MSE Graduate Degrees

Program Information

The field of Materials Science and Engineering is expanding into a period of unprecedented intellectual challenges and opportunities. Nanostructured materials, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and devices, carbon nanotubes (CNT), diamond coatings prepared at low pressure and low-temperature, Li-ion battery materials, and high-temperature superconductivity are just a few examples of advances in this field. Materials Science and Engineering is crucial to the survival of US industry and the strength of our economy and security. Processing of these materials is also equally challenging. It is now possible to engineer surface properties different from the bulk properties for various applications, and to tailor materials from atomic scale upwards to achieve the desired functional properties of devices. With the world becoming ever more flat, the U.S. has to invest in areas where opportunities still exist for industrial growth. Most advanced economies have strong Materials Science and Engineering programs in their universities, institutes of advanced technology and national laboratories. The graduate program will train our next generations to design materials for specialized uses, making materials reliable and useful to mankind. This fits OSU's mission of promoting human and economic development through the expansion of knowledge and its application.

To meet this need, a School of Materials Science and Engineering was created. The School of Materials Science and Engineering was also created to offer graduate degree programs at OSU-Tulsa's Helmerich Research Center and for offering courses in materials for energy technologies, biomedical engineering, advanced composites and nanostructured materials, materials for microelectronics and MEMS. New graduate students are recruited to this program from various universities both in the U.S. and abroad on a competitive basis. Resources have been provided to support the School of Materials Science and Engineering and the associated graduate degrees.

Rationale

At the Helmerich Research Center, four research focus areas have been identified by industry leaders in and around Tulsa, with Materials Science and Engineering as the overall umbrella. These focus areas include: Materials for Energy Technologies, Bio-Materials for Medical Technologies, Advanced Materials for Aerospace and Materials for Electronics and Control Technologies. Tulsa-based industry leaders also identified "materials" as the "core" discipline at the HRC.

• M.S. Degree Curriculum

  M.S. Degree Options

  	Thesis	Creative Component
  Total number of hours required for degree:	30	35
  Number of hours in degree program core:	15	21
  Number of hours in elective:	9	12
  Thesis or project credit	6	2

  M.S. Degree Requirements:

  The M.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering will have Thesis and Creative Component (non-thesis) options. The thesis option will required a total of 30 credit hours, which includes 24 hours of formal coursework (regularly scheduled classes, not independent study) and 6 hours of thesis. The non-thesis option or Creative Component will require a total of 35 credit hours, which includes 33 hours of formal coursework (regularly scheduled classes, and not independent study) and 2 hours of creative component/project. The main difference between the two options is that in the Thesis Option, the student conducts independent research while in the Creative Component Option, the student conducts critical review of the literature on an advanced topic of interest to the Materials Science and Engineering program. Both options require a professional report/thesis and an oral presentation. The student will take 15 hours of core courses (required) with the remainder of the hours being Materials Science and Engineering elective courses or their equivalent (to be approved by Materials Science and Engineering graduate coordinator and the student's advisor or has been considered as an equivalent Materials Science and Engineering course). The student must complete no less than 21 hours of Materials Science and Engineering 5000- and 6000-level courses through Oklahoma State University. The table below shows a summary of the degree requirements. View a PDF of the Master of Science degree program requirements flowchart.

  Master of Science M.S. (Thesis)	Master of Science M.S. (Non-Thesis)
  30 total credits Courses (15 credits of core MSE courses and 9 credits of electives) Thesis committee 6 credits research/thesis under MSE advisor Oral thesis presentation and examination Thesis approval Approval for graduation	35 total credits Courses (21 credits of core MSE courses and 12 credits of electives) Committee 2 credits research project under MSE advisor Oral project presentation and examination Project approval Approval for Graduation

• Ph.D Degree Curriculum

  Ph.D Degree Options

  	Credit Hours
  Total number of hours required for degree:	60 (after M.S.)
  Number of hours in degree program core:	21
  Number of hours in elective:	9
  Dissertation Research	30 (maximum)

  Ph.D. Degree Requirements 

  Successful completion of the Ph.D. degree requires at least 60 hours of graduate work beyond M.S. degree, of which not more than 30 hours can be devoted to research. At least 24 hours of MS&E coursework at the 5000- and 6000- level must be taken beyond the M.S. degree. The student will take 21 hours of core courses (required) with the remaining 9 hours being MS&E elective courses or their equivalent (to be approved by the MS&E graduate advisor or has been considered as equivalent MS&E course). Students with a B.S. degree are expected to complete 90 credit hours of acceptable Graduate work, with 45 hours of coursework and the remaining 45 hours of dissertation research. There will be a qualifying exam (a written prospectus along with an oral presentation) and a final dissertation defense (preparation of dissertation and oral presentation). Only two attempts will be allowed for passing the qualifying examination. The table below shows a summary of the specific degree requirements. (View a pdf of the Ph.D. degree program requirements flow chart).

  • 60 total credits (beyond M.S.).
  • Courses (24 credits of courses beyond M.S. degree and remaining 6 course credits of electives. This must include 21 credits of required MSE core courses).
  • Ph.D. qualifying examination (maximum 2 attempts).
  • Candidacy of Ph.D. (after passing qualification examination).
  • Dissertation committee.
  • 30-credits maximum for research/doctoral dissertation. Under MSE advisor progress review.
  • Oral dissertation (defense) presentation and examination.
  • Doctoral dissertation approved.
  • Approved for graduation.

  

  The Materials Science and Engineering discipline is central to graduate education and research on materials for Energy, Nanotechnology, Aerospace, and Medicine