The Committee on the Science and Engineering of Materials offers an interdisciplinary graduate program leading to the PhD degree in Science and Engineering of Materials, with concentrations in high-resolution nanostructure analysis and solid-state device materials design. The members of the faculty composing the program are from several academic research units in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering: the Center for Solid State Science, the Departments of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Physics and Astronomy.

The PhD degree in the Science and Engineering of Materials is an interdisciplinary program of study that integrates courses offered by faculty representing various disciplines, along with courses in mathematics, to provide a sound foundation for research leading to a dissertation. Emphasis is placed upon applications of the core fundamentals for investigation of the relationships between microstructure and properties and performance of solids, and the dependence of microstructure on processing.

Admission. Admission to the SEM Program is a two-step process. First, all prospective students must satisfy the general admission requirements of the Division of Graduate Studies. International students must submit a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score. The minimum TOEFL score required by the SEM Program is 600. Second, students must satisfy the requirements of the SEM Program. These requirements are a GRE passing score (verbal, quantitative, analytical), a professional résumé, a statement of purpose, and three letters of recommendation. International students who wish to be considered for teaching assistantships must provide the program with a Test of Spoken English (TSE) score. Application materials must be received by the SEM Program Office by the following established deadlines: for fall, documents must be received (postmarked) by February 1; for spring, by October 1.

Program of Study. The program consists of a minimum 84 semester hours beyond the bachelor’s degree, at least 24 of which are research and dissertation credit. Programs of study for individual students are defined during discussions between the student and the faculty supervisory committee. At least 30 semester hours of the approved program of study, including the core, exclusive of research and dissertation, must be completed after admission to the PhD program at ASU.

A minimum of 10 graduate-level courses beyond the bachelor’s degree is required.

The curriculum includes core courses that define the essential course work for all students, involving 21 semester hours of selected courses in materials, chemistry, and physics. Students who previously have taken courses fulfilling some of the core requirements may select electives.

Students may choose one of the following concentrations in their program of study: (1) high-resolution nanostructure analysis or (2) solid-state device materials design. Or students may tailor a program of study in the science and engineering of materials to meet their professional and academic needs. Students achieve the desired concentration by completing three or more of the courses in the appropriate concentration group of courses. The courses in these concentrations are a part of the elective portion of the degree course requirements.

High-Resolution Nanostructure Analysis. The courses composing the high-resolution nanostructure analysis concentration are the most comprehensive education in the theory and application of transmission electron microscopy in the U.S. This group of courses is highly interdisciplinary. Because of the strict and important correspondence between the properties of materials and their nanostructure, transmission electron microscopy plays a central role in modern materials science, far beyond its role in other fields of natural science and engineering. Nanostructure analysis comprises one-third of the field of materials research and is often the critical knowledge necessary to understand the behavior of materials. The development and applications of high-resolution nanostructure analysis methods is one of the university’s strongest materials research and education specialities and is an important part of the SEM program. Required courses are as follows:

Solid-State Device Materials Design. The courses specified for the solid-state device materials design concentration are materials applications and characterization courses that introduce SEM students to the culture of device engineering. Students apply their knowledge of basic materials science to contemporary problems of the solid-state electronics industry. Required courses are as follows:

Foreign Language Requirements. None.

Comprehensive Examination. Near completion of course work and no later than three years after admission to the program, the student is given a comprehensive examination with oral and written components. The written component is a test that examines the student’s knowledge in the core course subjects. The examination is administered by the Curriculum and Examination Committee. The oral component requires the presentation of a research proposition to the student’s faculty supervisory committee. The student must define a research problem of current relevance to the materials science field. The problem may be experimental, theoretical, or a combination of both. The presentation should be based on the study of literature and discussions with members of the supervisory committee and materials researchers. The student defines the problem, describes its significance in the field, proposes a method of investigation leading to a solution of the problem, and defends the problem and proposed solution before the faculty supervisory committee. The proposed problem may be from any area of materials research but it may not be part of the student’s dissertation topic. The student must prepare and deliver to the members of the supervisory committee the written proposal describing the research proposition not less than seven business days before the scheduled examination date. The comprehensive exams may be taken no more than twice upon formal application to, and under conditions specified by, the student’s faculty committee, the director of the supervisory program, and the dean of graduate studies. Upon successful completion of this examination, the student is advanced to candidacy for the degree by the Division of Graduate Studies.

Dissertation Requirements. The dissertation, which is the final and most important product of the student’s effort in this program, must report original research in the field and demonstrate the student’s ability to conduct creative, independent research. Each candidate must register for 24 semester hours of research and dissertation as part of the degree requirements; specifically, 12 semester hours of SEM 792 Research and 12 semester hours of SEM 799 Dissertation. Dissertation credits should be taken in the semester(s) following the student’s advancement to candidacy.

After the student passes the comprehensive examinations, and every semester up to the time the student defends the dissertation, the student must submit a one-page report on the dissertation proposal to his or her dissertation committee at the end of the semester.

Final Examination. The final oral examination in defense of the dissertation is conducted by the student’s dissertation committee and others appointed by the dean of graduate studies.

See Science and Engineering of Materials.