Materials Science and Engineering Major, MS

Thesis Option

A total of 30 credit hours is required for the MS with a major in materials science and engineering. Additional requirements include the following.

• A major consisting of 12 credit hours of graduate courses in materials science and engineering consisting of MSE 511 , MSE 512 , MSE 513 , and MSE 514 .
• Additional courses up to 12 credit hours total in related areas. These courses must include MSE 515  and MSE 516  for the metallurgy concentration; MSE 539 , MSE 540 , and MSE 552  for the polymers concentration; two graduate specialization courses approved by the student’s faculty committee for the materials concentration; two courses from the approved nanomaterials specialization list for the nanomaterials concentration; two courses from the approved automotive materials specialization list for the automotive concentration; and two courses from the approved specialization list for the biomaterials concentration.
• Master’s thesis MSE 500 , totaling 6 to 12 credit hours.
• Satisfactory performance on a comprehensive oral examination administered by the faculty committee.

All resident students are required to participate in the graduate seminar in materials science and engineering, as appropriate, during each semester in which it is offered. Three credit hours of MSE 503  may be counted toward degree requirements.

Non-Thesis Option

Any candidate may apply for a non-thesis option. Upon acceptance, a supervisory committee of three will be appointed. At least two members of the committee will be from the faculty in the major area. The requirements for completion of the non-thesis option are as follows.

• Completion of a total of 30 credit hours of graduate course work. At least 18 of those credit hours must be in the department and include MSE 511 , MSE 512 , MSE 513 , and MSE 514 . Up to 12 credit hours may be in related areas. Three credit hours of MSE 503  may be counted toward degree requirements. The non-thesis option for all concentrations must include the same courses required for the thesis option. The faculty committee must approve the candidate’s degree program.
• Satisfactory completion of MSE 580  as a culminating experience. This course shall include a comprehensive examination administered by the faculty committee.

Five-Year BS-MS Program
Materials Science and Engineering Major

The department offers a 5-year BS-MS program with a BS (major in materials science and engineering) and an MS (major in materials science and engineering or polymer engineering) for qualified students. The primary component of the program is a qualified student may take up to 9 credit hours of approved graduate courses for their senior undergraduate electives and have them count toward both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UT. This program is designed for students attending UT for their Master of Science degree because other universities may not accept these courses for graduate credit since they were used to satisfy requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree. Significant components of the program are:

• Students must have an overall GPA of 3.4 in required course work. Conditional admission to the 5-year program may be granted after completion of 65 credit hours of required course work, while full admission may be granted after the completion of 96 credit hours of required course work with a minimum GPA of 3.4.
• Admission must be approved by the department and the Graduate School.
• Students must at least be conditionally admitted to the program prior to taking courses that receive credit for both the BS and MS degrees.
• All courses taken for graduate credit must be approved by the director of graduate studies. Students admitted to the program must request permission from the Graduate School to take approved courses for graduate credit. Students admitted to the program must also follow the normal procedure for admission to the Graduate School.
• Students will not be eligible for graduate assistantships until they are enrolled as graduate-level students in the Graduate School.