Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Materials Science and Engineering (MMSE, PhD, 4+1 Bachelor of Engineering/MMSE)

Telephone: (302) 831-2062
http://www.mseg.udel.edu
Faculty Listing: http://www.mseg.udel.edu/directory/faculty.html

Program Overview

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering offers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Materials Science and Engineering (MMSE) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D). The Master’s degree can be obtained by either thesis or non-thesis options.

The goal of Materials Science is to provide improved materials for society. Current new materials technologies demand materials scientists and engineers who can relate the processing, structure, and properties of a broad range of materials. The Master’s program offers a foundation in the science of materials and their uses. The Ph.D program offers a development of the student’s ability to conduct original and creative research. The areas of study within the program include:

1. Materials chemistry - design and synthesis of novel materials by combining chemical architectures that have specific properties, e.g., electrical conductivity, rigidity, flexibility, solubility, etc.
2. Polymers - interrelations among processing, microstructure and behavior of polymeric solids and thin films.
3. Electronic materials - electrical, magnetic, optical, and thermal behavior of materials, including semiconductors, photovoltaics, superconductors, electro luminescent polymers, and devices.
4. Composite materials - manufacturing, microstructure, and properties of composite and hybrid organic/inorganic materials.
5. Biomolecular materials - synthesis and characterization of novel chemical architectures that incorporate peptide and nucleotide sequences; bio-inspired materials and protein polymers.
6. Nanoscale materials - synthesis, characterization, and self-assembly of materials at nanometer length scales to create new, emergent properties.

Research Facilities

Since the primary goal of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering is to foster the development of Materials Science in general at the University of Delaware, we are committed to acquiring, operating and maintaining a wide range of experimental equipment. In addition to the usual laboratory equipment, the Department operates an Electron Microscope Laboratory, a Vibrational (Raman, IR) Spectroscopy Laboratory, and an X-ray Laboratory as facilities which are available to researchers who may need them in the course of their work. A wide range of analytical, computing, synthesis, and fabrication facilities are also available within the College of Engineering.

Financial Aid

Please refer to Graduate Fellowships and Assistantships  for more information.

Requirements For Admission

Applicants are expected to have:

1. A baccalaureate degree in Materials Science, in an Engineering discipline, or in a Physical science.
2. An undergraduate grade-point average in engineering, science, or mathematics courses of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale.
3. A minimum of three (3) letters of strong reference from former teachers and/or supervisors.
4. A required minimum GRE (Graduate Record Examination) score of 155 for the quantitative section with a combined total score of 300 for the verbal and quantitative sections. Since the GRE test scores are good for five years, those applicants using the old testing scores, the required minimum score is 700 for the quantitative section with a combined total score of 1200 for the verbal and quantitative sections.
5. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for all students whose first language is not English and who have not received a degree from a college or university in which English is the primary language of instruction. The University required minimum TOEFL score is 79 (IBT) or 550 for paper based. Admission is selective and competitive based on the number of well qualified applicants and the limits of available faculty and facilities. Those who meet stated minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission.
6. An alternative to the TOEFL is IELTS (International English Language Testing System). The minimum requirement is 6.5 for admissions.