Materials Science and Engineering
About the Program
Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering (MSMSE): 45.0 quarter credits
Doctor of Philosophy: 90.0 quarter credits
The graduate program in Materials Science and Engineering aims to provide an education which encompasses both the breadth and depth of the most recent knowledge base in the Materials Science and Engineering fields in a format suitable for individuals seeking careers in education and/or industry.
In addition, the program provides students with research training through their course of thesis research at the MS and PhD levels.
The graduate student body reflects a broad spectrum of undergraduate backgrounds. Students with undergraduate degrees in engineering fields other than materials science are encouraged to take selected undergraduate courses in materials. Because of the expansion into interdisciplinary areas, qualified physical and biological science graduates may also join the program. Non-engineering graduates, however, must take an appropriate number of undergraduate engineering courses to supplement their background.
Graduate work in materials science and engineering is offered both on a regular full-time basis and on a part-time basis. The General (Aptitude) Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for applicants pursuing full-time study.
A graduate seminar is required of all graduate students in the department. The seminar, which should be completed during the first year of a student’s studies, consists of an oral presentation based on a completed literature review of topics closely related to the student’s potential research area.
Career Opportunities
Graduates go on to careers in engineering firms, consulting firms, law firms, private industry, business, research laboratories, academia, and national laboratories. Materials scientists and materials engineers find employment in such organizations as Hewlett-Packard, Intel, IBM, 3M, DuPont, Lockheed-Martin, Johnson and Johnson, Merck, AstraZeneca Arkema, Army Research Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Air Products, Micron, Xerox, Motorola, Monsanto, Corning, and Eastman Kodak.
For more information about Materials Science and Engineering, visit the Department of Materials Science and Engineering web page.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet the graduate requirements for admission to Drexel University. The graduate student body reflects a broad spectrum of undergraduate backgrounds. Because of the expansion into interdisciplinary areas, qualified non-MSE engineering, physical and biological science graduates may also join the program.
For additional information on how to apply to this program, visit the Drexel University Requirements for Admissions page.
Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering
The 45.0 quarter credits that are required for the MS degree include two required core courses on Materials at Equilibrium and Solid State Materials. Students choose four additional core course.
Thesis Options
All full-time students are required to undertake a 9.0 credit thesis on a topic of materials research supervised by a faculty member. MS students can select the Non-thesis Option if carrying out research is not possible, in which case, the thesis may be replaced by either (a) a 6.0 credit Thesis Proposal and 3.0 credit coursework, or (b) 9.0 credit coursework.
All students are required, during their first year, to propose an advisor supported research thesis topic or literature survey for approval by the department. Students are urged to make a choice of topic as early as possible and to choose appropriate graduate courses in consultation with their advisor.
The program is organized so that part-time students may complete the degree requirements in two to four years. Full-time students may complete the program in two years.
MS to PhD Program
There is no general exam required for MS students. If an MS student wants to continue for a PhD then: (a) the student must be admitted to the PhD program (there is no guarantee that an MS student will be admitted to the PhD program), and (b) the student must take the Candidacy Exam during the first term after being to the PhD program.
| Materials Science and Engineering (MSMSE) Core Courses * | ||
| Required core courses: | ||
| MATE 510 | Thermodynamics of Solids | 3.0 |
| MATE 512 | Introduction to Solid State Materials | 3.0 |
| Select four additional core courses from the following: | 12.0 | |
| Structure and Properties of Polymers | ||
| Kinetics | ||
| Experimental Technique in Materials | ||
| Numerical Engineering Methods | ||
| Mechanical Behavior of Solids | ||
| Biomedical Materials I | ||
Any additional related courses if approved by the Graduate Advisor/Thesis Advisor | ||
| Technical Elective Courses ** | 18.0 | |
| Thesis and Alternatives | 9.0 | |
9 credits MS thesis OR 6 credits of thesis proposal (literature review) + 3 credit course OR 9 credits of electives | ||
| Total Credits | 45.0 | |
| * | PhD candidates must achieve a minimum B- grade in each of the core courses. Waiver of any of the 6 core courses must be approved by the MSE Department Graduate Advisor and the student's Thesis Advisor in Advance. |
| ** | Of the 18 technical elective credits, at least 9 credits must be taken as Materials Science and Engineering (MATE) courses, while the rest may be taken within the College of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, or at other colleges if consistent with the student's plan of study (and given advance written approval by his/her advisor). At least 9 of these 18 technical electives must be exclusive of independent study courses or research credits. |
PhD in Materials Science and Engineering
Requirements
The graduate school requires at least 90.0 credits for the PhD degree in Materials Science and Engineering. An MS degree is not a prerequisite for the Ph.D. degree, but does count as 45 credits toward the 90-credit requirement. No additional courses are required for students entering the department with an approved MS degree. Students entering the department at the BS level must satisfy the course requirements for the MS degree.
