The field of materials sciences and engineering is central to the technological, industrial, and economic development of Texas, the United States, Mexico, and other industrialized countries. The UTEP PhD program is a multi-disciplinary program to prepare scientists and engineers to contribute to this vital field, with a range of skills linking structure, properties, synthesis and processing, and performance of materials. Students develop a research focus in a specialized area using one or more of these skills to study some class or classes of materials, including metals, polymers, ceramics, semiconductors, superconductors, composites, and other materials systems.

Students in the MASE Program take a common core:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
MASE 6245	Electron Microscopy Appl	2
or MASE 6290	Contem Topics-Materials Sci/E
MASE 6195	Doct. Rsrch Symposium I (3 credits)	1
MASE 6196	Doct. Rsrch Symposium II	1
MASE 6400	Advanced Concepts Mat Sci/Engr	4
MASE 6401	Applied Matls Sci & Eng	4
MASE 6402	Microchem/Microstruc Char Matl	4

Admission Requirements 

Admission to the PhD program in materials science and engineering with a BS or MS degree in a related field (Physics, Chemistry, Electrical and/or Electronic Engineering, etc.) from an ABET accredited institution in the United States, or proof of equivalent education from an international institution, requires a minimum 3.0 GPA. Program requires minimum English Language proficiency. The current requirements can be found under Admissions in the Graduate catalog. Specific admission requirements for the Ph.D. Program in Materials Science and Engineering are described below.

1. Undergraduate or graduate degree in Materials Science and Engineering or a related field from an ABET accredited institution in the United States, or proof of equivalent education from an international institution.
2. Demonstration of academic achievement and potential as indicated by the results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and upper-level undergraduate and graduate coursework. The GRE requirement is waived for students from UTEP.
3. Three letters of recommendation.
4. A written statement of intent, describing applicant’s career goals and describing their vision of the path to those goals (including a summary of previous preparation and applicant’s expectations from the graduate program).
5. Submission of a CV/resume summarizing professional and academic experience and any other evidence of background, knowledge, research, or work experience in Materials Science and Engineering that may be relevant.
6. Applicants from countries where English is not the first language are required to demonstrate English proficiency. Please consult the graduate school website for required scores.

Degree Requirements  

All students who enter the program are required to take three core courses (12 credits), electron microscopy applications (2 credits) and three hours of research symposia for a total of 17 credit hours. Students who enter with an MS degree in Materials Science and Engineering or a related field (Physics, Chemistry, Electrical and/or Electronic Engineering, etc.) can receive up to 30 credit hours towards the Ph.D. MASE Degree requirements.  Students entering with an MS degree in Material Science and Engineering or related field will be required to complete 21 hours of MASE elective or graduate research/independent study courses. Students entering with a BS degree will be required to complete 21 credit hours of elective courses and 30 credit hours of elective or graduate research/independent study courses. The subject area of elective courses in advanced topics are determined by the student and their research advisor in consultation with the student’s Dissertation Committee. Depending on the background and preparation of the student, and/or the nature of the student’s research, the student’s mentor and/or the Dissertation Committee, acting together with the student, may suggest additional courses not chosen from the list of electives. The core and elective courses (discussed below) are traditional lecture or seminar courses. The student will take a minimum of six (6) credit hours of Doctoral Dissertation. A minimum of 74 credit hours are required.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Entering with MS Degree
Core		17
Credit from Master’s (up to 30 credits)		30
Research or Electives*		21
Dissertation		6
Total Hours		74

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Entering with BS Degree
Core		17
Electives		21
Research or Electives*		30
Dissertation		6
Total Hours		74

* As required/recommended by the Dissertation Committee.

The UTEP MASE program currently does not offer a terminal master’s degree. However, MASE PhD students can choose to complete a master’s degree in an appropriate science or engineering department, or in MSIS, Master's Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Requirements for these MS degrees can be found elsewhere in the catalog.

Students are required to pass an oral Qualifying Examination administered by their Research Committee. This examination consists of defending a written Dissertation Proposal and answering questions of either a broad or specific nature in relationship to the preparation to conduct dissertation research. This examination is usually administered after a minimum of two semesters of work. Students cannot register for dissertation credits until after the Qualifier Examination has been passed. Research undertaken prior to passing the examination can use
appropriate graduate research projects or independent study courses.

Students are required submit to at least one paper as first author along with the research advisor (if applicable) to a peer-reviewed journal. The paper must be submitted before the student can schedule their dissertation proposal, leading to a publication before they defend their dissertation. At the conclusion of the research program, the student will make a public presentation of the dissertation. This will also constitute a Final Oral Examination or Dissertation Defense with questions from both the Research (Dissertation) Committee and the general public.

Degree Plan