MS Course Requirements

21 credits of courses and 9 credits of thesis research are required for the M.S.  A 3.0 cumulative GPA is required to graduate and the “Required Core” courses must each be passed with a B or better. Coursework both covers the fundamentals of a materials science & engineering graduate degree and should support the foundational knowledge necessary for your research. You should work each semester with your advisor, the ADGP, and the APM to identify the best courses for your unique program of student. The courses listed are the minimum requirements.

Course Selection

All course selection by MSE graduate students should be undertaken after consulting with your advisor, supervisory committee, and graduate program coordinator/academic programs manager. A student's courses should complement the student’s research and career goals. 

Students will generally meet annually with the academic programs manager to discuss academic progress and ensure all course requirements are being met.

Interdisciplinary Program Courses

Students are encouraged to look at courses offered by programs across the university to gain the knowledge that best supports the student research and future goals. Some units that commonly offer courses of interest to MSE graduate students include: MSMSE, Electrical Engineering (ECE), Computer Science (CS), Graduate College (GCOLL), Engineering Sciences (ENGR), Mechanical Engineering (ME), Civil Engineering (CE), Biomedical Engineering (BME), Chemistry (CHEM), Physics (PHYS), and Mathematics (MATH). Many students are often interested in gaining knowledge in business, marketing, policy and other topics, and these options exist!

Independent Study, MSE 596 

Graduate students can complete up to 3 credits of independent study with a supervising on-campus mentor and approval from the research advisor to be applied to an MSE graduate program. 

To be completed for credit, the proposal should include: 

• Summary of course 

• learning objectives and 

• grading method

The independent study must be taken as a graded course to be applied to an MSE degree program. Approvals must be obtained from the program coordinator and the graduate college before a student is enrolled in the course. To apply for this course, complete the form available on the graduate college forms page.

Thesis Research (MSE 593)

Each MSE graduate research advisor has a section of MSE 593 assigned during the fall and spring semesters. Students conducting research should enroll in up to 9 credits of MSE 593. Only students working towards a masters thesis should enroll in MSE 593.

From the catalog:

MSE 593 -  Independent research or creative activity at the master's level resulting in a thesis that must be defended at a final oral examination and archived in the university library. The thesis must be written in clear and effective English and presented in a format that conforms to the standards of the Graduate College. Pass/fail only.

IMPORTANT NOTE: At the end of each semester, the course should be graded as "IP" until a student’s final semester, when he or she will receive a "P". If any other grades are considered, please consult graduate leadership as soon as possible.