Programs
Materials Science Program
The interdepartmental graduate program in materials science offers MS and PhD degrees in materials science. There are two core areas of required courses, with flexibility to allow students to choose from the course list in the Graduate Bulletin under materials science. These courses are generally also cross-listed with one of 12 participating science and engineering departments.
Information about faculty and research can be found on the Materials Science Program website.
AdmissionsLink to section
Applying to Master's ProgramsLink to section
Applications for fall admission into the MS program are on a rolling admissions until April 15 for international applicants and until June 1 for domestic applicants.
Please use the online application to submit each of the required documents below. All material submitted will be uploaded to your application record.
Application documents:
- Personal statement
- Transcripts of college and university grades—unofficial documents are acceptable
- Resume/CV
- Three letters of recommendation
- TOEFL or IELTS scores for non-native English speakers
Applying to Doctoral ProgramsLink to section
Please use the online application to submit each of the required documents below. All material submitted will be uploaded to your application record.
Required application documents:
- Personal statement
- Transcripts of college and university grades—unofficial documents are acceptable
- Resume/CV
- Three letters of recommendation
- TOEFL or IELTS scores for non-native English speakers
The majority of financial aid is awarded to students beginning their graduate program in the fall, so spring admission is not offered.
AcademicsLink to section
Master's Degrees and RequirementsLink to section
The master’s degree in materials science at the University of Rochester requires a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate courses. To obtain their MS, students in this program can choose from two plans: Plan A, with thesis, or Plan B, without thesis. Plan B is the default option for entering students.
If a student wishes to pursue a Plan A path instead, it is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with a faculty thesis advisor to supervise their work and to inform the materials science graduate coordinator.
Plan A: Thesis
For students pursuing the MS degree with thesis, the following requirements apply:
- A minimum of 20 credit hours of materials science graduate courses
- Ten credit hours of research
- Successful completion of an oral defense of the thesis
- The oral defense will take place after all other degree requirements have been completed.
Plan B: Without a Thesis
For students electing to obtain the MS degree without a thesis, the following requirements apply:
- A minimum of 24 credit hours of materials science graduate courses
- Six credit hours of other related courses
- A comprehensive oral examination
Doctoral Degrees and RequirementsLink to section
Entering with a BS Degree
A typical program for a materials science (MSC) PhD student entering with a BS degree consists of:
- A minimum of 24 credit hours of MSC graduate courses, excluding reading courses
- Eight credit hours of other related courses
- 58 credit hours of research
Entering with an MS Degree
A typical program for a MSC PhD student entering with an MS degree consists of:
- A minimum of 24 credit hours of MSC graduate courses
- 36 credit hours of research
- Successful completion of an oral defense of the thesis
Exams and Dissertation
A preliminary examination in materials science is normally taken by all PhD students at the end of the spring semester, following two semesters of coursework.
The student is given three research papers in materials science to study and is asked to prepare a written report on the topic of this research. The examination consists of an oral presentation on the same topic before a faculty committee.
Students are required to pass this exam (along with course grades and research aptitude) to continue in the PhD program. Students also are expected to conduct research during the summer.
Students who pass the preliminary exam and faculty evaluation must take an oral PhD qualifying exam in their third year of graduate study. This exam is on a research topic that should lead to the dissertation. It also requires a written report and a presentation to a faculty research advisory committee. Passing this exam officially admits students to PhD degree candidacy.
The remaining time (typically one year or more, but at least six months) is spent completing the dissertation research and the written PhD thesis. Students defend the thesis in the final oral examination.
Graduate Course TitlesLink to section
- MSC 409: Mechanical Properties of Solids
- MSC 416: X-Ray Crystallography
- MSC 418: Statistical Mechanics
- MSC 423: Semiconductor Devices
- MSC 424: Robust Design/Quality
- MSC 432: Opto-Mechanical
- MSC 433: Nanoscale Energy Transport and Conversion
- MSC 437: Nanophotonic/Nanomechanical Devices
- MSC 442: Microbiomechanics
- MSC 444: Continuum Mechanics
- MSC 446: Liquid Crystal Materials
- MSC 450: Introduction to Quantum Theory of Materials
- MSC 451: Biomedical Ultrasound
- MSC 454: Interfacial Engineering
- MSC 456: Chemical Bonds: From Molecules to Materials
- MSC 458: Electrochemistry and Engineering and Fuel Cell
- MSC 461: Advanced Chemical Kinetics
- MSC 462: Cell and Tissue Engineering
- MSC 463: NMR Spectroscopy
- MSC 465: Principles of Lasers
- MSC 470: Optical Properties of Materials
- MSC 476: Polymer Chemistry
- MSC 478: Machine Learning Molecule and Materials
- MSC 480: Introduction to Materials Science
- MSC 483: Biosolid Mechanics
- MSC 486: Visco in Bio Tissues
- MSC 495: Master Research
- MSC 496: MSC Graduate Seminar
- MSC 507: Sem Practicum
- MSC 595: Research in Materials Science
- MSC 895: Continuation of Master’s Enrollment
- MSC 897: Master’s Dissertation
- MSC 899: Master’s Dissertation
- MSC 995: Continuation of Doctoral Enrollment
- MSC 997: Doctoral Dissertation
- MSC 999: Doctoral Dissertation