Materials Science and Engineering Master's Degree
Online Program Overview
Minimum GPA
Qualifying Exam
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.
The program also offers the professional degree, Metallurgical Engineer, for engineers who wish to do advanced work beyond the level of the M.S. degree but who do not desire to emphasize research. For more information: bulletin.engineering.columbia.edu/graduate-program-1.
"I have been quite happy with ALL of the classes I have taken. This has not been easy - as some of the classes have been challenging. Also, with the unpredictable nature of my travel schedule, the logistics, at times, have been even more of a problem. But, in the end, there has been good cooperation at all levels and things have worked out well in the end. In conclusion, I thought my travel schedule would prohibit me from being able to successfully complete any advanced degree. This has not proven to be the case."
Admissions 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: 3 recommendation letters, transcripts, resume, and a personal-professional statement are required. If you have not earned a degree from an undergraduate or graduate institution in which the instructional language was English, you may be required to take the TOEFL/IELTS. 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.
For answers to your most common admissions questions, please review our FAQ page here.
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 and selected electives (described below) for a total of 30 graduate points of academic work via CVN 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.
Description
MSAE students are advised to visit the Materials Science page on the APAM website for the most current information regarding program requirements.
Core courses:
The following six courses (18 points) are required for the degree:
18 points:
MSAE E4100: Crystallography
MSAE E4200: Theory of crystalline materials: phonons
MSAE E4201: Materials thermodynamics and phase diagrams
MSAE E4202: Kinetics of transformations in materials
MSAE E4206: Electronic & magnetic properties of solids (3 pts)
MSAE E4215: Mechanical behavior of structural materials (3 pts)
Course List
Electives
If a candidate has already taken one or more of these courses at Columbia University, substitutions from the Elective list must be approved by consultation with their faculty advisor and approval of the program committee.
The remaining 12 points will be chosen from elective courses. (List of approved electives in 2019-2020)
Any MSAE4000, MSAE6000, MSAE8000 course
- APCH E4080: Soft condensed matter
- APMA E4101: Dynamical systems
- APMA E4200: Partial differential equations
- APMA E4204: Functions of a complex variable
- APMA E4300: Computational mathematics: introduction to numerical methods
- APPH E4100: Quantum physics of matter
- APPH E4110: Modern optics
- APPH E4200: Physics of fluids
- APPH E4300: Applied electrodynamics
- APPH E4112: Laser physics
- APPH E6081: Solid state physics I
- APPH E4990: Special topics in applied physics
- BMEN E4300: Solid biomechanics
- BMEN E4580: Foundations of nanobioscience and nanobiotechnology
- ENME E4113: Advanced mechanics of solids
- ENME E4114: Mechanics of fracture and fatigue
- CIEN E4021: Elastic and plastic analysis of structures
- CIEN E4116: Energy harvesting
- CHEN E4201: Engineering applications of electrochemistry
- CHEN E4630: Topics in soft materials
- CHEN E4880: Atomistic simulations for science and engineering
- EAEE 4252: Introduction to surface and colloidal chemistry
- ELEN E4944: Principles of device microfabrication
- ELEN E4411: Fundamentals of photonics
- ELEN E4193: Modern display science and technology
- ELEN E6331: Semiconductor device physics
- ELEN E6333: Semiconductor device physics
- IEOR E4150: Introduction to probability and statistics
- MECE E4212: Microelectromechanical systems
- MECE E4213: BioMEMS: design, fabrication, and analysis
- MECE E4610: Advanced manufacturing processes
- MECE E4214: MEMS production and packaging
- MECE E6137: Nanoscale actuation and sensing
- STAT GU4001: Introduction to probability and statistics
Similar courses not listed here may be considered by petition, addressed to the APAM Department Student Services Coordinator.
Students interested in a specific focus in Metallurgy or other materials fields should consult their faculty adviser for relevant course listings.
Columbia Video Network (CVN) students may have their programs approved by faculty. Special reports (3 points) are required of CVN students.
Tuition & Fees
2023–2024 Tuition & Fees
Please note that all tuition and fees are in U.S. dollars and are estimated. Tuition and most fees are prescribed by statute and are subject to change at the discretion of the Trustees.
CVN Credit Tuition: $2,462.00 per point (Credit Hour)
CVN Fee: $395 non-refundable fee per course
Transcript Fee: $105 non-refundable one-time fee
Tuition Deposit: $1,000 (More information on our Resources page)
Estimated cost of one nondegree course: $7,886.00
Estimated total cost of certification (four courses): $31,229.00
Estimated total cost of MS (ten courses): $77,915.00
*Estimated total cost of DES (ten courses plus a minimum of 12 research credits): $108,249.00
Graduate Admission Application Fee: $85 non-refundable one-time fee
Certification Program Application Fee: $85 non-refundable one-time fee
Late Registration Fee: $100 non-refundable fee
CVN Withdrawal Fee: $75, plus prorated tuition and all non-refundable fees
For example: A three-credit course would be $7,781 + transcript fee $105 (one-time) + CVN fee $395 = $7,886
*Assumes DES student enrolls in two six-credit research courses.
For Drop/Withdrawal fees and dates, refer to the Academic Calendar for the current term.
Please note: CVN no longer offers courses for audit.
Payment should be mailed to:
Columbia University
Student Account Payments
P.O. Box 1385
New York, NY 10008-1385
Before you mail your check or money order, please take careful note of the following requirements to ensure the timely processing of your payment: https://sfs.columbia.edu/content/pay-mail.
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