Program Overview

Materials Science Program

The interdisciplinary graduate program in Materials Science exists to educate students, with at least a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or science, in the diverse field of Materials Science. This diversity includes the four key foundational aspects of Materials Science – materials properties including characterization and modeling, materials structures, materials synthesis and processing, and materials performance – as applied to materials of a variety of types (i.e., metals, ceramics, polymers, electronic materials, and biomaterials).

Program Description

The Materials Science graduate program is responsible for administering MS (thesis and non-thesis) and PhD Degrees in Materials Science. The Departments of Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Physics, and Chemical and Biological Engineering jointly administer the interdisciplinary materials science program. This interdisciplinary degree program coexists alongside strong disciplinary programs in Chemistry, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, and Physics. For administrative purposes, the student will reside in the advisor's home academic department. The student's graduate committee will have final approval of the course of study.

Fields of Research

• Advanced polymeric materials
  • Alloy theory, concurrent design, theory-assisted materials engineering, and electronic structure theory
  • Applications of artificial intelligence techniques to materials processing and manufacturing, neural networks for process modeling and sensor data processing, manufacturing process control
  • Atomic scale characterization
  • Atom Probe Tomography
  • Biomaterials
  • Ceramic processing, modeling of ceramic processing
  • Characterization, thermal stability, and thermal degradation mechanisms of polymers
  • Chemical and physical processing of materials, engineered materials, materials synthesis
  • Chemical vapor deposition
  • Coating materials and applications
  • Computational condensed-matter physics, semiconductor alloys, first-principles phonon calculations
  • Computer modeling and simulation
  • Control systems engineering, artificial neural systems for senior data processing, polymer cure monitoring sensors, process monitoring and control for composites manufacturing
  • Crystal and molecular structure determination by X-ray crystallography
  • Electrodeposition
  • Electron and ion microscopy
  • Experimental condensed-matter physics, thermal and electrical properties of materials, superconductivity, photovoltaics
  • Fuel cell materials
  • Fullerene synthesis, combustion chemistry
  • Heterogeneous catalysis, reformulated and alcohol fuels, surface analysis, electrophotography
  • High temperature ceramics
  • Intelligent automated systems, intelligent process control, robotics, artificial neural systems
  • Materials synthesis, interfaces, flocculation, fine particles
  • Mathematical modeling of material processes
  • Mechanical metallurgy, failure analysis, deformation of materials, advanced steel coatings
  • Mechanical properties of ceramics and ceramic composites
  • High entropy alloys
  • Mössbauer spectroscopy, ion implantation, small-angle X-ray scattering, semiconductor defects
  • Nano materials
  • Non-destructive evaluation
  • Non-ferrous structural alloys
  • Novel separation processes: membranes, catalytic membrane reactors, biopolymer adsorbents for heavy metal remediation of ground surface water
  • Numerical modeling of particulate media, thermomechanical analysis
  • Optical properties of materials and interfaces
  • Phase transformations and mechanisms of microstructural change
  • Photovoltaic materials and device processing
  • Physical metallurgy, ferrous and nonferrous alloy systems
  • Physical vapor deposition, thin films, coatings
  • Power electronics, plasma physics, pulsed power, plasma material processing
  • Processing and characterization of electroceramics (ferro-electrics, piezoelectrics, pyroelectrics, and dielectrics)
  • Semiconductor materials and device processing
  • Soft materials
  • Solidification and near net shape processing
  • Surface physics, epitaxial growth, interfacial science, adsorption
  • Transport phenomena and mathematical modeling
  • Weld metallurgy, materials joining processes
  • Welding and joining science

Faculty

Professors

• John R. Berger, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Cristian Ciobanu, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Mark Eberhart, Department of Chemistry
• Michael J. Kaufman, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Dean of CASE
• Daniel M. Knauss, Department of Chemistry
• Stephen Liu, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, American Bureau of Shipping Endowed Chair of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
• Ryan P. O'Hayre, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Materials Science Program Director
• Ivar E. Reimanis, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Herman F. Coors Distinguished Professor of Ceramic Engineering
• Ryan Richards, Department of Chemistry
• P. Craig Taylor, Department of Physics
• Colin Wolden, Department of Chemical Engineering, Weaver Distinguished Professor
• Kim Williams, Department of Chemistry

