Introduction
The Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) program welcomes students interested in a Master in Science (M.S.) degree. M.S. students develop laboratory, computational, and analytical theory skills which are of value in many fields, including semiconductor materials and device processing, computer simulation and visualization, cryogenics, x-ray scattering, electronic, magnetic, and photonic measurements, and bioelectronics among others. Each M.S. student is assigned a faculty adviser who helps to design a coursework plan suited to the student’s interests. The MSE program is interdisciplinary by nature and program faculty are formal members of academic departments in the Physical & Biological Sciences (PBSci) Division and the Baskin School of Engineering (BSOE). A list of MSE faculty may be found here.
MSE graduate students and faculty use several UC Santa Cruz research facilities, including laboratory facilities located on campus in the BSOE, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the interdisciplinary Westside Research Park research building. Proximity to the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory provides additional local research opportunities. UC Santa Cruz faculty and graduate students also participate in research programs at Los Alamos National Laboratory, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Collaborations with industrial partners, such as IBM, Advanced Materials, and other companies are also available for some projects.
The application procedure and requirements for the M.S. program are identical to those of the Ph.D. program. Application materials and brochures describing the materials M.S. and Ph.D. graduate programs in more detail may be obtained by visiting the MSE program website or by contacting the Division of Graduate Studies.
Students pursuing the Ph.D. degree can apply for a master's degree upon successful completion of the requirements for a master's degree.
Requirements
Course Requirements
M.S. Plan I: Thesis Students
M.S. Plan I students must complete 45 credits of graduate or upper-division undergraduate course work, of which at least 30 credits must be graduate level credits. Students must complete at least one course from three of the five areas of Materials Science and Engineering: (1) Quantum and Thermodynamic Foundations of Materials, (2) Condensed Matter and Structure, (3) Materials Characterization Techniques, (4) Functional Materials , and (5) Materials Synthesis and Processing. Students must also take MSE 200, Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering, at least once and MSE 280, Colloquium in Materials Science and Engineering, at least five times.
Students must enroll in MSE 200 the first time it is offered during their residency. At least one enrollment in MSE 280 must be taken for a letter grade. A letter grade in this course entails giving one of the colloquia. The course of study needs to be approved each quarter by the research adviser (who will supervise the research project) and the MSE graduate adviser.
The research project, along with Area 3, 4, and 5 courses, will provide significant practical professional development for students because these techniques are widely used in industry. The degree will be awarded when all these requirements are met, and the thesis has been submitted successfully. Expected time to degree is six quarters (two years).
The Master’s Plan I degree is open to students that have enrolled in the Ph.D. program.
Master’s Plan II: Comprehensive Exam Students
M.S. Plan II students must complete 45 credits of graduate or upper-division undergraduate course work, of which at least 30 credits must be graduate level credits. Students must complete at least one course from three of the five areas of Materials Science and Engineering: (1) Quantum and Thermodynamic Foundations of Materials, (2) Condensed Matter and Structure, (3) Materials Characterization Techniques, (4) Functional Materials , and (5) Materials Synthesis and Processing. Students must also take MSE 200, Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering, at least once, and MSE 280, Colloquium in Materials Science and Engineering, at least five times.
Students must enroll in MSE 200 the first time it is offered during their residency. At least one enrollment in MSE 280 must be taken for a letter grade. Students can take Directed Studies a maximum of six times. The course of study needs to be approved each quarter by the MSE graduate adviser. Students will take a written comprehensive examination to complete the degree. The examination emphasizes the fundamental knowledge of the study area rather than the specifics covered in individual courses.
The degree will be awarded when all these requirements are met. Expected time to degree is six quarters (two years).
The Master’s Plan II degree is only open to students enrolling in the terminal M.S. degree and is not open to students that have enrolled in the Ph.D. program. Plan II Master’s students who would like to transfer to the doctoral program will have to have satisfied all the coursework requirements for the master’s program, passed the oral qualifier exam, and obtained the MSE Graduate Committee’s approval.
MSE Fundamentals Courses
| MSE 200 | Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering | 2 |
| MSE 280 | Colloquium in Materials Science and Engineering | 2 |
Areas of Study Courses
Area 1 Courses: Quantum and Thermodynamic Foundations of Materials
Area 2 Courses: Condensed Matter and Structure
| CHEM 268 | Solid State and Materials Chemistry | 5 |
| ECE 102 | Properties of Materials | 5 |
| ECE 102L | Properties of Materials Laboratory | 2 |
| ECE 227 | Fundamentals of Semiconductor Physics | 5 |
| PHYS 156 | Applications of Quantum Materials | 5 |
| PHYS 157 | Frontier of Quantum Materials | 5 |
| PHYS 231 | Introduction to Condensed Matter Physics | 5 |
| PHYS 232 | Condensed Matter Physics | 5 |
Area 3 Courses: Materials Characterization Techniques
Area 4 Courses: Functional Materials
Area 5 Courses: Materials Synthesis and Processing
| ECE 207 | Nanomaterials and Nanometer-Scale Devices | 5 |
| ECE 225 | Semiconductor Processing and Bandgap Engineering | 5 |
| ECE 228 | Engineering of Thin Film Deposition | 5 |
Applying for Graduation
Students must apply for graduation to receive their M.S. degree. The form can be found on the graduate division forms page and should be submitted to the Graduate Division.