Introduction
The Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) program welcomes students interested in a Ph.D. degree. Doctoral candidates perform experimental, theoretical, and computational research in any of the areas covered by the program, including quantum materials (two-dimensional and topological materials, among others), energy materials (batteries and photovoltaics), quantum sensors, photonics, magnetic materials (including spintronics), bioelectronics, and neuromorphic electronic materials. They 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 Ph.D. 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, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory , and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Collaborations with industrial partners, such as IBM, Advanced Materials, and other companies may also be available for some projects.
The UC Santa Cruz MSE program is committed to providing an excellent education to a diverse population of graduate students and we encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. We employ a holistic process to assess candidates’ knowledge and passion for materials science and engineering, as well as the perseverance and tenacity required to complete the doctoral program. Of particular importance is the alignment between the research interests of the candidate and those of the program’s affiliated faculty. While taking into consideration a candidate's undergraduate grade point average (GPA), letters of recommendation, student statements, and Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) scores, we do not disqualify applicants based on any single factor. The program recognizes the documented limitations of the GRE as an equitable predictor of success in graduate studies and research.
Students pursuing the Ph.D. degree can apply for a master's degree upon successful completion of the requirements for a master's degree.
Advancement to Candidacy
The following sections define what is necessary to advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.
Course Requirements
Prospective Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of 45 credits of graduate or upper-division undergraduate coursework, of which at least 30 credits must be graduate level credits, covering all five areas of study in (1) Materials Science and Engineering: 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 earn at least a B- in these courses to remain in good standing in the program. Students must also take one course in area (6) Professional Development.
Students are required to take either PHYS 215 or CHEM 263, and PHYS 219 or CHEM 262 from area (1). Taking PHYS 262 is strongly encouraged.
Students must enroll in MSE 200 the first time it is offered during their residency.
Students must enroll in MSE 280 during all quarters of residency and must obtain a letter grade in the course once during each academic year of residency except for the first one. A letter grade in this course entails giving one of the colloquia. Students must also take two quarters of MSE 290 during their first year; the two different rotations may be done with the same or a different group. The course of study needs to be approved each quarter by the research adviser (when determined) and the MSE graduate adviser. Students may take additional courses to prepare for and conduct their Ph.D. research as needed.
One or more of these first-year courses can be waived if students have taken equivalent graduate-level courses at their undergraduate institution. However, this requires that the course covers the material in the first-year courses syllabi and that the students obtained a satisfactory grade (a B or higher, or the equivalent).
MSE Fundamentals Courses
| MSE 200 | Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering | 2 |
| MSE 280 | Colloquium in Materials Science and Engineering | 2 |
| MSE 290 | Research Rotation | 5 |
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 |
Courses not on the lists above may be taken as electives toward the M.S. degree with approval from the MSE graduate committee chair.
Area 6 Courses: Professional Development
Qualifying Examination
After identifying an appropriate research project with their faculty advisor, students form an Oral Qualifying Examination Committee.
The Oral Qualifying Examination focuses on the dissertation problem. It includes considerable depth in the student’s area of specialization, as required for a successful completion of the dissertation. The examination begins with the student’s presentation of the dissertation topic and is followed with questions and suggestions by the doctoral committee. During the exam, the candidate will have to display competency in the fundamental knowledge required to complete the project.
Dissertation
A doctoral dissertation will be an original and substantial contribution to knowledge in the student’s major field. The dissertation must demonstrate the student’s ability to carry out a program of independent advanced research and to report the results in accordance with standards observed in recognized scientific journals. When the doctoral committee determines that a suitable draft of the dissertation has been presented, a dissertation examination and defense for the student is scheduled.
Dissertation Defense
The public dissertation defense is required for the Ph.D. degree and will consist of a public seminar followed by questions from the committee. Students should work with their committee to confirm a defense date and time. The MSE Program staff can assist with providing a room for the defense and with publicizing the event. Students should have a final or nearly final draft of their dissertation and provide it to their committee prior to the defense. It is suggested that the draft be provided at least one month prior to the defense, but this is at the committee’s discretion. The graduate advisor and/or the Graduate Committee can provide guidance as to the procedures for selection of committee membership, the format of the examination, and required reporting.
Academic Progress
Annual evaluation ordinarily is the joint responsibility of the graduate coordinator and the faculty advisor and/or the chair of the student's doctoral committee. An evaluation should include a brief review of the student's work to date, with particular attention to the period since the last report, describing the student's progress toward the degree, pointing out any areas in which improvement is recommended or required, and establishing academic objectives for the following period.
The results of annual reviews are committed to writing and signed by the supervisor. Before a doctoral student has advanced to candidacy, the second signer may be the graduate coordinator; after advancement, a second dissertation committee member must also sign. The annual evaluations are distributed to the student and kept in the student's file. They form the basis for decisions about continued financial support, academic notice and/or dismissal, extensions of financial aid beyond the expected graduation time, and other matters.
The expected graduation time to degree for the program is five years.
Applying for Graduation
Students should apply for the Ph.D. at the beginning of the term in which they will complete all degree requirements. The application form can be found on the graduate division forms page and should be submitted to the Graduate Division.