Students choose a doctoral thesis topic after consultation with the faculty. Students are urged to consider and select topics early in their program of study. An oral thesis presentation and defense are scheduled at the completion of the thesis work.
>Doctoral program students must pass a candidacy examination within the first eighteen months. The candidacy exam consists of a seminar presentation by the student, followed by an oral examination covering the materials core course as well as the subject matter presented in the seminar. Six months later, doctoral candidates present a thesis proposal outlining their research study. Approximately six months before the full defense of their Ph.D. thesis, doctoral candidates should prepare and present a pre-defense seminar.
For more information, visit the Department of Materials Science and Engineering web page.
Facilities
Biomaterials and Biosurfaces Laboratory
This laboratory contains 10 kN biaxial and 5 kN uniaxial servo-hydraulic mechanical testing machines, a Fluoroscan X-ray system, a microscopic imaging system, a spectra fluorometer, a table autoclave, centrifuge, vacuum oven, CO2 incubators, biological safety cabinet, thermostatic water baths, precision balance and ultrasonic sterilizer.
Biomimetics Design Laboratory
This laboratory contains a 45/450N high frequency (up to 200 Hz) uniaxial electromagnetically-driven dynamic mechanical tester; diamond wire saw; stereo optical microscope with digital image capture; lyophilizer; high temperature elevator furnace; precision 6-digit balance; shear mixer; liquid nitrogen freeze-casting system.
Ceramics Processing Laboratory
This laboratory contains a photo-resist spinner, impedance analyzer, Zeta potential meter, spectrofluorometer, piezoelectric d33 meter, wire-bonder, and laser displacement meter.
Dynamic Characterization Laboratory
This laboratory contains metallographic sample preparation (sectioning, mounting and polishing) facilities; inverted metallograph; microhardness tester; automated electropolishing for bulk and TEM sample preparation; SEM tensile stage for EBSD; magneto-opticalKerr effect magnetometer.
MAX Phase Ceramics Processing Laboratory
This laboratory contains a vacuum hot-press; cold isostatic press (CIP) and hot isostatic press (HIP) for materials consolidation and synthesis; precision dilatometer; laser scattering particle size analyzer; impedance analyzer, creep testers, and assorted high temperature furnaces.
Mechanical Testing Laboratory
This laboratory contains mechanical and closed-loop servo-hydraulic testing machines, hardness testers, impact testers, equipment for fatigue testing, metallographic preparation facilities and a rolling mill with twin 6" diameter rolls.
Mesostructured Materials Laboratory
This laboratory contains facilities for nanostructure sample growth/synthesis, processing and measurement, including chemical vapor and atomic layer deposition; microwave plasma cleaning, fume hoods and a glove box; low-temperature and high-vacuum electronic and optoelectronic transport and electronics instrumentation; a scanning electron microscope equipped with electron beam lithography; and a scanning probe microscope.
Nanomaterials Laboratory
This laboratory contains instrumentation for testing and manipulation of materials under microscope, high-temperature autoclaves, Sievert’s apparatus; glove-box; high-temperature vacuum and other furnaces for the synthesis of nano-carbon coatings and nanotubes; electro-spinning system for producing nano-fibers.
Oxide Films and Interfaces Laboratory
This laboratory contains an oxide molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) thin film deposition system; tube furnace.
Powder Processing Laboratory
This laboratory contains vee blenders, ball-mills, sieve shaker + sieves for powder classification, several furnaces (including one with controlled atmosphere capability); and a 60-ton Baldwin press for powder compaction.
