Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering University of California, Riverside, USA

The Program of Materials Science and Engineering offers the M.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering. Students may obtain an M.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering through one of two plans:

Plan 1 (Thesis)

Students must complete 36 units of graduate or upper-division undergraduate course work, of which 24 must be graduate level units. Student must complete at least one course from 3 of the 5 areas of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE 201-209, 210-219, 220-229, 230-239, 240-249) as well as at least one unit of MSE 200 and at least five units of MSE 250. Students must enroll in MSE 200 the first time it is offered during their residency. At least two units of MSE 250-259 must be taken for a letter grade. Students can take a maximum of 12 units in Graduate Research and a maximum 6 units in Directed Studies. The course of study needs to be approved each quarter by the research advisor (when determined) and the MSE graduate advisor. The degree will be awarded when all these requirements are met and the thesis has been submitted successfully.

Plan 2 (comprehensive examination)

All students must complete 36 units of graduate or upper division undergraduate courses, of which 18 units must be graduate level. Student must complete at least one course from each of the 5 areas of materials Science and Engineering (MSE 201-209, 210-219, 220-229, 230-239, 240-249) as well as at least one unit of MSE 200 and at least four units of MSE 250. At least one unit of MSE 250-259 must be taken for a letter grade. None may be in graduate research (297 or 299). A maximum of 6 units may be in Directed Studies. Students must enroll in MSE 200 the first time it is offered during their residency. The course of study needs to be approved each quarter by the MSE graduate advisor.

Students will take a written comprehensive examination conducted jointly with the Ph.D. preliminary examination. The examination emphasizes the fundamental knowledge of the study area rather than the specifics covered in individual courses.

*Students concurrently enrolled in a Ph.D. program in another department must have their course of study approved by the MSE Enrolled Graduate Advisor. Coursework used to complete requirements in a non-MSE Ph.D. program cannot be used toward the Master’s degree in MSE. An Oral Comprehensive Examination that measures the student’s breadth of knowledge in materials Science and Engineering will be given after the appropriate course of study has been completed.

Normative Time to Degree – Six quarters (two years)