Program Statistics
Visit Master's Program Statistics and PhD Program Statistics for statistics such as program admissions, enrollment, student demographics and more.
Materials Science and Engineering
Degree Types: MS, PhD
Northwestern’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the world’s first academic department of its kind, offers graduate programs leading to the MS and PhD degrees in diverse areas of materials science. These areas include nanomaterials, biomaterials, electronic materials, metals, ceramics, and polymers with applications in energy, sustainability, medicine, and additive manufacturing.
Strong interdisciplinary and collaborative research is a hallmark of materials science and engineering at Northwestern. We collaborate with other engineering and science departments, the Feinberg School of Medicine, and national laboratories including nearby Argonne National Laboratory.
Additional resources:
Program Contact
Contact Murphy Sharp
Program Assistant
847-491-7896
Degree Requirements
The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in The Graduate School Policy Guide.
Master's
Total Units Required: 12
Courses only program:
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| Departmental courses (8 units, 5 of which must be 400-level, excluding 499) | |
| Elective courses (4 units, including courses from other departments) | |
Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) dual MS program:
While at Northwestern, students are required to take a total of 12 units, three of which must be MAT_SCI 590-0 Research. The remaining nine units are advanced (graduate level) 300 and 400 level courses, with a minimum of six units from materials science and engineering, of which five must be 400 level courses. The remaining courses may be in other technically related disciplines.
Degree Requirements
The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in The Graduate School Policy Guide.
PhD
Total Units Required: 12
(Up to 6 units credit is given for the MS degree; see departmental guide.)
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| MAT_SCI 401-0 | Chemical & Statistical Thermodynamics of Materials |
| MAT_SCI 402-0 | Structure of Crystalline and Noncrystalline Materials |
| MAT_SCI 404-1 | Fundamentals of Soft Matter |
| MAT_SCI 404-2 | Imperfections in Materials |
| MAT_SCI 405-0 | Physics of Solids |
| MAT_SCI 406-0 | Mechanical Properties of Materials |
| MAT_SCI 408-0 | Phase Transformations in Materials |
| GEN_ENG 519-0 | Responsible Conduct for Research Training |
| Departmental Electives (2 units) 1 | |
| Electives (4 units) 2 | |
- 1
400 level, excluding MAT_SCI 499-0 Projects
- 2
excluding MAT_SCI 499-0 Projects
Other PhD Degree Requirements
- Examinations: preliminary evaluation based on research progress and coursework; qualifying examination emphasizing proposed dissertation research
- Research/Projects: see departmental guide
- PhD Dissertation: materials and results from supported research programs may be used for dissertation
- Final Evaluations: public oral defense of dissertation
- Departmental Seminar: attendance of research seminars
- Teaching: a minimum of two quarters (to total 20 hrs/week) as a teaching assistant or grader