Associate Professors

• Stephen G. Boyes, Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry
• Brian P. Gorman, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
• Timothy R. Ohno, Department of Physics
• Alan Sellinger, Department of Chemistry
• Neal Sullivan, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Assistant Professors

• Geoff L. Brennecka, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
• Corinne E. Packard, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
• Svitlana Pylypenko, Department of Chemistry
• Aaron Stebner, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Eric Toberer, Department of Physics
• Shubham Vyas, Department of Chemistry
• Yongan Yang, Department of Chemistry

Professors Emeriti

• Thomas E. Furtak, Department of Physics
• John Moore, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
• Denis W. Readey, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, University Professor-Emeritus
• Chester J. Van Tyne, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Teaching Associate Professor

• Gerald Bourne, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Research Professors

• Richard K. Ahrenkiel, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
• William (Grover) Coors, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Research Associate Professor

• James E. Bernard, Department of Physics

Research Assistant Professors

• David Diercks, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
• Jianliang Lin, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Program Requirements

Each of the three degree programs (non-thesis MS, thesis-based MS, and PhD) requires the successful completion of three core courses for a total of 9 credit hours that will be applied to the degree program course requirements. Depending upon the individual student's background, waivers for these courses may be approved by the program director. In order to gain a truly interdisciplinary understanding of Materials Science, students in the program are encouraged to select elective courses from several different departments outside of the Materials Science program. Course selection should be completed in consultation with the student's advisor or program director as appropriate.

Core Courses

• MLGN591: Materials Thermodynamics (3.0 credits)
• MLGN592: Advanced Materials Kinetics and Transport (3.0 credits)
• MLGN593: Bonding, Structure, and Crystallography (3.0 credits)

Master of Science (Thesis Option)

The Master of Science degree requires a minimum of 30.0 semester hours of acceptable coursework and thesis research credits. The student must also submit a thesis and pass the Defense of Thesis examination before the Thesis Committee.

• COURSEWORK: Materials Science Courses (18.0 credits)
  • Must include 9.0 credit hours of core courses.
• MLGN707: Thesis Research Credits (12.0 credits)
• Total Semester Hours: 30.0

Master of Science (Non-Thesis Option with a Case Study)

The Master of Science degree requires a minimum of 30.0 semester hours of acceptable coursework and case study credit including:

• COURSEWORK: Materials Science Courses (24.0 credits)
  • Must include 9.0 credit hours of core courses.
• MLGN: Case Study (6.0 credits)
• Total Semester Hours: 30.0

Doctor of Philosophy

The Doctor of Philosophy degree requires a minimum of 72.0 hours of course and research credit including:

• COURSEWORK: Materials Science Courses (minimum) (24.0 credits)
  • Must include 9.0 credit hours of core courses.
• MLGN707: Thesis Research Credits (minimum) (24.0 credits)
• A minimum of 15 course credits earned at CSM is required for the PhD degree. In exceptional cases, this 15 CSM course credit hour requirement can be reduced in part or in full through the written consent of the student's advisor, program director, and thesis committee.

Deficiency Courses

All doctoral candidates must complete at least 6 credit hours of background courses. This course requirement is individualized for each candidate, depending on previous experience and research activities to be pursued. Competitive candidates may already possess this background information. In these cases, the candidate's Thesis Committee may award credit for previous experience. In cases where additional coursework is required as part of a student's program, these courses are treated as fulfilling a deficiency requirement that is beyond the total institutional requirement of 72 credit hours.

PhD Qualifying Process

The following constitutes the qualifying processes by which doctoral students are admitted to candidacy in the Materials Science program.

