Program Requirements for Materials Science and Engineering

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2012-2013 academic year.

Materials Science and Engineering

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Materials Science and Engineering.

Admission

Program Name

Materials Science and Engineering

Materials Science and Engineering is a program in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Address

420 Westwood Plaza
3111 Engineering V
Box 951595
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1595

Phone

(310) 825-8913

Email

mseadmis@seas.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.S., Ph.D.

Admission Limited to

Consult department.

Deadline to apply

December 15th

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General

Letters of Recommendation 

3

Other Requirements

In addition to the University’s minimum requirements and those listed above, all applicants are expected to submit the departmental supplement and a statement of purpose.

M.S.: Applicants to the M.S. program in Materials Science and Engineering are required to hold a bachelor’s degree in materials science, metallurgy, or ceramics. Applicants who have a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, physics, or other engineering disciplines may be admitted if an introductory materials course has been taken or remedial work comparable to an introductory course is performed.

Applicants not having adequate preparation may be admitted provisionally and may be required to undertake certain remedial coursework which cannot be applied toward the degree. On arrival at UCLA, an adviser helps the student plan a program which can remedy any such deficiencies.

Ph.D.: Applicants to the Ph.D. program normally should have completed the requirements for the master’s degree with at least a 3.25 grade-point average and have demonstrated creative ability. Normally the M.S. degree is required for admission to the Ph.D. program. Exceptional students, however, can be admitted to the Ph.D. program without having the M.S. degree.

Master’s Degree

Advising

Each department in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has a graduate adviser. A current list of graduate advisers can be obtained from the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, 6426 Boelter Hall, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Students are assigned a faculty adviser upon admission to the School. Advisers may be changed upon written request from the student. All HSSEAS faculty serve as advisers.

Provisionally admitted students meet with the program adviser upon matriculation to plan a course of study to remove any deficiencies.

New students should arrange an appointment as early as possible with the faculty adviser to plan the proposed program of study toward the M.S. or Ph.D. degree. Continuing students are required to confer with the adviser during the time of enrollment each quarter so that progress can be assessed and the study list approved.

Based on the quarterly transcripts, student records are reviewed at the end of each quarter by the departmental graduate adviser and Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs. Special attention is given if students were admitted provisionally or are on probation. If their progress is unsatisfactory, students are informed of this in writing by the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs.

Students are strongly urged to consult with the departmental student office staff and/or the Office of Academic and Student Affairs regarding procedures, requirements and on the implementation of  policies. In particular, advice should be sought on advancement to candidacy for the M.S. degree, on the procedures for taking Ph.D. written and oral examinations, and on the use of the Filing Fee.

Areas of Study

There are three main areas in the M.S. program: ceramics and ceramic processing; electronic and optical materials; and structural materials. Students may specialize in any one of the three areas, although most students are more interested in a broader education and select a variety of courses. Basically, students select courses which serve their interests best in regard to thesis research and job prospects.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Thesis Plan. Nine courses are required, of which six must be graduate courses. These courses are to be selected from the following lists, although suitable substitutions can be made from other engineering disciplines or from chemistry and physics with the approval of the departmental graduate adviser. Two of the six graduate courses may be Materials Science and Engineering 598 (thesis research). The remaining three courses in the total course requirement may be upper division courses.

Comprehensive Examination Plan. Nine courses, six of which must be graduate courses, selected from the following lists with the same provisions listed under the thesis plan. Three of the nine courses may be upper division courses.

Ceramics and ceramic processing: Materials Science and Engineering 111, 121, 122, 143A, 151, 161, 162, 200, 201, 244, 246A, 246D, 298.

Electronic and optical materials: Materials Science and Engineering 111, 121, 122, 143A, 151, 161, 162, 200, 201, 221, 222, 223, 244, 298.

Structural materials: Materials Science and Engineering 111, 121, 122, 143A, 151, 161, 162, 200, 201, 243A, 243C, 244, 250A, 250B, 298.

As long as a majority of the courses taken are offered by the department, substitutions may be made with the consent of the departmental graduate adviser.

Undergraduate Courses. No lower division courses may be applied toward graduate degrees. In addition, the following upper division courses are not applicable toward graduate degrees: Chemical Engineering M102A, 102B, 199; Civil Engineering 106A, 108, 199; Computer Science M152A, M152B, 199; Electrical Engineering 100, 101, 102, 103, 199; Materials Science and Engineering 110, 120, 130, 131, 131L, 132, 140, 141L, 150, 160, 161L, 199; Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 102, 103, 105A, 105D, 199.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

Consult the graduate adviser for details. If the comprehensive examination is failed, the student may be reexamined once with the consent of the graduate adviser.

