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Curriculum
Master of Science in Engineering-M.S.E.
Two different types of M.S.E. degrees are offerred: one with a primary focus on coursework (Coursework M.S.E.) and one with an emphasis on research (Research M.S.E.)Coursework M.S.E.
- 30 credit hours of courses
- 15 credit hours of MSE department courses
- Up to 8 credit hours may be satisfied by MSE 690
- At least 2 cognate courses (a minimum of 4 credit hours)
- Students taking MSE 690 must submit a research report commensurate with the number of MSE 690 credits taken. This report must be approved by the project supervisor. It may also be used as a document for the Ph.D. oral candidacy exam.
Research M.S.E.
- 30 credit hours of combined coursework and research
- 12 credit hours of MSE department courses
- 9 credits of MSE 690
- At at least 2 cognate courses (a minimum of 4 credit hours)
- Oral master’s thesis defense
- The oral defense may also serve as the Ph.D. oral exam at the committee’s discretion
Doctor of Philosophy - Ph.D.
- Course Requirements (68 Credit Hours for Ph.D., 50 Beyond Relevant MS Degree, 2 Cognate Courses)
- Students complete an additional 9 hours of formal coursework, above that required for the M.S.E. degree.
- Written Exam (Within 2 Years)
- Oral Exam (Thesis Research Proposal; Within 2 Years)
- One semester of “Teaching Experience” as Graduate Student Instructor
- Submission of a Ph.D. Thesis and Final Defense
Core Courses
There are no formal course requirements for the Materials Science and Engineering graduate programs at the University of Michigan. Courses are chosen in consultation with the student's faculty advisor. However, all Ph.D. students must pass a written examination to qualify for candidacy. The content of this examination is closely related to the five core courses which are offered at least once per year:
MSE 500 Materials Physics and Chemistry (OFFERED EVERY WINTER TERM)
Physical properties of a wide range of materials, including crystalline and organic materials, from the electronic and atomic point of view. The binding and structure of materials will be placed in context of quantum mechanics and band theory; and the electrical, optical, termal, mechanical, and magnetic properties will be emphasized.
MSE 520 Advanced Mechanical Behavior (OFFERED EVERY WINTER TERM)
Advanced studies of deformation and failure in materials. Macroscopic and microscopic aspects of deformation. Elasticity and plasticity theories and problems in deformation processing. Fracture mechanics and composite toughening mechanisms. Mechanisms of creep deformation.
MSE 532 Advanced Thermodynamics Of Materials (OFFERED EVERY FALL TERM)
Classical and statistical thermochemistry, with emphasis on topics important in Materials Science and Engineering; including thermodynamics of solids, solution thermochemistry, heterogeneous equilibria of stable and metastable phases, multicomponent systems, coherent equilibria and strain effects, interfaces and absorption, polymer alloys and solutions.
MSE 535 Kinetics and Phase Transformations (OFFERED EVERY WINTER TERM)
Fundamentals of phase change, diffusion, heat transport, nucleation, and growth applied to solidification; ordering, spinodal decomposition, coarsening, reactions, massive transformations, diffusion-limited transformations and glass transitions.
MSE 560 Structure Of Materials (OFFERED EVERY FALL TERM)
Atomic arrangements in crystalline and non-crystalline materials. Crystallography, kinematic, and dynamical theories of diffraction, applications to x-rays, electrons and neutrons. Interpretation of diffraction patterns and intensity distributions, application to scattering in perfect and imperfect crystals, and amorphous materials. Continuum description of structure emphasizing the tensor analysis of distortions in solids.