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Materials Science & Engineering

Program Mission Statement

The mission of the Materials Science and Engineering Master of Science program is to prepare students to solve complex scientific and technological problems relating to the understanding and application of materials. Students will develop a broad knowledge of different classes of materials, their physical properties, and their applications, as well as more specialized knowledge in their area of research. Through their research, each student will produce new scientific and/or technical knowledge. Students graduating with the MS in Materials Science and Engineering will be prepared for technical careers or for pursuing a doctoral degree.

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates will be able:

Knowledge of Literature of Discipline

  • Combine relevant theoretical models and mathematical tools to solve quantitative problems in the area of study
  • Conduct a literature review on a topic relevant to the area of study and condense such review into a clear and cohesive summary.

Independent Research/ Professional Practice

  • Identify a significant scientific and/or technical question and propose sound approaches to investigating the question.
  • Apply specialized experimental and/or theoretical techniques to answer the question.
  • Communicate the results of their research to a technical audience

Assessment Approaches

The learning outcomes are achieved by the successful completion of a cohesive program consisting of four required graduate courses and a significant faculty-mentored independent research project that culminates in the completion and defense of a master’s thesis. The Knowledge of Discipline learning outcomes are assessed in the four graduate courses through assignments, exams, and presentations. The Independent Research learning outcomes are assessed throughout the thesis research, including feedback from the student’s research advisor; a thesis prospectus presentation to the thesis committee; the thesis defense, which is a public talk that is evaluated by the thesis committee; and the written thesis, which is evaluated by the thesis committee.