Welcome to the new Materials Science & Engineering Graduate Program
In Fall 2007, USF approved a Master of Science degree program in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at USF. This program will be jointly administered in the College of Engineering (COE) and the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). The field of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) applies the fundamental principles of physics and chemistry to engineering materials, with a focus on the interrelationship between material structure, their properties, and the means by which they are processed. MSE impacts multiple facets of our economy, such as aerospace, electronics, transportation, communication, construction, recreation, entertainment, environment and energy. It is, by its very nature, an interdisciplinary field. The goal of the MS program in Materials Science and Engineering is to provide a route for well-qualified undergraduate students who desire in-depth graduate-level work including structured courses and research experience, in preparation for work in industry or for entrance into a relevant science or engineering Ph.D. program.
Because of the wide ranging impact of materials on all technologies and industrial sectors, the materials science and engineering field offers a wide variety of employment opportunities. Materials scientists primarily work in research and development in academia, national labs and industrial labs. The focus of their work is on the development of new materials, processes and fundamental research on the interrelationship between processing, structure and properties.
Students require a minimum of 30 total credit hours to earn the MS degree in MSE. The degree may be completed within 12 months by taking 12 credit hours in each of the Fall and Spring semesters followed by 6 credit hours during the summer. Students must take 15 credit hours of core courses (including a maximum of 3 credit hours for an interdisciplinary Graduate Materials Seminar), and 9 hours of elective courses for the thesis option which requires an additional 6 hours of thesis research. In addition, 6 hours of elective courses would be required in lieu of thesis hours for the non-thesis option. Further details regarding the curriculum are provided on the website. Courses taken for this program cannot be used to fulfill requirement for another Master's degree program.
For any further details on the progam see: http://mse.usf.edu/ContactUs/index.asp
