Master of Science Degree Requirements

The Department offers a Master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering, which may also be taken simultaneously with other Departmental or interdepartmental programs. 

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

The student must complete a minimum of 66 graduate level units, of which 42 units must be in Materials Science and Engineering, with exclusions noted below. Of the 66 units, 34 units must comprise a coherent program, not necessarily all DMSE subjects, approved by the chair of the Departmental Committee on Graduate Studies. All unit requirements must be taken for a letter grade.

Note: 3.ThG Graduate Thesis or 3.932 Industrial Practice units cannot be used toward the 66-unit requirement.

By the time of graduation, the student must have completed subjects 3.20 and 3.21 or their equivalent. The equivalent subjects may have been taken at a different institution. Students must submit a petition to the Departmental Committee on Graduate Studies for review.

Subjects that do not satisfy the SM degree requirements include subjects in English as a Second Language and undergraduate subjects taken as an undergraduate.

Graduate subjects taken as an undergraduate and not applied toward that degree's requirements, and advanced undergraduate subjects taken as a DMSE graduate student, may be used for graduate “G” credit upon successful petition to the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Graduate Studies.

The subject of the thesis must have a clear materials-related component. The student must give a public presentation based on the thesis. The thesis presentation must be scheduled and publicized through the Academic Office at least one week in advance. The student must provide a draft copy of the thesis to both the thesis advisor and the Academic Office at least one week in advance of the public presentation. An internal departmental thesis reader is required if the student’s advisor is outside DMSE. The reader must sign the title page of the thesis.

Master of Science as Recommended by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering

In special cases, a student may petition the Graduate Committee to recommend, on behalf of the Department, the awarding of a Master’s degree without Departmental specification. The requirements for this degree are a minimum of 66 graduate level units of which 42 units must be DMSE. The petition should be submitted early in the student’s residence.

Note: 3.ThG "Graduate Thesis or 3.932 Industrial Practice units cannot be used toward the 66 unit requirement.

The subject of the thesis must have a clear materials-related component. The student must give a public presentation based on the thesis. The thesis presentation must be scheduled and publicized through the Academic Office at least one week in advance. The student must provide a draft copy of the thesis to both the thesis advisor and the Academic Office at least one week in advance of the public presentation. An internal departmental thesis reader is required if the student’s advisor is outside DMSE. The reader must sign the title page of the thesis.

DMSE SM Program Proposal Form - completed form needs to be submitted to the DMSE Academic Office (6-107) by the last day of classes two academic semesters prior to expected graduation.