Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Materials Science and Engineering

The programs address: structure-property relationships; processing methodologies; comprehensive characterization; theory, computational methods and analytics; and engineering behavior of a broad array of materials and material systems. A Ph.D. student must take a minimum of 18 credit hours of EMSE 701 and must continue registration each subsequent regular semester (Fall and Spring) until the dissertation is complete, unless granted a leave of absence. The time limit for the Ph.D. program is 5 years for full-time students, starting with the first semester of EMSE 701 registration. The minimum course requirement for a Ph.D. degree is 12 courses (36 credit hours) beyond the B.S. level, out of which at least 6 courses (18 credit hours) must be taken at Case Western Reserve University. Of these 12 courses, 4 courses must satisfy the Breadth Requirement and 2 courses must satisfy the Basic Science Requirement for the department as outlined below. In the case of a student entering with a M.S. degree from another discipline, additional courses may be required at the discretion of the student’s academic advisor. A GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation. Students with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. MSE Core Sequence: The Materials Science and Engineering Core sequence consists of: EMSE 503 Structure of Materials EMSE 504 Thermodynamics of Solids EMSE 505 Phase Transformation, Kinetics, and Microstructure The Core is a required part of the Program of Study for all Ph.D. students. Transfer credit for comparable graduate courses taken at another institution will be allowed on a case-by-case basis. Students may find it helpful to complete the core sequence prior to taking the Ph.D. comprehensive exam. Breadth Requirement: The Breadth Requirement for the Ph.D. can be fulfilled by taking a total of 4 courses (12 credit hours) within the Case School of Engineering selected in consultation with the student’s advisor. Basic Science Requirements: A minimum depth in basic science of 2 courses (6 credit hours) is required for a Ph.D. degree. This requirement can be fulfilled by taking 2 courses at the 400 or 500 level selected from Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and/or Statistics, and/or certain engineering curricula approved by the department Graduate Studies Committee. Engineering courses used to meet this requirement must be approved prior to enrolling in the course (the deadline being the conclusion of add/drop in any given semester). Students making such a request are required to submit a petition to the department Graduate Studies Committee that justifies the role of the stipulated course as basic, rather than applied, science. Such petitions are expected to be brief. Courses that are not approved as meeting the basic science requirement may be applicable to the breadth requirement. The PPOS, a list of the courses the student will take to fulfill the Ph.D. requirements, will be discussed and updated if needed at the time of the Thesis Proposal Evaluation. Upon successful completion of all requirements and research, the Ph.D. candidate must submit a written dissertation as evidence for their ability to conduct independent research at an advanced level. The Ph.D. candidate must pass a final oral exam in defense of the dissertation. The dissertation committee must consist of at least three faculty members from the department and one non-departmental member. The candidate must provide each committee member with a copy of the completed dissertation at least 10 days before the exam, so that the committee members may have an opportunity to read and discuss it in advance.