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Full Description

The Ph.D. degree in Materials Science provides students with extensive scientific training, cutting-edge research opportunities and engineering skills necessary for a variety of careers in academy and industry. Program faculty and students conduct research through Â鶹ÊÓƵ's participating departments and the Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute. Such research includes liquid crystal synthesis and molecular design; properties of liquid crystals and related advanced materials; lyotropic liquid crystals and bio-related materials, opto-electronics; and nanoscience and nanotechnologies. These important research foci are inherently interdisciplinary.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 2.750 GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• Goal statement
• Résumé or curriculum vitae
• Two letters of recommendation
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:¹
  • Minimum 71 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.0 IELTS score
  • Minimum 50 PTE score
  • Minimum 100 DET score

GRE scores (general and subject test in physics or chemistry) are not required, but strongly recommended. Admission will be granted by examination of the student's background on an individual basis. Students from a variety of undergraduate majors—such as physics, chemistry, engineering and materials science—are invited to apply.

¹

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Priority deadline: January 15
    Applications submitted by this deadline will receive the strongest consideration for admission.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Develop an advanced understanding of the fundamental science of liquid crystals and related advanced materials and ability to apply acquired knowledge of physical and chemical properties of soft materials and devices such as liquid crystals, polymers, colloids and active matter.
2. Gain experience in presenting scientific data in research publications, articles, posters and oral presentations.
3. Apply acquired knowledge to the discovery of new advanced materials and development of advanced materials-based devices and applications.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

Each doctoral candidate, upon admission to candidacy, must register for MTSC 80199 for a total of 30 credit hours. It is expected that a doctoral candidate will continuously register for Dissertation I, and thereafter MTSC 80299, each semester, until all requirements for the degree have been met. A prospectus of the dissertation research project is required for all Ph.D. candidates. The prospectus is prepared jointly with the student’s dissertation advisor. The prospectus must be approved by the members of the student’s dissertation committee. A dissertation presenting and interpreting results of original research is required for the Ph.D. degree. Following acceptance of the dissertation by the dissertation committee, the final degree requirement is the satisfactory completion of the final oral exam (defense of dissertation) in front of a committee of graduate materials science faculty and representatives from other departments in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Graduation Requirements

Candidacy Requirement

In addition to satisfying the course work, students must pass the materials science candidacy examination. The examination is divided into two parts, a written exam and an oral exam.

The written exam is scheduled first, followed by the oral exam. The exams will cover the core courses of the materials science program taken during the first year. Students who do not pass the candidacy exam the first time may take it a second time. The first attempt at candidacy usually will take place in August, during the week before the start of the fall semester of the student's second year of study. The second attempt usually will take place in January, during the week before the start of the spring semester of the student’s second year of study. A request for exception will be considered for medical reasons or for other unpredictable circumstances. Requests must be submitted in writing with supporting documentation prior to the test date and must be approved by the candidacy exam committee and by the director of the materials science program.

Students who fail the second attempt cannot continue towards the doctoral degree, but may complete the requirements for the Master of Science degree.

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus