Ph.D. Degree in Metallurgical Engineering

This department offers a Ph. D degree in Metallurgical Engineering. The degree is conferred by the university upon recommendation by the department faculty and the Graduate Dean, following the completion of an approved Program of Study. The approved Program of Study describes the student's specific courses, research and related activities. The graduate student's advisor, the graduate director of the program and the advisory/examining committee determine the Program of Study for each degree candidate. This includes the dissertation and the acceptable courses for completion of the degree. The Graduate Dean has final approval of the Program of Study. To download the official Program of Study form go to the Publications/Forms Directory of the Graduate School web site. The file is given in PDF format which should be opened using Adobe Acrobat Reader. It is recommended that the student establish a Program of Study within the first or second semester upon arriving at the university. For more information on completing the form, contact the Chair of the department. Subsequent changes may be made at any time via a Change in Program of Study Form, but only with the approval of the major professor, Department Chair, advisory/examining committee and the Graduate Dean.

When you arrive as a new graduate student in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, you may be assigned a temporary advisor. In general, new students should be able to select a general research area and thesis advisor sometime during the first semester of residence and the full advisory committee before the end of the second semester. You are free to change advisors or committee members at any time during your graduate work. If you already have a permanent major advisor and committee, a change can be made by submitting a Change in Program of Study Form.

Advisory/examining committees consist of at least five members of the graduate faculty: the major advisor (committee chair), at least two faculty members from the student's major department, at least one faculty member from a department in a field related to the student's major, and at least one university-at-large member from the graduate faculty. Students may request the appointment of a committee member from the faculty of another university or from a relevant discipline or profession, provided the prospective member has achieved a record of distinction. Formal approval of the student's advisory/examining committee is made by the Graduate Dean. The committee is very important in guiding the student's progress toward an advanced degree, and high priority should be placed in forming the committee early in the graduate program. For a student entering the Ph. D. program with a Bachelor's degree, the committee should be formed prior to the completion of 24 credits of graduate work. For a student entering the Ph. D. program with a Master's degree, the committee should be formed during the first semester.

For the Ph. D. degree, twelve credits of core graduate courses are required to be included in the Program of Study. The list of possible graduate core courses to choose from include:

• MSE 703 - Advanced Physical Metallurgy (3 units)
• MSE 711 - Advanced Corrosion Principles (3 units)
• MSE 715 - X-Ray Diffraction (3 units)
• MSE 728 - Interfacial Phenomena (3 units)
• MSE 738 - Advanced Ceramic Materials (3 units)
• MSE 741 - Advanced Kinetics and Reactor Design (3 units)
• MSE 760 - Advanced Metallurgical Thermodynamics (3 units)
• MSE 761 - Advanced Metallurgical Thermodynamics (3 units)
• MSE 764 - Advanced Transport Phenomena I (3 units)
• MSE 765 - Diffusion in Materials (3 units)

Substitution to the above core graduate courses will be considered and must be approved by the Department Chair.

All first year graduate students must formally petition the Department for entrance to their second year of graduate studies using Form G-1, due September 1. Failure to file this petition will result in the student's being denied permission to register for further classwork in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering until the petition is officially approved.

Doctoral students must pass a qualifying examination administered by the department. This examination is oral. It is much like an interview to access the student's previous classes, what classes he/she should take in preparation for the dissertation research, and potential research topics. For students matriculating without having a Master's degree, the qualifying examination should be taken prior to completion of 24 credits. Students having a Master's degree should take the examination during the first semester of graduate study.

Students must also pass a comprehensive examination, which is intended to evaluate the student's overall knowledge and understanding of his/her field. The examination should be taken after completion of course requirements. This examination includes both written and oral sections and may cover material not offered in formal course work. The written part is taken over a three day period, and is followed, within two weeks, by a three hour oral examination.

Students pursuing the Ph. D degree must file for candidacy after passing the comprehensive examination and no later than eight calendar months prior to graduation. Admission to Candidacy forms are available in the Publications/Forms directory of the Graduate School web site. Admission to candidacy confirms that a student has successfully completed the departmental course requirements and university residency requirements. In order to gain admission to candidacy, a student must meet all the following:

• hold at least a B average in all graduate work; and
• gain the advisory/examining committees formal approval for the program of study.

When the student is close to finishing the approved Program of Study, an Application for Graduation must be purchased at the Cashier's Office. This application includes the date of graduation, and the approval of the chair of the committee and the Graduate Dean. For information on deadlines for application to graduation visit the Important Dates Directory of the Graduate School web site. An applicant who does not complete all degree requirements for graduation by the specified deadline must update and resubmit an application during the next appropriate filing period.

For completion of this program the student must follow the guidelines outlined below:

• earn a minimum of 72 graduate credits;
• earn a minimum of 48 credits of course work;
• earn a minimum of 24 credits of dissertation;
• a maximum of 24 graduate credits, with grades of B or better, from a master's degree program or previous post-baccalaureate work may be applied to the program; when transferring credits identify course number and institutions in your Program of Study and attach a copy of the Graduate Supplemental Letter received from the Division of Enrollment Services;
• maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average;
• a maximum of 9 graduate credits may be taken with S/U grading;
• at least 30 credits of 700-level courses exclusive of dissertation credits are required; as many as 18 of these credits may be used from a master's degree program;
• fulfill residency requirement - six semesters of graduate study and two consecutive semesters (fall or spring) of at least 9 graduate credits each (students on 20 hr/week assistantships require 6 credits each semester;
• all requirements for the doctoral program, excluding prerequisite graduate course work or master's degree must be completed within a period of 8 years immediately preceding the granting of the degree;
• maintain continuous enrollment; a minimum enrollment of 3 graduate credits each fall and spring semester, or obtain a written leave of absence approved by the student's advisor, the Department Chair, and the Dean of the Graduate School.

NOTE: The department may impose additional requirements.
NOTE: The department has no requirement for foreign language proficiency.

The last examination for completion of the Ph. D., is the final oral examination (dissertation defense), which is conducted by the advisory committee after the preparation of the dissertation.

The final date for submission of the dissertation in final form is one week before the close of the semester. No extension of this deadline is permitted. The Graduate Dean makes final approval of dissertation. Guidelines for format of the dissertation are given in the Publications/Forms Directory of the Graduate School web site.