Soft Matter Research and Polymer Processing Laboratories
These laboratories contain computerized thermal analysis facilities including differential scanning calorimeters (DSC), dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) and thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA); single-fiber tensile tester; strip biaxial tensile tester; vacuum evaporator; spincoater; centrifuge; optical microscope with hot stage; liquid crystal tester; microbalance; ultrasonic cleaner; laser holographic fabrication system; polymer injection molder and single screw extruder.
Natural Polymers and Photonics Laboratory
This laboratory contains a spectroscopic ellipsometer for film characterization; high purity liquid chromatography (HPLC) system; lyophilizer; centrifuge; refractometer; electro-spinning system for producing nano-fibers.
X-ray Tomography Laboratory
This laboratory contains a high resolution X-ray tomography instrument and a cluster of computers for 3D microstructure reconstruction; mechanical stage, a positioning stage and a cryostage for in-situ testing. For more information on departmental facilities, please visit the Department’s Facilities page at http://www.materials.drexel.edu/Research/
Centralized Research Facilities
The College of Engineering’s centralized characterization facilities contain state-of-the-art materials characterization instruments, including environmental and variable pressure field-emission scanning electron microscopes with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) for elemental analysis, and Orientation Image Microscopy (OIM) for texture analysis; a new Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) with STEM capability and TEM sample preparation equipment; a new dual beam FIB system for nanocharacterization and nanofabrication; a new femtosecond/terahertz laser Raman spectrometer system; visible and ultraviolet Raman micro spectrometers with a total of 7 excitation wavelengths for non-destructive chemical and structural analysis and Surface Enhanced Raman (SERS); a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer with a microscope and full array of accessories; a Nanoindenter; an X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer (XPS)/Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) system; an X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD).
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering’s high resolution X-ray microtomography (Micro CT) system is also located within this facility.
More details of these instruments, information how to access them and instrument usage rates can be found at http://crf.coe.drexel.edu/
Courses
MATE 500 Structure and Properties of Metals 3.0 Credits
Covers crystallography, crystal defects, dislocation mechanisms, phase transformations, recovery and recrystallization, diffusional processes, and strengthening mechanisms.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 501 Structure and Properties of Polymers 3.0 Credits
Covers step and free radical polymers, copolymerization, molecular weight characteristics, polymer morphology, thermodynamics, viscoelasticity, yielding and crazing, and Boltzmann and T-T superpositions.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 502 Structure and Properties of Ceramic and Electronic Materials 3.0 Credits
Covers bonding; crystal structure; defects; diffusion; electrical conductivity; and mechanical, electrical, dielectric, magnetic, and thermal properties.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 505 Phase Equilibria 3.0 Credits
Covers thermodynamic concepts of phase equilibria, including unary, binary, and ternary systems; pressure effects; and relationships between phase diagrams and structure.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 506 Diffusion 3.0 Credits
Covers atomic migration in solids, self-diffusion, concentration gradients, mathematical analysis of diffusion, and applications of numerical methods.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 507 Kinetics 3.0 Credits
Covers nucleation phenomena in homogeneous and heterogeneous metallic and ceramic systems, strain energy analysis, composition fluctuation analysis, growth and solution kinetics of second phases, coarsening processes, martensitic transformations, and crystallization of glass.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 510 Thermodynamics of Solids 3.0 Credits
Covers classical thermodynamics, introduction to statistical mechanics, solution theory, thermodynamics of interfaces and crystal defects, and phase diagrams and reaction equilibrium.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 512 Introduction to Solid State Materials 3.0 Credits
This course is a graduate level introduction to solid-state materials. The effects of crystal structure and bonding on properties will be discussed. Quantum theory of solids will be used to elucidate the electronic transport, magnetic, dielectric and optical properties of solid state materials.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 515 Experimental Technique in Materials 3.0 Credits
Covers electron microscopy techniques, scanning transmission and Auger analysis, x-ray diffraction, x-ray wavelength dispersive and energy dispersive analysis, thermal analysis, statistics and error analysis, and design of experiments.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 525 Introduction to Composite Materials 3.0 Credits