• Core Curriculum: The three required core classes must be completed in the first full academic year for all doctoral candidates. Students must obtain a grade of B- or better in each class to be eligible to take the qualifying examination at the end of the succeeding spring semester.
• PhD Qualifying Examination: A qualifying examination is given annually at the end of the spring semester under the direction of the Materials Science Graduate Affairs Committee. All first-year Materials Science PhD students are expected to successfully complete the qualifying examination to remain in good standing in the program.
• PhD Thesis Proposal: A student's PhD thesis committee administers a PhD Thesis Proposal defense. The PhD proposal defense should occur no later than the student's fourth semester.

Course Offerings

A wide range of courses are available within the Materials Science program, including but not limited to:

• MLGN500: Processing, Microstructure, and Properties of Materials (3.0 credits)
• MLGN501: Structure of Materials (3.0 credits)
• MLGN502: Solid State Physics (3.0 credits)
• MLGN503: Chemical Bonding in Materials (3.0 credits)
• MLGN504: Solid State Thermodynamics (3.0 credits)
• MLGN505: Mechanical Properties of Materials (3.0 credits)
• MLGN506: Transport in Solids (3.0 credits)
• MLGN509: Solid State Chemistry (3.0 credits)
• MLGN510: Surface Chemistry (3.0 credits)
• MLGN511: Kinetic Concerns in Materials Processing I (3.0 credits)
• MLGN512: Ceramic Engineering (3.0 credits)
• MLGN513: Problem Solving in Materials Science (3.0 credits)
• MLGN515: Electrical Properties and Applications of Materials (3.0 credits)
• MLGN516: Properties of Ceramics (3.0 credits)
• MLGN517: Solid Mechanics of Materials (3.0 credits)
• MLGN518: Phase Equilibria in Ceramics Systems (3.0 credits)
• MLGN519: Non-Crystalline Materials (3.0 credits)
• MLGN521: Kinetic Concerns in Materials Processing II (3.0 credits)
• MLGN523: Applied Surface and Solution Chemistry (3.0 credits)
• MLGN526: Gel Science and Technology (3.0 credits)
• MLGN530: Introduction to Polymer Science (3.0 credits)
• MLGN531: Polymer Engineering and Technology (3.0 credits)
• MLGN535: Interdisciplinary Microelectronics Processing Laboratory (3.0 credits)
• MLGN536: Advanced Polymer Synthesis (3.0 credits)
• MLGN544: Processing of Ceramics (3.0 credits)
• MLGN550: Statistical Process Control and Design of Experiments (3.0 credits)
• MLGN552: Inorganic Matrix Composites (3.0 credits)
• MLGN555: Polymer and Complex Fluids Colloquium (1.0 credit)
• MLGN561: Transport Phenomena in Materials Processing (3.0 credits)
• MLGN563: Polymer Engineering: Structure, Properties, and Processing (3.0 credits)
• MLGN565: Mechanical Properties of Ceramics and Composites (3.0 credits)
• MLGN569: Fuel Cell Science and Technology (3.0 credits)
• MLGN570: Biocompatibility of Materials (3.0 credits)
• MLGN572: Biomaterials (3.0 credits)
• MLGN583: Principles and Applications of Surface Analysis Techniques (3.0 credits)
• MLGN589: Materials Thermodynamics (3.0 credits)
• MLGN591: Materials Thermodynamics (3.0 credits)
• MLGN592: Advanced Materials Kinetics and Transport (3.0 credits)
• MLGN593: Bonding, Structure, and Crystallography (3.0 credits)
• MLGN607: Condensed Matter (3.0 credits)
• MLGN625: Molecular Simulation Methods (3.0 credits)
• MLGN634: Advanced Topics in Thermodynamics (3.0 credits)
• MLGN635: Polymer Reaction Engineering (3.0 credits)
• MLGN648: Condensed Matter II (3.0 credits)
• MLGN673: Structure and Properties of Polymers (3.0 credits)
• MLGN696: Vapor Deposition Processes (3.0 credits)
• MLGN707: Graduate Thesis/Dissertation Research Credit (1-15 credits)