Thesis Plan

Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research.

In addition to the course requirements, under this plan students are required to write a thesis on a research topic in material science and engineering supervised by the thesis adviser. An M.S. thesis committee reviews and approves the thesis.

Time-to-Degree

The average length of time for students in the M.S. program is five quarters. The maximum time allowed for completing the M.S. degree is three years from the time of admission to the M.S. program in the School.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Each department in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has a graduate adviser. A current list of graduate advisers can be obtained from the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, 6426 Boelter Hall, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Students are assigned a faculty adviser upon admission to the School. Advisers may be changed upon written request from the student. All HSSEAS faculty serve as advisers.

Provisionally admitted students meet with the program adviser upon matriculation to plan a course of study to remedy any deficiencies.

New students should arrange an appointment as early as possible with the faculty adviser to plan the proposed program of study toward the M.S. or Ph.D. degree. Continuing students are required to confer with the adviser during the time of enrollment each quarter so that progress can be assessed and the study list approved.

Based on the quarterly transcripts, student records are reviewed at the end of each quarter by the departmental graduate adviser and Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs. Special attention is given if students were admitted provisionally or are on probation. If their progress is unsatisfactory, students are informed of this in writing by the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs.

Students are strongly urged to consult with the departmental student office staff and/or the Office of Academic and Student Affairs regarding procedures, requirements and on the implementation of the policies. In particular, advice should be sought on advancement to candidacy for the M.S. degree, on the procedures for taking Ph.D. written and oral examinations, and on the use of the filing fee.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Ceramics and ceramic processing; electronic and optical materials; structural materials.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

There is no formal course requirement for the Ph.D. degree, and one may substitute coursework by examinations. Normally, however, the student takes courses to acquire the knowledge needed for the written and oral preliminary examinations. The basic program of study for the Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering is built around one major field and one minor field. The major field has a scope corresponding to a body of knowledge contained in nine courses, at least six of which are graduate courses, plus the current literature in the area of specialization. The major fields named above are described in a Ph.D. major field syllabus, each of which can be obtained in the department office. The minor field normally embraces a body of knowledge equivalent to three courses, at least two of which are graduate courses. Grades of B- or better, with a grade-point average of at least 3.33 in all courses included in the minor field, are required. If the student fails to satisfy the minor field requirements through coursework, a minor field examination may be taken (once only). The minor field is chosen to support the major field and is usually a subset of the major field.

For information on completing the Engineer degree, see Engineering Schoolwide Programs in Program Requirements for UCLA Graduate Degrees.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass University written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations the University oral qualifying examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to University requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

During the first year of full-time enrollment in the Ph.D. program, the student needs to take the oral preliminary examination, which encompasses the body of knowledge in materials science. After all the coursework is completed in the major and minor fields, the student takes a written preliminary examination in the major field. Students may not take an examination more than twice.

After passing both preliminary examinations, the student is ready to take the University Oral Qualifying Examination. The nature and content of the examination are at the discretion of the doctoral committee but ordinarily include a broad inquiry into the student’s preparation for research. The doctoral committee also reviews the prospectus of the dissertation at the oral qualifying examination.

A doctoral committee consists of a minimum of four members. Three members, including the chair, are inside members and must hold appointments at UCLA in the student’s major department in the School. The outside member must be a UCLA faculty member outside the student’s major department.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Not required for all students in the program. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the doctoral committee.

Time-to-Degree

From admission to graduate status (includes M.S. degree) to award of the Ph.D. degree: 18 quarters (normative time to degree).

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for termination of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A recommendation for termination is reviewed by the school’s Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs.

Master’s

In addition to the standard reasons noted above, a student may be recommended for termination for

(1) Failure to maintain a grade point average of 3.0 in all courses and in those in the 200 series.

(2) Failure to maintain a grade point average of 3.0 in any two consecutive terms.

(3) Failure of the comprehensive examination.

(4) Failure to complete the thesis to the satisfaction of the committee members.

(5) Failure to maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree within the three-year time limit for completing all degree requirements.

Doctoral

In addition to the standard reasons noted above, a student may be recommended for termination for

(1) Failure to maintain a grade point average of 3.25 in all courses and in any two consecutive quarters.

(2) Failure of the major field written examination.

(3) Failure of the oral preliminary examination.

(4) Failure of a written minor field examination after failure to attain a grade point average of 3.33 in the minor field course work.

(5) Failure of the oral qualifying examination.

(6) Failure of the final oral examination (defense of the dissertation).

(7) Failure to obtain permission to repeat an examination from an examining committee.

(8) Failure to maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree within the specified time limits.