Covers classification and definition of composite materials; properties of fibers, matrices, and their interfaces; structural geometry of reinforcing materials; formation and testing of composites; and properties and analysis of composite materials.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 530 Solidification Processing I 3.0 Credits
Covers principles of solidification processing, heat flow during solidification, thermodynamics and kinetics of nucleation and growth, solute redistribution, interfacial stability and morphology, transport phenomena: continuum treatments and structural effects, and rapid solidification.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 531 Solidification Processing II 3.0 Credits
The technology of solidification processing is covered in this course; clean metal processing; crystal growth; squeeze casting; thixo-and compo-casting; diffusion solidification and rheocasting; continuous casting processes, VM, VAR, ESR, and VADER processing; structural control via MDH; rapid solidification processes (RSP); microgravity casting.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 535 Numerical Engineering Methods 3.0 Credits
Covers numerical solution of non-linear equations, linear systems, and integration of ordinary differential equations. Introduces finite differences and finite elements. Provides a user's perspective of finite elements, element selection, convergence, and error estimation. Applications to heat transfer, diffusion, stress analysis, and coupled problems. Maple and ABAQUS (a commercial non-linear finite element program) are used in this course. A term project using ABAQUS is required. Emphasis is placed on materials engineering examples.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 536 Materials Seminar Series 1.0 Credit
MSE hosts visitors from materials and materials-related academic departments, national laboratories and industry to visit and interact with students and to present a seminar. Students will interact with visitors. Lectures on other selected topics: safety and health, ethics in science & engineering research, and writing and presentation skills.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated 12 times for 12 credits
MATE 540 Polymer Morphology 3.0 Credits
Covers crystallography, crystallization, single crystals, bulk crystallization, orientation, amorphous polymers, and experimental techniques.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 541 Introduction to Transmission Electron Microscopy and Related Techniques 3.0 Credits
This course covers fundamentals of electron optics, electron-specimen interaction, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Elastic (high resolution and in situ TEM) and inelastic scattering techniques (energy dispersive spectroscopy, electron energy loss speciroscopy) are reviewed. An introduction to scanning electron microscopy ( SEM), focused ion beam (FIB), and sample preparation is provided.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 542 Nuclear Fuel Cycle & Materials 3.0 Credits
This course encompasses the nuclear fuel cycle, including extraction, enrichment, transmutation in a nuclear reactor, reprocessing, waste processing, repository performance, materials for nuclear reactors, mechanical and thermal performance will be discussed.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 543 Thermal Spray Technology 3.0 Credits
Thermal spray technology and coatings provides "solutions" to a large number of surface engineering problems - wear, corrosion, thermal degradation. This course will [i] be of interest and use to students majoring in materials, mechanical, chemical, electrical & environmental engineering; [ii] provide a thorough grounding and understanding of thermal spray processes, their principles and applications; [iii] integrate this knowledge with practical engineering applications and current industrial surfacing practice.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 544 Nanostructured Polymeric Materials 3.0 Credits
This course is designed to address the role of polymer science in Nanotechnology. Topics that will be covered include block copolymer templated self assembly, polymer thin and thick films, LBL, self assembly, soft lithography and polymer nanocomposites.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: MATE 501 [Min Grade: C]
MATE 545 Fracture of Polymeric Materials 3.0 Credits
Theoretical strength; defects; brittle fracture;fracture surfaces; fracture mechanics; creep failure; fatigue failure; environmental stress cracking; composite failure; crazing; impact and high-speed failure.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 560 Powder Metallurgy I 3.0 Credits
Covers commercial and near-commercial methods of powder making, material and process variables, atomization mechanisms, powder properties and characterization, powder compaction, and properties in the green state.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 561 Powder Metallurgy II 3.0 Credits
Covers powder consolidation: pressing and sintering; preform forging, rolling, extrusion, and hot isostatic pressing; innovative powder processing techniques, including spray forming; and structure-property relationships in press and sinter and fully dense materials.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 563 Ceramics 3.0 Credits
