Materials Science and Engineering, MSMSE

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Program Description:

The Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering offers graduate programs leading to a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) in materials science and engineering and a Ph.D. in Engineering with a focus in materials and nanotechnology. The graduate programs are broad in scope, emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of the field of materials science and engineering. The program is built around processing, structure, properties, and performance of advanced materials relevant to numerous areas of application, such as biomedical, energy, aerospace, environmental and manufacturing.

Admissions Requirements:

To be considered for admission to the M.S.E. in materials science and engineering program, students must first satisfy basic admission requirements of the School of Graduate Studies. This includes having a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related area with an overall undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.7 (on a 4.0 scale) or an overall undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.5 with an average of 3.0 or better for the last 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) earned toward the undergraduate degree. International students must have a TOEFL score of at least 79(IBT)/ 213(CBT)/ 550(PBT). In addition, the program requires students from non-ABET accredited undergraduate programs.

to submit general GRE test scores. Program admission decisions are based on complete application information including overall academic performance and standardized test scores where applicable.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Outcome 1. Demonstrate engineering competency in graduate level materials science and engineering. 

  Outcome 2. The ability to apply advanced engineering analysis techniques to the solution of complex problems 

  Outcome 3. The ability to articulate the results of complex engineering problems in written or oral form. Direct assessment: class final exams collected, three data points and/or thesis/papers/project reports. Indirect assessment: MS exit survey 

Facilities:

The department hosts a variety of sophisticated materials processing and research equipment. This includes a scanning transmission electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy capabilities, associated specimen preparation equipment, a state-of-the-art micro-Raman spectroscopy instrument, a high-resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy instrument (XPS) and a unique controlled atmosphere high temperature deformation testing facility. The department also has standard laboratory equipment for fabrication and testing of materials such as mechanical testing machines, an x-ray diffractometer, furnaces, micro-hardness testers and optical microscopes.

Research at Wright State University is not limited to the laboratory facilities on campus. Several industrial companies, laboratories, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base are involved in joint research efforts, making available their unique facilities for faculty and graduate research.

Graduate students have access to a wide range of modern facilities including classrooms, laboratories, and computer systems interconnected by local and wide area communication networks. Computational facilities include numerous PC clusters, workstations, X-windowing terminals, and personal computers.

For additional information:

• Materials Science and Engineering, MSMSE
• Mechanical and Materials Engineering
• College of Engineering and Computer Science

Program Requirements:

Students should plan a program of study in consultation with a faculty or department advisor. The program of study should be finalized by the time the student completes nine (9) semester credit hours of graduate study.

The following requirements must be met for the Master of Science in Engineering degree:

1. Completion of 30 graduate credit hours in courses that have prior approval by an engineering graduate advisor.
2. At least 24 of the 30 graduate credit hours must be in engineering or computer engineering courses, and at least 18 of these must be engineering courses.
3. At least 18 of above 24 credit hours must be courses numbered above 7000.
4. The program of study must include MTH 6050.
5. Students must choose either a thesis option or advanced course work option. Students choosing the thesis option are required to take 9 credits of ME 7950 - Thesis. Students employed as teaching or research assistants through the School of Graduate Studies at any time during their degree candidacy must choose the thesis option.
6. Students who elect the non-thesis option must take graduate courses at the 6000/7000 level from an approved list to replace thesis credits. Students have the option of taking up to 3 credits of independent study ME 7990.

Course Requirements

I. CORE COURSES: 9 HOURS

Must choose three (3) courses from the list below.

• ME 7500 - Advanced Thermodynamics Credit Hour(s): 3
• ME 7720 - Engineering Polymers II Credit Hour(s): 3
• ME 7750 - Advanced Engineering Materials Credit Hour(s): 3
• ME 7760 - Transformation of Solids-I Credit Hour(s): 3
• ME 7780 - Ceramics for Advanced Application Credit Hour(s): 3
• ME 7730 - Advanced Physical Properties Credit Hour(s): 3
• ME 7100 - Advanced Mechanics of Solids Credit Hour(s): 3
• ME 7550 - Photovoltaics Credit Hour(s): 3

II. MATH COURSE: 3 HOURS

• MTH 6050 - Advanced Engineering Mathematics Credit Hour(s): 3

III. ELECTIVE COURSES: 9 HOURS

Graduate level elective courses from an approved list

IV. THESIS OR NON THESIS OPTION: 9 HOURS

THESIS OPTION

Must take a minimum of 9 hours of thesis (ME 7950) or 3 hours of Independent Study (ME 7990) and 6 hours of thesis (ME 7950) (in that order). Note that the independent study hours and subsequent thesis hours must be the same project with the same faculty advisor.

• ME 7950 - Thesis Credit Hour(s): 1 to 12

NON-THESIS OPTION

• For the non-thesis option, students are required to take a maximum 4 courses at 6xxx, and at least five courses at 7xxx from the approved courses. 

NOTE(S):

Students who elect to do the non-thesis option must take graduate courses at the 6000/7000 level from an approved list to replace thesis credits. Students have the option of taking up to three (3) credits of independent study ME 7990.

Total: 30 Hours

Research/Areas of Expertise:

Research in materials science and engineering is focused around processing, structure, properties and performance of metals, ceramics, polymers and composites. Current programs include studies of advanced ceramics, metallic and composite systems, carbon nanostructures and advanced nano- and meso- systems. Computational modeling of materials characteristics is also an area of research focus, with emphasis on novel application of nano-materials such as sensors, hydrogen storage, electronic and thermal transport.