Materials Engineeing Graduate Program
Our Graduate program is structured to provide specialized training to students by working with faculty engaged in the cutting edge materials research in Ceramics, Metals, Polymers, Composites, Bio-materials, and Electronic Materials. More information on the current research interests of the faculty can be obtained by visiting faculty sites. We admit 25-30 new graduate students each year to our program and most of these students are supported by either Teaching or Research Assistantships. Our total graduate student enrollment is 80-90 on an average. The department’s research activities are supported by ~$2.5-3.0 millions of research grants each year.
These programs are supported by 13 top notch faculty along with Post-doctoral fellows, dedicated staff and devoted Graduate & Undergraduate students. In addition, the MSE department has outstanding facilities which support both the undergraduate and graduate programs. An example of this is our Materials Characterization Center which has most modern equipment for the characterization of a variety of materials. Additionally, the department has several Research Centers of national and international stature.
To gain admission to graduate study in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the student must submit an application form to the MSE Director of Graduate Studies. The Graduate Studies Committee will then determine if the student is to be admitted for graduate study in the Department and if he/she is eligible for financial aid. Financial aid usually takes the form of a University Graduate Scholarship (UGS) (a tuition scholarship) and/or a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GA) (a stipend) for the in-coming graduate students. In some cases, the student may be admitted with aid in the form of a Research Assistantship or a Research Fellowship and a UGS. All financial aid is normally subject to time limitations. A full-time student registered for an M.S. degree will not receive a UGS or an assistantship from any source after 8 quarters or 2 years. Similarly, a student registered for a Ph.D. degree will not receive financial aid after 16 quarters or 4 years.
Students who have been admitted to pursue graduate work in this Department should confer, upon arrival, with the Director of Graduate Studies . Subsequently, all course registration must be approved by the student's Thesis or Dissertation Advisor. The selection of the advisor is the most important decision the student will make in the early phase of his/her study in the Department. The advisor will advise the student not only on his/her academic program, but also on all phases of his/her effort towards the degree objective. The research project for the thesis or dissertation is carried out under close guidance by the advisor. The normal maximum load of a student devoting full-time to graduate study is recommended to be 15 graduate credits of work in the summer and autumn quarters and 12 graduate credits in the winter and spring quarters of the academic year. Students will not be permitted to register for more than 16 credits in any one quarter without special approval of their advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies. During the tenure of the graduate student in the Department, the student must maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative quality point average (QPA) in graduate courses at the University of Cincinnati and within the Department. Failure to maintain at least a 3.0 QPA will result in probation for the student in the following quarter. A student, who has been put on probation for 2 consecutive quarters or any three quarters during their tenure, will not be eligible for any further financial aid. The graduate student is ultimately responsible for keeping track of his/her own progress toward the advanced degree and is also responsible for meeting the appropriate deadlines for specific events (such as selecting the advisor, taking the qualifying examination, completing course requirements, etc.) towards such progress.