Academics
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Graduate Study
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Materials Science Engineering (MS)
Curriculum & Requirements

The MS degree options and requirements are outlined below. Students typically select their track by their second quarter of study.

Course-Track MS

  • 12 required courses. All must be taken for a grade.
  • 8 courses in materials science and engineering. At least 5 must be 400-level courses (excluding 499). Up to 3 can be 300-level courses. All courses must be authorized for graduate credit. Check the Academic Catalog to see which courses qualify.
  • 4 elective courses, either in materials science and engineering or other related disciplines. No more than 1 unit of research (MatSci 499) may be counted. All courses must be authorized for graduate credit. Check the Academic Catalog to see which courses qualify.

Thesis-Track MS

  • 10 required courses. All must be taken for a grade.
  • 7 courses in materials science and engineering. At least 3 must be MSE Graduate Core courses (MatSci 401 to 408). 1 required research preparation course (MatSci 496). Up to 3 can be 300-level courses. All courses must be authorized for graduate credit. Check the Academic Catalog to see which courses qualify.
  • 3 elective courses, either in materials science and engineering or other related disciplines. Research units are not allowed. All courses must be authorized for graduate credit. Check the Academic Catalog to see which courses qualify.
  • At least 3 quarters of full-time research towards the master's thesis. Master's Thesis required. Thesis milestones completed through GSP.

Course Offerings

Both Course-Track and Thesis-Track MS students typically take 3-4 courses per quarter. In the first quarter, most students take at least one course in the MSE Graduate Core and at least one other MSE course. See the full list of MSE Courses to explore our full list of electives.

MSE Graduate Core