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M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering

The Master of Science (M.S.) in Materials Science and Engineering offers a rigorous two-year program blending core coursework with substantial research. Graduates benefit from Cornell’s prestigious reputation, preparing them for success in industry, government, or academia. Students work closely with faculty to tailor their studies to their interests, integrating foundational and specialized topics in materials science.

Format

In-Person

Page Contents

Note: This page provides a general overview. For complete and accurate information, please consult with your advisor. For current course offerings and information, refer to the Cornell University Registrar: Courses of Study.

Program Overview

The Cornell Graduate School requires successful completion of coursework and acceptance of a written master’s thesis for all M.S. students. Students must have four semesters of full-time, registered graduate student status before they may defend their master’s thesis defense in the M Exam. Students typically conduct this oral exam after the second year of study. A written master’s thesis, approved by the special committee and conforming to standard formatting requirements, must be submitted to the Cornell Graduate School before the M.S. degree is awarded.

Students in the M.S. program must take four 5000+ level technical courses during their two years of study. M.S. students typically take two or three regular courses each semester (6-7 credits) along with research and seminar credits for a total of at least 15 credits. M.S. students must enroll in MSE 8000 (nine credits – independent research), MSE 8010 (one credit – weekly seminar), and MSE 8020 (two credits – research group meetings) each semester. As a rule of thumb, each credit in a lab/research course should correspond to at least 3 hours/week in the lab.

Technical courses that fulfill Material Science and Engineering M.S. course requirements comprise of 5000+ level courses (three or greater credits each) in engineering, science, and mathematics, including:

  • All courses taught in Cornell Engineering
  • Courses taught by departments of physical, chemical, biological, and clinical sciences
  • Courses taught by departments of mathematics, statistics, and computer science

Examples of courses that do not fulfill Material Science and Engineering M.S. course requirements include:

  • Courses taught by departments of social sciences, psychology, and information science
  • Courses in economics, finance, and management taught outside the Cornell Engineering
  • Courses taught by the SC Johnson College of Business and the School of Hotel Administration

The course requirements for the M.S. degree are designed to be minimal and flexible so that students can focus on research. Students are encouraged to discuss with their advisors enrollment in additional courses that may benefit their career development but that do not fulfill M.S. course requirements. M.S. students should design a course sequence to serve their educational objectives in consultation with their faculty research advisor. Special committee members may require additional courses as part of the M.S. program.

Courses

  • MSE 5005

    MSE M.Eng. Professional Development

  • MSE 5010

    M.Eng. Project (Ongoing)

  • MSE 5011

    M.Eng. Project (Terminal)

  • MSE 5020

    Special Project

  • MSE 5070

    Interdisciplinary Design Concepts

  • MSE 5210

    Properties of Solid Polymers

  • MSE 5230

    Physics of Soft Materials

  • MSE 5235

    Design of Soft Materials

  • MSE 5240

    Synthesis of Polymeric Materials

  • MSE 5250

    Organic Opto-electronics

  • MSE 5310

    Introduction to Ceramics

  • MSE 5320

    Glass: Structure, Properties and Modern Applications

  • MSE 5340

    Particulate Science and Engineering: Fundamentals and Applications

  • MSE 5410

    Nanofabrication and Characterization of Electronics

  • MSE 5411

    Nanofabrication and Characterization of Electronics Laboratory

  • MSE 5425

    Properties, Characterization, and Applications of Nanomaterials

  • MSE 5430

    Thin Film Materials Science

  • MSE 5435

    Organic Electronics: Materials and Processing

  • MSE 5440

    Soap Bubbles, Snowflakes, and Steps: Interfacial and Surface Phenomena in Materials Science

  • MSE 5445

    Semiconductor Electronic and Photonics Devices

  • MSE 5520

    Additive Manufacturing: Fundamentals and Processes / Advanced Topics in Metal Additive Manufacturing

  • MSE 5530

    Materials Design and Processing for Industry

  • MSE 5620

    Biomineralization: The Formation and Properties of Inorganic Biomaterials

  • MSE 5625

    Supramolecular Biophysics

  • MSE 5720

    Computational Materials Science

  • MSE 5730

    Probability, Statistics, and Data Analysis for the Physical Sciences

  • MSE 5801

    Materials Structure and Electronic Properties

  • MSE 5802

    Materials Structure and Mechanical Properties

  • 5810

    Materials Chemistry

  • MSE 5820

    Mechanical Properties of Materials, Processing and Design

  • MSE 5830

    Thermodynamics of Condensed Systems

  • MSE 5840

    Kinetics, Diffusion, and Phase Transformation

  • MSE 5850

    Electronic, Magnetic and Dielectric Properties of Materials

  • MSE 5998

    External Industrial Internship

Special Committee

Each student has a special committee whose members guide and supervise the student’s research program. This committee is responsible for setting specific degree requirements, conducting and reporting on oral examinations, and approving the student’s thesis.

The student’s special committee is chaired by his/her research advisor, who must be a member of the Graduate Field of Materials Science and Engineering – some 40 faculty across campus – but not necessarily a member of the department. It is also possible to choose a research advisor who is not a member of the field, in which case the Director of Graduate Studies typically chairs the student’s special committee.

The relationship between the student and research advisor is the central one in our M.S. program. The other members of the special committee are selected by the student and the committee chair and typically parallel the student’s M.S. research interests and minor specialization.

Master’s Exam/Thesis Defense

M.S. students conduct research with one of the department research groups. Current faculty research interests fall broadly within four key strategic areas: Energy Production and Storage, Electronics and Photonics, Bio-inspired Materials and Systems, and Green Technologies. Research results are written in the form of a thesis and defended in a thesis defense.

Milestone Timeline Process

Nominate Chairperson before end of 1st semester

  1. Follow matching process outlined at orientation.
  2. Once notified by GFA of official match, add Chair in Student Center.

Nominate Minor Committee Member before end of 2nd semester

  1. Meet with potential minor members.
  2. Once selected, add to Student Center.

Your minor member must represent a minor concentration. This minor concentration will show up on your transcript.

Student Progress Review every spring semesterFollow prompts received from the department each spring semester. Public Thesis Defense (M Exam) by the eighth semester.

  1. Coordinate date, time, location with your full committee.
  2. Submit the Pre-M Exam Audit Form and await email approval from GFA to schedule your exam.
  3. No less than two weeks prior to exam:

Submit Thesis on ProQuest no more than 60 days after passing M Exam. A degree is not conferred until the above requirements are met and a student’s thesis is submitted and approved on ProQuest. Students should submit the thesis at the approval of the full committee and no more than 60 days after passing the M Exam.