & Muffle Furnaces