Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering



Department: Applied Physics / Applied Mathematics
Transcript Designation: Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering
Program Advisor: Academic Questions: e-mail advisor@cvn.columbia.edu
Administrative Questions: e-mail cvn@cvn.columbia.edu



About the Materials Science and Engineering Program:

Materials Science Engineering is a rapidly growing, multidisciplinary activity that has emerged as a recognizable field in recent decades. Scientists and engineers in this field lay the basis for understanding, developing, testing, and applying materials that form the foundation for present and future technologies (for example, ceramic engines for the automotive industry, semiconductor devices for the microelectronic industry, and polymers and composite materials for various industries including sports and automotive industries). More significantly, the choice and power of future human endeavors will depend critically on the development of improved and environmentally-sound materials, whether as inexpensive and highly efficient solar cells for clean power generation or as radiation-resistant alloys for fusion reactor walls.

Although over half a million scientists and engineers currently are working in the materials field, only about 10 percent of them hold materials-designated degrees (the remainder include chemists, physicists, electrical engineers, chemical engineers, and mechanical engineers). As such there is demand for -- and the field will benefit from -- scientists and engineers, who take the multidisciplinary materials science approach in their careers.

Admission Requirements:

Degree required for admission: Students admitted to the program must possess an undergraduate degree in engineering, science, mathematics, or other related field (subject to the approval of the Materials Science and Engineering Program) from an accredited academic institution. Applicants should have a strong undergraduate record to be competitive for admission.

GPA required: Minimum of 3.0

GRE requirements: General test required

Other application requirements: Two recommendation letters, transcripts, resume, and a personal-professional statement are required. TOEFL test scores are required of all students who received their bachelor's degree in a country where English is not the official and spoken language. All application requirements in the Graduate Application must be completed as specified in the application.

Breadth requirement: Elements of Materials Science (MSAE E3103) is required for students who have not covered this material in earlier undergraduate or graduate courses. No credit toward the M.S. degree will be given for taking this course.

Degree Requirements:

Students must complete all core courses (described below) and selected electives (described below) for a total of 30 graduate points of academic work with an academic average of 2.5 or better. All degree requirements must be completed within 5 years of the beginning of the first course credited toward the degree. This includes courses taken in the non-degree program.

Core courses:

The following 4 core courses must be included:

MSAE E4132 Fundamentals of Polymers and Ceramics
OR
MSAE E4250 Ceramics and Composites

MSAE E4202 Thermodynamics and Reactions in Solids

MSAE E4206 Electronic and Magnetic Properties of Solids

MSAE E4215 Mechanical Behavior of Structural Materials

Required Report

A research report (MSAE E6273) is required. Students will complete the report in consulation with a faculty advisor. The report counts for 3 to 6 credits towards the M.S. The exact number of credits will be determined by the faculty advisor.

MSAE E6273 Materials Science Reports

Elective courses (choose 4 or 5, depending on the number of credits for your report):

APPH E4090 Nanotechnology

CHEE E4050 Principles of Industrial Electrochemistry

CHEE E4252 Introduction to Surface and Colloid Chemistry

CHEE E4530 Corrosion of Metals

CHEE E6252 Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry

EAEE E4003 Introduction to Aquatic Chemistry

EAEE E4200 Production of Inorganic Materials

EAEE E4550 Catalysis of Emissions Control

EAEE E6208 Combustion Chemistry and Processes

ELEN E4944 Principles of Device Microfabrication

SIEO W4150 Introduction to Probability and Statistics

Or any 6000 to 9000 level Materials Science courses.


Thesis/Project: A thesis is not required. Students may enroll for 3 to 6 credits in Materials Science Reports (MSAE E6273) for individual, guided study with a faculty member and preparation of a formal report on a special topic.


Transfer of credit:

Up to 6 credit hours (points) of acceptable graduate-level academic work from an accredited academic institution earned prior to enrolling at Columbia may be transferred to Columbia, subject to departmental approval. Students must request the transfer of credit while applying to the MS program. Credit will only be considered for transfer if the grades earned were at least 3.0 on the 4.0 scale. An official college transcript and copy of the class syllabus and/or course description from the school's bulletin must accompany the "Transfer of Credit Request" form. Please note that courses already used towards completion of another degree program cannot be re-used for transfer credit.