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Doctoral Subject Core
A four-subject core is required of all doctoral students. These subjects define what we consider to be the irreducible basis of our discipline—what every Ph.D. materials scientist or materials engineer from MIT ought to know. The objective is to provide the student with a rigorous and unified basis on which to build in subsequent advanced level subjects to be provided by the Academic Programs.
The core subjects comprise 3.20 Materials at Equilibrium (15 units, Fall), 3.21 Kinetic Processes in Materials (15 units, Spring), 3.22 Mechanical Properties of Materials (12 units, Spring), and 3.23 Electrical, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of Materials (12 units, Fall). All four subjects treat materials principles from a universal perspective, rather than by materials class.
It is assumed that incoming students have an undergraduate background equivalent to MIT’s undergraduate degree in Materials Science and Engineering. Students deficient in this background may wish to take appropriate undergraduate subjects concurrently with the four core subjects in the first two semesters in place of any restricted elective subjects. Students concerned about their preparation for the core subjects should consult their registration officer or the instructors.
Advanced Subject Requirements beyond the Core
The Department requires doctoral students to take for credit four further advanced graduate subjects beyond the core requirement, in addition to a minor requirement.
Two required Academic Program restricted elective subjects are intended to define the Academic Programs in the same way the core subjects define the whole field of materials science and engineering. They are to be taken concurrently with the core subjects or in the first or second semester following the General Written Examination. The subjects taken to satisfy the Academic Program Restricted Elective Subjects must be at an advanced level, G or H. The minimum unit requirement for all Academic Programs is 18 (G or H) units. Some subjects are not offered every academic year.
The remaining two required academic program restricted elective subjects will not generally be taken until after a thesis topic has been decided on and a thesis committee has been constituted. These two subjects must be germane to the student’s thesis research and will be chosen in consultation with and with the approval of the student’s thesis committee. The subjects can be advanced departmental offerings or subjects offered by other MIT departments in an area that is relevant to the student’s thesis work. They must be at H-level and either 9- or 12-unit subjects.
Electronic, Photonic, and Magnetic Materials
Structural and Environmental Materials
Bio- and Polymeric Materials
Emerging, Fundamental, and Computational Materials Science
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