This course deals with the structure and bonding of ceramics. The fundamental role of point defects on electric and diffusional properties is discussed. Sintering, both solid and liquid phase, is explored. What affects strength, creep, subcritical crack growth and fatigue of ceramics is elucidated. Glasses and their properties are examined.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 565 Crystal Mechanics I 3.0 Credits
Covers crystal plasticity, texture development, continuum aspects of dislocations, interaction and intersection of dislocations, dislocation multiplication, dislocations in crystalline solids, and dislocation boundaries and configurations.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 566 Crystal Mechanics II 3.0 Credits
Covers Peierls-Nabarro stress, thermally activated flow, work hardening, creep, superplasticity, ductile and brittle fracture, and fatigue.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 570 Materials Processing I 3.0 Credits
Covers metal deformation processes: slab and deformation work analyses; slip line theory; and upper bound analysis applied to upsetting, drawing, extrusion, rolling, and deep drawing.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated multiple times for credit
MATE 571 Materials Processing II 3.0 Credits
Manufacture of objects from powder--atomization, compaction, sintering, and liquid phase consolidation techniques; deformation processing of powder preforms; manufacture of shapes by high-strength cold deformation-preferred orientation, substructure, strengthening mechanisms.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated multiple times for credit
MATE 572 Materials for High Temperature and Energy 3.0 Credits
This graduate level introduction to high temperature materials and materials used for energy applications, deals with metals and ceramics that are used in systems that produce or store energy, such as power generation facilities, solid oxide fuel cells, batteries, photovollaics, thermoelectric generators and supercapacitors.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 580 Special Topics in Materials Engineering 0.5-9.0 Credits
Covers selected advanced-level topics. May be repeated for credit if topics vary.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated multiple times for credit
MATE 585 Nanostructured Carbon Materials 3.0 Credits
Covers advanced carbon materials ranging from diamond to fullerenes and nanotubes. Structure, properties and applications will be discussed.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 602 Soft Materials 3.0 Credits
This course is designed to introduce the field of Soft Materials to senior undergraduate and graduate students. Topics that will be covered include Polymers, Gels, Colloids, Amphiphiles and Liquid Crystals.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 605 Computer Simulation of Materials and Processes I 4.0 Credits
Simulation of equilibrium and transport properties of materials by Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics methods.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 610 Mechanical Behavior of Solids 3.0 Credits
Covers stress and strain, three-dimensional nomenclature, hydrostatic and deviatoric stresses, isotropic and anisotropic elasticity and plasticity, viscoelasticity, crack growth, and fracture.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 651 Advanced Polymer Processing 3.0 Credits
Covers continuum mechanics; heat transfer; application to extrusion, calendering, coating, injection molding, film blowing, rotational molding, and fiber spinning; powder processing; design; and equipment selection.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 661 Biomedical Materials I 3.0 Credits
This course covers biocompatibility; implantable devices; survey of materials properties; corrosion;; cardiovascular applications; orthopedic applications; kidney dialysis; artificial heart and lung devices.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 662 Biomedical Materials II 3.0 Credits
This course covers phase equilibria; strengthening of materials; dental cast alloys; denture base materials; adhesives and sealants; porcelain and glasses; dental materials laboratory.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
MATE 699 Independent Study and Research 0.5-9.0 Credits
Hours and credits to be arranged.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated multiple times for credit
MATE 702 Natural Polymers 3.0 Credits
This course provides an introduction to natural and biomimetic polymers with an interdisciplinary view of biology, chemistry and macromolecular science. An understanding of natural building blocks and methods by which nature carries out polymer synthesis and modification reactions is coupled with insights into DNA; structural proteins; polysaccharides; and a wide variety of renewable resources.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: MATE 501 [Min Grade: C]
MATE 897 Research 1.0-12.0 Credit
Hours and credits to be arranged.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated multiple times for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is MATE or major is MSE.
MATE 898 [WI] Master's Thesis 1.0-12.0 Credit
Hours and credits to be arranged. This is a writing intensive course.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated multiple times for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is MATE or major is MSE.
MATE 998 Ph.D. Dissertation 1.0-12.0 Credit
Hours and credits to be arranged.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated multiple times for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is MATE or major is MSE.
