The Ph.D. degree program in MSE aims to produce tangible-intellectual achievements from independent research at a frontier in the engineering-science of materials. This degree requires that the student achieve satisfactorily 47 course credits, beyond the BS level and beginning with a required 7-course, 21 credit core that includes:
- Thermodynamics of Materials
- Materials Structures and Defects
- Materials Characterization
- Kinetics of Solid-state Reactions
- Deformation and Fracture of Materials During Processing and Service
- Chemical and Electrochemical Properties of Solid Materials
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Properties of Materials
The Ph.D. program includes 2 credits of MSE seminar and eight 3-credit electives beyond the core. These electives are at the 5xx, 6xx and 7xx levels, approved by the graduate student’s advisor and Ph.D.-Advisory Committee as well as the MSE Curriculum Committee, and selected from all SEAS-course offerings or other UVa Science/Mathematics courses. One of these 8 elective courses must be math intensive, consistent with a list established by the MSE faculty. At least 15 credits of electives must be at the 7xx or 8xx level. No more than 6 elective credits may be earned in faculty-supervised independent study or advanced-topics courses. Independent study credits will not count as the 15 credits of electives at the 7xx or 8xx level. A maximum of 24 credits may be applied from an M.S. program in another department, school or university, as approved by the MSE Curriculum Committee, and to achieve any part of the core requirement. The Ph.D. candidate’s advisory committee will tailor the program of courses to reflect the importance of both depth and breadth in MSE. Breadth may be cross disciplinary.
The Ph.D. candidate must pass written and oral examinations that include both general and comprehensive elements. These examinations are taken concurrently and within 8-12 months after achieving the M.S. degree. The Ph.D. candidate must write and defend publicly a proposed research plan that is the foundation for his/her dissertation. This proposal must be completed 12 months or more before the defense of the Ph.D. dissertation. The Ph.D. degree requires at least 24 credits of research, under the supervision of a faculty advisor, culminating in a written dissertation that is presented and defended in a public forum. The exceptional graduate student may petition the MSE faculty to bypass the M.S. degree and to follow this Ph.D. program of study. This petition may only be submitted after the core courses for the Ph.D. degree are completed.
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